Incontinence is the involuntary passing of urine, gas, or stool, often associated with sneezing, laughing, exercise, or the inability to make it to the bathroom in time.

• Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the involuntary loss of urine with increased pressure on the muscles of the pelvic floor (PFM). There are several possible triggers, including coughing, sneezing, jumping, and exercising.
• Urge urinary incontinence (UUI) is the sudden and strong urge to pee and the inability to hold it until you make it to the bathroom.
• Mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) is a combination of both of the above.
• Bowel incontinence is when you’re unable to prevent the passing of gas or stool.

Symptoms can be mild or completely life-disrupting. For example you might occasionally leak a little urine when you sneeze, or you may have to urinate so often that you’re unable to sleep through the night or go anywhere without a bathroom. Even mild symptoms are worth treating before they become more severe.

Incontinence is typically due to a problem with the pelvic floor. It can be a coordination issue, meaning your body is unable to time a sphincter contraction correctly, or a strength issue, meaning you don't have the muscle strength to delay voiding.

During pregnancy, the weight on your pelvic floor increases as your baby grows. Imagine someone sitting on your abs and trying to do a crunch. This is essentially what is happening to your pelvic floor during pregnancy. As your baby gets bigger, it becomes more challenging to contract your pelvic floor muscles quickly or with adequate strength. So when you cough or sneeze, your pelvic floor muscles may activate too late or with not enough force to prevent leakage. At the same time, your growing baby is putting pressure on your bladder, which increases the feelings of needing to go.

During a vaginal delivery, the pelvic floor muscles may tear as they stretch and contract. This trauma to the muscles can lead to dysfunction — they may stay activated all the time, or you might have trouble activating them at all. Both situations result in incontinence (urinary or bowel).

Sometimes, incontinence is related to something other than pregnancy or childbirth, for example a history of pelvic trauma or various pelvic pain conditions.

Results can be seen after just a few visits as you relearn how to coordinate, release, and contract your pelvic floor. True strength gains, like any other muscle group, will take a few months. Returning to higher level activities like running or jumping without leaking may also take a couple months.