Millions of women struggle with incontinence on a daily basis and many of them have found ways of dealing with their problem through hiding it. Their biggest fear is discovery through smelling of urine or even worse having visible leakage.
Most incontinent women believe their situation is normal and have no idea that there is hope of a cure. Even if you have discovered the WeeFree book and are working towards becoming dry, you may still need a little protection from time to time.
Toilet Maps
Knowing the location of toilet facilities when you go out can provide much needed peace of mind when you have a problem with incontinence and there are some great toilet location resources in some cities. Links to the toilet maps we know about can be found under the resources Tab. Please contact us if you know of a good toilet locator app or website.
You should be able to "hold on" when your bladder is full until there is a convenient time and place to "let go". Knowing where the nearest toilet is, makes life so much easier if your "hold" is not yet as strong as it ought to be . Avoid visiting every toilet you pass. Emptying your bladder before it has a chance to fill can increase your problems and reduce your bladder capacity.
Liners and Pads
If you have mild stress incontinence you might use a daily panty-liner or if you are planning a more active outing you may wear an ordinary sanitary pad. If you leak larger quantities, you will get better protection from a purpose designed incontinence pad. These are designed to absorb urine rather than your menstrual flow and can usually hold greater volumes and the leak guards are more suited to the lower viscosity of urine.
If you have urge incontinence and sometimes have your bladder empty fully with very little warning, you may need to use one of the many adult diapers available. Some of women even wear a diaper as well as an extra "liner pad" to cope with long journeys or to get through a show. A wet pad or diaper should always be changed as soon as possible or rather as soon as it is convenient.
Contrary to common belief it is very rare to smell of urine if you use appropriate continence aids and it is possible to find a product for your type and severity of incontinence that almost eliminates the possibility of fluid leakage. The adult diaper industry is worth billions, so you can be assured there are plenty of top quality products available to hide incontinence.
Vaginal splints
Some women find that they have more control when they insert a tampon. The tampon acts as a splint which helps compress the urethra when you tighten your pelvic floor. It can be difficult to insert and remove tampons when you are not mentruating and Tampons can cause toxic shock syndrome if not changed frequently.
Therefore a better option is to use a hollow medical grade splint, such as a contiform device, designed specifically for the purpose. These can be fitted by a women's health physio or continence nurse. Continence splints are designed for temporary or intermittant use and should not be confused with vaginal pessaries which are used to reduce vaginal prolapse.