The following evidence is known as “anecdotal” which means it will affect some people, but not others, according to Kelly O’Connor, R.D., L.D.N.

Citrus fruits, tomatoes, while full of healthy vitamin C are also full of acid. This can irritate conditions such as urinary incontinence and over-active bladder. Spicy foods can do the same thing, so watch the jalapenos.

Water is good because it flushes bacteria out of your system. Alkaline foods like pears or bananas are goodbecause the balance an overly acidic system. Broccoli is good and is considered a cancer-fighter. Other members of the cruciferous family including brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower may help, too. Eat ‘em up. Good stuff.

Yogurt with acidophilus helps to fight toxins in the bladder and look for plain rather than flavored, because sugar is no hero to your bladder. It promotes the growth of bacteris and can lead to urinary tract infections. Artificial sweeteners aren’t a good substitute, because they are like acidic or spicy foods, they can increase the symptoms of overactive bladder.

Cranberry juice. Everyone knows this one, right? But just how does Cranberry promote better urinary tract health?  It’s the hippuric acid, which keeps bacteria off of the walls of the urethra.

Coffee, alcohol, and cigarettes. None of these are good. The coffee and alcohol act as a diuretic, flushing out the good stuff. Smoking cigarettes increases your risk of bladder cancer - it doubles it. If you smoke, please quit.

For more information, please click here to read the entire article.

Image credit: All Posters.com

Post from: Blisstree

Happiness Is A Healthy Bladder

The Discovery Training is more physical than I expected.

I’m in the best shape of my whole entire life.

And yet . . .

The peeing my pants in public is just too much.

Stupid post-birth incontinence.

I finally went to my room for the Diva Cup. It helped.

Today I ordered the bizarro Berman Center Isis Beginner Pelvic Kegel Trainer Muscle Exerciser.

I saw it on Oprah.com during the Best Life Web Cast with sex therapist Laura Berman.

Evidently my vajayjay needs her very own workout – with weights. It’d be humiliating if it weren’t so hilarious.

In a few weeks, she says I’ll be strong enough to graduate to this bad boy:

Post from: Blisstree

Kegel Olympics

Five-Stars, Two Thumbs Up, Absolutely Fabulous – I’m wearing it right now and I’m not even on my period – that’s how much I love the Diva Cup.

I was skeptical. I didn’t want to spend $20 in case it didn’t work.

But the thought of never having to buy tampons and pads again pulled me in. As much as I’d like to declare that it’s because I’m terribly concerned with how my period impacts the environment, it’s really because I’m terribly concerned with how my period impacts my underwear.

There were leaks every month. Super tampons just don’t stay where they used to stay when I was young and before vaginal births. Pads shift and feel like wearing Depends.

The Diva Cup is a silicone cup. It’s flexible enough to fold up to insert (I recommend sitting on the toilet to insert, then standing to adjust depth and angle for comfort) but, rigid enough that it won’t flop around or tip over when you’re pulling it out. There is a small silicone stem to pull it out. You simply pour the blood into the toilet and reinsert it. I only had to empty it twice a day. There are no known health risks.

Let me tell you what I love about the Diva Cup:

Post from: Blisstree

Green Period, Post-Birth Incontinence & Ovulation – Diva Cup Review

You know that dream where you go to school in white pants and have an accident?

I was on the elliptical machine and I had to cough. Aware of my tendency to “leak” I stopped running, squeezed my thighs as tight as possible and did my best Kegle (a vajayjay exercise doctors say will strengthen pelvic muscles). But, I pretty much peed my pants anyway – in light beige shorts.

I rushed to the bathroom with the magazine covering me from behind and my 32 ounce water bottle covering my crotch. You could totally see the spot and there were like 100 people in there. I even had to go sign the kids out of the nursery before I could make my escape.

This is not something I knew about before I had children. Actually, I thought you had to have like 10 kids before your bladder started to go. But, I guess nine months of two kids using the bladder as a trampoline is enough to do some damage.

Evidently, the bladder always has something in it. I leak even when I don’t even feel like I have to go to the bathroom.

Zack is a year old already and I’ve been faithfully doing my Kegles. But I still can’t jump on the trampoline, jog, take kickboxing or aerobics classes. I also can’t sneeze, belly laugh or cough.

I’m starting to think perhaps Kegles is not enough. Though, of course, I’m doing them right now. I’m going to need daily panty liners in the short term (a mother of four children shared this little secret with me). And perhaps laser vaginal rejuvenation surgery is on my horizon to cure what is apparently called stress urinary incontinence.

Good Grief. I’m clinically incontinent, as are 30 million other women according to this surgeon’s website. The website also notes that a side benefit of this surgery is better sex. (For which party I wonder?) According to a Medicine Plus article which lists several potential cures: * You can get a “cone” thing to hold on to while doing a Kegle.
* If you can’t figure out how to do a Kegle they will give you electrical stimulation, as in put a probe in the vagina and sent it an electrical shock to help you identify the pelvic muscles necessary to perform one.
* Drugs are also an option, though somehow phenylpropanolamine and pseudoephedrine, common over the counter medicines, are among the list.
* Collagen injections can be used to sort of plug up the urethra.Aren’t those a bizarre bunch of options? I think surgery is actually the least strange solution.

Post from: Blisstree

Incontinence, Birth Side Effect