Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have symptoms or concerns about your health, consult a qualified healthcare professional. Bodyotics products are wellness products and are not medical devices.

What stress urinary incontinence is

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is leakage that happens when physical pressure is put on the bladder — coughing, laughing, sneezing, lifting, exercising. It is one of the most common forms of incontinence in women, and it is far more widespread than the silence around it suggests.

Common causes

It usually develops from changes affecting the pelvic floor and the urethra: pregnancy and childbirth, hormonal shifts through menopause, the natural weakening of pelvic support structures with age, and pelvic surgery. Each of these can change how the urethra and the muscles around it work, making the seal that normally holds urine back less reliable.

Why the leakage happens

When the pelvic floor muscles weaken, the bladder can sit slightly lower, and the urethra is less well supported and less tightly closed. Anything that raises pressure in the abdomen — a sneeze, a laugh, lifting something heavy — can then push past that resistance and produce a small leak.

Some people notice it more in the week before their period, when hormonal changes affect muscle tone and pressure around the urethra.

Everyday triggers

• Laughing, coughing or sneezing
• Lifting something heavy
• High-impact exercise
• Sudden movements
• Standing up quickly

Pelvic floor awareness

Many people take up pelvic floor exercises — often called Kegel exercises — as part of their own routine. They involve contracting and then fully relaxing the muscles that support the bladder and urethra.

Worth being straight about: these exercises may support general wellness and body awareness, but they are not a guaranteed solution for stress urinary incontinence, and nothing you buy is. For advice about your own situation, see a healthcare professional or a pelvic health physiotherapist — they can assess what is actually happening, which an article cannot.

Final thoughts

Stress incontinence is common and it is not something you have to work out alone. Understanding the causes and triggers is a reasonable first step; a proper assessment is the useful second one.

This article was adapted from a post originally published at pelvicangel.com.

If you want to work on pelvic floor awareness. The Bodyotics kegel weights are six graduated weights, 50 g to 130 g, with a step-by-step guide. They are a wellness product — not a treatment for incontinence. Start at the lightest, and take clinical advice from a clinician. Explore the kegel weights →