Chrissy Teigen Opens up About a Post-Pregnancy Situation Nobody Talks About
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Everyone knows that newborns go home in diapers, but not all moms recognize that they might have to wear diapers after giving birth as well.
Model Chrissy Teigen learned this the hard way after recently delivering her daughter Luna, she wrote in a tweet on Wednesday:
Many fellow moms chimed in that they could relate, and also mentioned some other unexpected aspects of childbirth:
Teigen's tweet sheds light on postpartum incontinence, a health issue new moms face after childbirth.
When women gain abdominal weight during pregnancy, their pelvic floors and abdominal muscles may become weak. This can result in women losing some amount of control of their bladders, Mic writer Jenny Kutner noted in a recent piece.
Some new moms experience the "involuntary leaking of urine" during sneezes, laughs, or coughs, according to baby website What to Expect. It can also affect their bowels. This warrants the use of special incontinence pads for many.
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"Urinary incontinence is very common in the postpartum period (more than a third of moms spring that particular leak)," What to Expect states on its site. "It can take between three to six months, or even longer for some women, to regain complete bladder control — though there are steps you can take to get it back faster."
Tania Boler, who invented the product Elvie to give women a way to exercise their pelvic floor muscles, told Mic that during pregnancy women have "three times the normal pressure" applied to their pelvic floor muscles. She also said that women aren't getting the education they need to prepare for this aspect of childbirth.
"Many women think that if they have a Caesarian that their pelvic floor muscles will be spared, but this really isn't the case," she told the publication. "It's shocking how little education pregnant women are given about how to look after their pelvic floor."
[h/t Mic]
