Leaking after childbirth isn't something to live with
Why it happens, why it goes unreported, and what pelvic floor physiotherapy can do about it.
You laugh, sneeze, lift your toddler or jump — and leak. For many women, this starts during pregnancy or after birth and quietly becomes "normal". It's so common that it's often joked about. But common isn't the same as normal, and it's very often treatable.
Why it happens
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that works like a supportive hammock under your bladder, womb and bowel. Pregnancy, hormones and birth — vaginal or caesarean — stretch and load these muscles and the tissues around them. Afterwards, they may be weaker, slower to react, or not coordinating properly with your breathing and tummy muscles.
The most common type after childbirth is stress urinary incontinence: leaking when pressure rises suddenly — coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting or exercising. Some women also have urgency: a sudden, strong need to go that's hard to hold.
Why women don't mention it
Embarrassment. Being told it's "just what happens after babies". Not knowing that there's a specialist for it. Being too busy looking after everyone else. The result is that many women live with leaking for years, cutting back on exercise, travel and intimacy, when help was available all along.
What pelvic floor physiotherapy does
Supervised pelvic floor muscle training is recommended internationally as a first-line treatment for stress urinary incontinence. A pelvic floor physiotherapist will typically:
- Listen to your story — pregnancy, birth, symptoms and what you want to get back to
- Assess how your pelvic floor, breathing and core work together (any internal assessment is explained first and only done with your consent)
- Teach you how to find and use the right muscles — many women squeeze the wrong ones
- Build a programme that progresses in strength, endurance and speed
- Help you return to exercise, running or lifting without symptoms
Most programmes need consistent practice over several months, and progress is usually steady. It's never too late to start — whether your baby is six weeks or sixteen years old.
Other signs worth getting checked
- A heavy, dragging or bulging feeling in the vagina (possible prolapse)
- Leaking wind or stool, or difficulty controlling your bowels
- Pain during sex after birth
- A gap or doming down the middle of your tummy (diastasis recti)
- Pelvic, hip or back pain that hasn't settled
Avoid cutting down on water to reduce leaking — it can irritate the bladder. Try not to go to the toilet "just in case" too often. And book an assessment: learning to do pelvic floor exercises correctly makes a real difference.
Leaking after childbirth is common, treatable and nothing to be embarrassed about. Our pelvic floor physiotherapist sees it every week.
This guide is general education written by the Narika team. For advice tailored to your body and history, book a consultation with our doctors — that's exactly what they're here for.
