For the last 15 years or so, I have struggled with bladder leakage. I first noticed it getting worse in the run-up to my wedding ( which was a decade ago). I was really hard working with a personal trainer who had me flipping tractor tires around a football field as part of my training and running circuits. By the end of the session, I’d be in quite a state. Normally I’d have something around my waist. I’d certainly be using pads. It was pretty mortifying and something I was extremely self-conscious about.
Amongst friends, over the years we made jokes about not being able to trampoline. Or having a laughing or sneezing fit and ‘peeing yourself a bit. But for me, bladder leakage was a regular occurrence. Which is causing me more and more distress that I kept silent about. I used to run, not far but I was comfortable doing a 10k. And in my work as a radio presenter for Heart, I hosted lots of Race for Life runs and would often be running on the track… But gradually my running all but stopped.
I’d still exercise but I needed to be prepared. Always had to wear pads and once I’d found out about specific underwear. I’d add them into the mix and always wear black. Once pregnant I guess I just assumed it was all part of what was happening with my body. I was fortunate as I had a straightforward water birth. And then continued with my regular yoga practice etc. Once I could and my exercise slowly returned to what it was. Yet my pelvic floor didn’t improve, despite the exercises.
Once my son was about 4, I remember talking to a nutritionist friend about how my pelvic floor wasn’t strong. She told me about a physio to who I went for a check-up. She told me about the Squeezy app available from the NHS. Which I dutifully signed up for and set out trying to improve my strength. I didn’t get on all that well with Squeezy.
The feeling I would get from doing the exercises made me a bit nauseous. So I always felt I hadn’t committed for long enough. I struggled on and then in 2019, I made the bold decision to start cross-fit.
Unfortunately, I found quite quickly there was stuff they were doing that I just couldn’t do-skipping! As much as I would love to be able to jump rope like Nicola Adams, I just had to say my pelvic floor was too weak and I did something else. When we’d do shuttle runs, I’d give it my best shot. But would have had to make sure I had an empty bladder before the session and wear all the necessary protection.
Post-pandemic I didn’t return to cross fit. But I had taken up tennis, which I love. However, also struggled during exciting matches where I might need to sprint all of a sudden. The much-needed security blanket of something around my waist was my godsend. But it felt like things might be getting worse. During all this time, I never wanted to go to the GP. I never also bought specific bladder leakage pads, just normal sanitary towels. I’d also invested in reusable ones and more of the pants I mentioned earlier.
Fast forward to June 2022 and I go to a wonderful Jewish wedding in Amsterdam where the Israeli dancing was chaotic as it always is. With lots of spinning and jumping around and you guessed it, I was not in a happy place once we’d finished. I returned to our hotel and after a random Google of something I can’t remember. As I was a bit merry, I stumbled across a sizing kit for www.contrelle.com for £6
I was intrigued, as it seemed so accessible. It was a wearable device that you needed to do a test of 15 /20 mins exercise wearing to work out which size you needed and basically, it gives an immediate result. of their brilliant device which in essence is a u-shaped single-use foam that you insert like a tampon however it works really differently helping to gently reposition the bladder and I can honestly since I’ve been using it, not only am I feeling the benefits when I wear it, but I’ve noticed my muscle memory working so much better when I’m not.
I couldn’t actually believe it and captured the moment here in this youtube vid where I’m jumping on my son’s trampoline for the first time in a very long time.
It doesn’t stop there though as I was so elated. I decided to share my thoughts with the feedback email on the letter which came with the sizing pack from Contrelle. Such a nice touch and later that day was on the phone speaking with Andrew Tasker the founder of the company. Since this conversation, there have been more and I’m excited to say I’m now working with Contrelle to help raise awareness of the issue! Sadly, from their findings of speaking to over 500 women over 40 with bladder issues. Over 50% said they’d been living with the issue for 1-3 years and 2/3 of the women interviewed were too embarrassed to kickstart a conversation about it.
Well, enough of that, I can’t believe how many people have told me their tales. Since I’ve opened up about using this clever device and if the idea of wearing something constantly puts you off, you don’t need to worry. This is a single-use device and can be worn for up to 16 hours. Me, I instantly started using it daily as I never knew when I’d laugh or sneeze or want to chase my son along the road. So I wanted to have that protection.
However, whilst at a music festival with porter loos, I wasn’t all that keen on a late night visit to one, to make sure I didn’t fall asleep wearing it. So I was dancing around with my son on my shoulders and I was absolutely fine. I was so impressed at how my muscle memory had improved. The old me wouldn’t been so fortunate.
I’ve just been dancing around at a music festival with my son on my shoulders and I was absolutely fine. The old me wouldn’t been so fortunate. So what I’m hoping to do is help to spread the word and lessen the taboo, like I did with the fertility podcast 7 years ago.
To find out more about Contrelle just click here and I’ll be sharing more of my antics like this jumping episode
