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“I Just Thought It Was My Age — Until I Found Out It Wasn’t”

I started noticing the leaks a couple of years after menopause.
At first, it was just a little when I sneezed or laughed too hard. But gradually, it became more frequent. I’d leak walking to the shops. I'd leak when I stood up too quickly. It got to the point where I was wearing pads every day, not just when I went out, but around the house too.

And for a long time, I told myself, “This is just part of getting older.”

Friends would mention it in passing — “Oh, you know how it is when you’ve had kids and your hormones drop…” So I accepted it. I made sure I always knew where the toilets were. I stopped going to yoga classes. I even stopped going on long walks with my husband, just in case.

What I didn’t realise was how much of my life I had started to shrink.

Then one day, during a routine GP visit, I mentioned the leaking almost as an afterthought. I expected her to say it was normal for my age. But instead, she said, “You know, a women’s health physio could really help with that.”

I’d never even heard of one. But I booked an appointment anyway, mostly out of curiosity — and a little bit of hope.

Claire was kind and reassuring. She asked questions about my bladder, my history of childbirth, menopause, my general health. I told her how I’d quietly planned my days around toilet stops. She nodded and said, “You’re not alone — and this is absolutely something we can work on together.”

She did an assessment, including an internal exam — which I was a bit anxious about, but she explained everything and it was done with such care and professionalism.

What she found surprised me. My pelvic floor muscles weren’t just weak — they were tight. She explained how hormonal changes after menopause can affect bladder control, but also how strength and control can be rebuilt at any age.

She gave me a simple, realistic plan — nothing overwhelming. Just gentle, targeted exercises and breathing techniques to start retraining those muscles. She also helped me understand how things like posture, hydration, and even how I go to the toilet were affecting my symptoms.

After a few weeks, I noticed I was leaking less. I didn’t dread leaving the house anymore. I even signed up for a tai chi class after a few months — something I wouldn’t have thought would be possible again.

If I could share one thing with other women in this stage of life, it would be:
You don’t have to live with bladder leakage just because you’re postmenopausal.
It’s common, yes — but it’s not something you have to accept. There is help. And it works.