One in three women are living with this reality every day. So why aren't we talking about it more?

By SHAUNA ANDERSON

One in three women in the world don’t eat breakfast.

One in three of us are blonde.

One in three of us understate the amount our shoes cost to our partners.

And one in three of us experience bladder leakage.

Yep one in three.

Has it happened to you?

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Lights by Tena. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100 per cent authentic and written in their own words.

A Facebook community of Mums were talking about it the other day. The semi-anonymity that Facebook allows granted them a little bit of privacy. The language they used to describe it surprised me though- “shame”, “frustration”, “humiliation”, and a feeling of being “all alone in this”.

You wonder why we allow ourselves to feel that way when it is actually not really that big a deal and it’s not really that uncommon.

One in three. Take a look around you, at three women nearby. One in three of them are going through this to some degree.

It’s caused by a variety of things including childbirth and obesity.

According to a study undertaken by lights™ by TENA®, 38.2% of females have no idea that obesity is a cause of bladder weakness. (I didn’t!)

The other cause can be exercise – now here’s a scenario that might feel a little bit familiar.

Exercise induced leakage. (Haven’t you ever wondered why so many of us wear black to the gym?)

43.4% of women experience urine leakage when exercising and of these, 17.4% experience leaks often.

“I don’t ever go the gym because of this,” one Mum wrote on Facebook. “I’ve just decided to skip exercise all together.”

I’m in the age group now where those of us who’ve had babies have probably all had to deal with this on some level.

But aside from Facebook no one seems to really talk about it. This might sound like unusual advice but to be honest I’m not sure that “talking” about issues like this is really necessary.

Not when you can just deal with it and fix it.

You just need to take control. Consult your Doctor, get a good physio and it’s an issue that can be solved.

Jane Le Fevre, Physiotherapist Expert for lights™ by TENA® has the following tips to sort it out:

1. Find your Pelvic Floor : The Pelvic Floor runs from your pubic bone at the front of your pelvis to the coccyx at the back. Imagine this sling of muscles is like two elevator doors. As you lift it, imagine the doors closing together and then lifting towards your head. The rest of your body should stay still.

2. Practice gentle lifts throughout the day : Practice lifting during the day at your desk, or at the sink while washing your hands, not just lying down at the end of the day. Work on connecting with it and then seeing if you can hold it for 5 seconds. As it is an internal exercise, no one will know you are working out.  Try and lift your pelvic floor 10 times at a red light whilst driving.

3. If you are pregnant your pelvic floor has to work harder to support your growing baby and changing body so it’s a perfect time to keep it active and strong.

4. Patience : Be patient with your pelvic floor after birth. If you aren’t feeling confident with your pelvic floor by 6 weeks post partum talk to your GP or see a women’s health physiotherapist to get help.

5. Use the right product while dealing with the problem : According to Jane Use a really good liner is the lights™ by TENA® range which handles the leakages while you’re dealing with the problem. She says the liners keep you drier, fresher and odour free.

6. Don’t discount surgery : This is one to discuss with your doctor. According to the Mater Hospital there are various surgical procedures to treat women. But it isn’t unusual and it isn’t something to feel embarrassed about.

Here are three simple pelvic floor exercises broken down to help you through:

The key message the experts want to get out is that it isn’t uncommon and it is something you can solve.

What do you wish you could take control of over your body; exercise, energy, stress levels?

Australian females are highly reluctant to talk about the’ little problem they don’t have,’ so lights by TENA® have launched an educational campaign to help women understand the problem, and empower them with the tools to overcome it.

We want to inspire and encourage you to make a little effort each day to strengthen your pelvic floor so that your light bladder leaks become less frequent, less serious, or even stop completely.

We don’t really want you to be a customer for life, because we’ve seen the impact that it can have.

In the meantime, we’ll continue to make life easier with products that are more effective, less intrusive and more discreet. Products that are better solutions than ‘make do’ options, and that come in packaging you won’t be embarrassed to put in your supermarket basket. Because while you’re getting your light bladder leaks under control, you don’t want the whole world to know about it.

The lights by TENA range is specially designed for light bladder leaks. They are surprisingly thin, yet absorb faster than most period liners.

What makes lights by TENA special?

o    Fresh Fast Crystals which are ultra-absorbing, to quickly lock away moisture and neutralise odour.

o    Surprisingly thin, with contoured body shape for a better fit.

o    Quick dry top sheet that keeps you fresh.

Whether it’s a few drops here and there, or more than a little dribble, there’s a lights by TENA liner that’s right for you.

Available at Woolworths, Coles and IGA.