How to Prepare for Your Wedding if You Have Incontinence
Prepare for your wedding to ensure a smooth event. While incontinence is more common in older people, anyone can still suffer from it, including younger ones, regardless of gender. There are various types of incontinence, such as the following:
- Urge incontinence is where you feel the sudden need to pee, thus causing leaks.
- Stress incontinence is where urine leaks when there’s pressure on the bladder. It happens when you sneeze, laugh or cough.
- Functional incontinence is caused by mental or physical impairment, which prevents you from going to the bathroom in time.
- Mixed incontinence is a combination of the different types mentioned, mostly urge and stress incontinence.
Planning your wedding day can be exciting, but at same time, stressful. You must take care of many things, such as your hair and make-up, dress, and the reception. Managing incontinence is another stressor if you are suffering from the condition. You don’t want to have an incident on your big day. However, there are things you can do to avoid this, which we listed below.
Take incontinence medication
There are medications used for treating incontinence, such as mirabegron, solifenacin, fesoterodine, and darifenacin. They help calm the bladder, thus preventing accidental leaks. Consult your doctor to determine the best medication to take and its frequency.
Use pads or pants
Various incontinence products are available, like incontinence pads and pants. These items are designed to fit comfortably, so you can wear them and still feel comfortable on your big day. Also, check where the bathrooms are in your wedding venue so you know where to go if you need to pee. Ask someone, like your maid of honour or bridesmaid, to be ready to assist you if you need to change pads or pants. Moving fast with your dress could be difficult, so an extra hand would help.
Relieve stress before the wedding
One of the most common causes of incontinence is stress. Although wedding planning can be stressful, find ways to relax and distress before your big day. Do things you enjoy that can take your mind away from the anxiety of your upcoming wedding. For example, go to a movie, have a short trip or vacation, watch a concert, or dine out with friends.
Perform pelvic floor exercises
Pelvic floor exercises can help strengthen the pelvic muscles, thus gaining better control of your urination in the long run. Sit in a comfortable position and squeeze your pelvic muscles about 10 or 15 times. Add more squeezes every week, but do not overdo it. Be sure to take some rest in between.
Watch out for your food and liquid intake
Observe what types of foods and drinks trigger incontinence or make it worse, and avoid taking them on your wedding day. For example, coffee, soda, and alcohol could worsen incontinence in some people. The same goes with citrusy and spicy foods.
Do not let incontinence stop you from enjoying your big day to the fullest. Keep these tips in mind to prepare for your wedding and not worry about leaks. Pack extra clothes, too, to ensure that you are ready in case of an emergency.