A few months ago, I was at my friend Laura’s house for a meeting of our writer’s group. After lunch, many mugs of tea, and sharing a few of our writings, I stood up to get more food. When I did, I said to Laura, “Great, now I have to pee.”
Laura laughed knowingly, and our friend Jen just looked at us. Jen’s a mom, too, but an adoptive mom. She has a darling daughter from China. I explained to her, “After being pregnant and having two kids, as soon as I stand up I have to go to the bathroom. It’s just one of those things I have to deal with.”
Then I realized, many moms have similar issues. We have to know where the bathroom is at all times, not only for our kids but for ourselves especially if we’re of a “certain age.” It’s amazing how the older we get, the more likely to pee our pants just like we did when we were little girls.
The simple fact is that one in four of us moms suffers from light bladder leakage and dread having to sneeze or laugh too hard. That’s why it’s important to talk about it and pelvic health not only with our gynecologist, but our girlfriends, moms, sisters, daughters, and aunts.
To help open a dialogue about pelvic health and reverse the stigma often associated with bladder and pelvic issues, Kimberly-Clark's Poise brand has joined with the Women's Health Foundation (WHF) to increase awareness of pelvic health and wellness.
In June 2008, the WHF held the "Below the Belt" benefit in Chicago to raise awareness of the issues effecting women today and celebrate champions of the cause. They even got the Indigo Girls to play at the reception! (You can see the Slide show here.)
At the event, Poise presented the first-ever Passion Award to Linda Michael of Portage, Indiana because her story of personal triumph over pelvic pain and bladder control issues - and her willingness to tell it - has inspired women and doctors alike to share their stories.
Linda personally struggled with and overcame her own pelvic pain and bladder control issues after giving birth to her son and now works toward breaking down the stigma surrounding these and similar problems affecting many women.
Like I tell my kids when they have a potty accident – we all pee our pants at some time. No big whoop. But with Poise and the Women’s Health Foundation, we should feel free to talk about it with friends and family as well.
For more information about bladder control and pelvic health go to the Poise Learning Center.
