Fellowship-Trained Urogynecologist
Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery
Green Bay, Wisconsin
✓ Medically reviewed May 14, 2026
Is urinary incontinence normal after childbirth?
Leaking urine after having a baby is common. About one in three women report some urinary incontinence after delivery. But common does not mean you have to live with it. Many women recover on their own in the first few months. When leaking sticks around or gets worse, there are treatments that work well.
Why childbirth affects bladder control
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue that support your bladder, uterus, and rectum. During pregnancy, the growing baby’s weight presses down on these structures for months. During vaginal delivery, the tissues stretch and the nerves that help control your bladder can be affected.
The single strongest predictor of postpartum incontinence is whether you leaked during pregnancy. Women who report leaking while pregnant are about 3.5 times more likely to have incontinence after delivery. This may reflect pelvic floor weakness that was already present before birth.
Cesarean delivery cuts the risk roughly in half compared to vaginal birth. But pregnancy itself contributes to pelvic floor changes regardless of how you deliver. About one in four women who deliver by cesarean before labor still report some incontinence at six weeks.
Higher body weight before delivery also raises the risk. It is the most common modifiable factor.
When to expect improvement and when to get help
In the first few weeks after delivery, some leaking is very common. It usually improves as swelling goes down and tissues start to heal. Most women notice steady improvement over the first three to six months.
I would recommend seeing a specialist if:
- Leaking continues beyond six months postpartum
- Your symptoms are getting worse instead of better
- You are avoiding activities because of leaking
- You leaked during pregnancy and it has not resolved after delivery
What can help
Pelvic floor physical therapy is one of the most effective treatments for postpartum incontinence. A Cochrane review of 38 trials found that pelvic floor training during pregnancy reduced urinary incontinence at three to six months postpartum. This is not just doing Kegels at home. A pelvic floor therapist works on strength, coordination, relaxation, endurance, breathing, and postural bracing. We have in-office pelvic floor physical therapists who can assess your muscle function and build a program around what you specifically need.
Tissue healing continues for up to a year after delivery. So giving your body time matters too.
If therapy alone is not enough, we can talk about other options together. I see patients at every stage of this, from early postpartum leaking to symptoms that have lasted years. There are good treatments across that whole range, and we can figure out together what makes the most sense for you.
References
- Burgio KL, Borello-France D, Richter HE, et al. Risk factors for fecal and urinary incontinence after childbirth. Am J Gastroenterol. 2007. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2007.01364.x
- Borello-France D, Burgio KL, Richter HE, et al. Fecal and urinary incontinence in primiparous women. Obstet Gynecol. 2006. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000232592.82165.78
- Wallace SL, Miller LD, Mishra K. Pelvic floor physical therapy in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction in women. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2019. doi:10.1097/GCO.0000000000000584
- Hilton P. Pathophysiology of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. BJOG. 2004. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.2004.00505.x
- Nygaard I. Stress urinary incontinence. Obstet Gynecol. 2004. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000137874.84862.94
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