There are a lot of things people warn you about when you’re pregnant.
Morning sickness. Stretch marks. Sleepless nights. The fact that you may never drink a cup of coffee while it’s actually hot again.
What nobody really prepared me for was peeing my pants.
And not when I’m 80.
I’m talking about after having a baby.
My Body Had Other Plans
I became a mom later in life. I was 35 when I had my son, and getting there wasn’t easy.
Getting pregnant was hard. Staying pregnant was even harder. Pregnancy itself was terrible for me, and while we only have one child, let’s just say one was plenty to keep us on our toes—and apparently plenty to wreak havoc on my body.
I actually stayed fairly active during my pregnancy. I wasn’t particularly worried about stretch marks or most of the other body changes that come with growing a human.
I had two much more pressing concerns:
Would I lose the baby weight?
And would everything…you know…feel the same afterward?
Priorities.
What I didn’t anticipate was that bladder control would become part of the conversation.
The Leaking Started While I Was Pregnant
During my pregnancy, I started leaking whenever I coughed or sneezed.
It was awful.
But pregnancy does so many bizarre things to your body that I didn’t think much of it. Surely this was temporary.
Once the baby came, everything would eventually return to normal.
Right?
Wrong.
The baby came.
The leaking stayed.
At first, I wasn’t worried. My body had just grown and delivered an entire human. Obviously it needed some time.
A few months passed.
Still leaking.
Twelve months.
Still leaking.
Sixteen months.
Still leaking.
Twenty-four months.
Still leaking.
At some point I had to accept that perhaps this wasn’t one of those magical postpartum things that was just going to disappear on its own.
Apparently, growing a human did not come with a complimentary bladder-control reset.
Then There’s Weightlifting
Here’s where things get especially fun.
I don’t just exercise casually. I lift weights, and I compete in weightlifting.
And if you know anything about weightlifting, you know that we spend a lot of time in a squat.
Guess what my bladder thinks about that?
Apparently, absolutely not.
Sometimes when I’m down in a squat during a lift, I leak.
And I’m not talking about a cute little oops, maybe nobody noticed tinkle.
I’m talking about enough that it can be noticeable on the platform.
In front of people.
While competing.
There is nothing quite like preparing to lift a heavy barbell while simultaneously wondering whether you’re about to leave behind evidence of another kind of personal record.
Eventually, I got tired of it.
I was tired of the wetness.
I was tired of worrying about accidents.
I was tired of the smell.
Mostly, I was tired of having to think about it at all.
Why I Didn’t Want to Wear Pads
The obvious solution might seem like wearing a pad.
Except I’m a tampon girl through and through.
I’ve never liked the feeling of pads, and the idea of wearing one while weightlifting sounded even less appealing. Squatting, pulling and moving around with a pad was not exactly the solution I was hoping for.
Someone suggested period panties.
Nope.
For some reason, the entire concept sounded weird to me.
Then there was the possibility of more traditional incontinence underwear, which my brain immediately translated to adult diapers.
Also nope.
In my head, those were something Future Me might need in her 80s.
Late-30s/Early-40s Me was not emotionally prepared for that particular aisle of life.
Then someone suggested EverLeakProof underwear.
I Finally Tried Leakproof Underwear for Bladder Leaks
EverLeakProof is similar in concept to period underwear, except its products are primarily designed for bladder leaks.
The underwear has built-in absorbent protection, and the company offers different styles and absorbency levels depending on how much protection you need.
Most importantly to me, they’re designed to feel like underwear rather than a bulky pad.
I was skeptical.
Actually, skeptical might be generous.
I wasn’t particularly interested at all.
But I was also tired of wet underwear, accidents and worrying about what might happen every time I coughed, sneezed or got underneath a barbell.
So I gave them a try.
And…okay.
I get it now.
What I Like About EverLeakProof
The first thing that surprised me was how normal they felt.
They’re soft.
They’re breathable.
And they don’t feel like what I had pictured in my head when someone first suggested leakproof underwear.
Most importantly?
They do the job.
For me, that’s the entire point.
I wanted something I could put on and then stop thinking about whether I might leak during a workout, a cough, a sneeze or just everyday life.
I didn’t want another thing to manage.
I wanted underwear.
Just underwear with a little insurance policy built in.
EverLeakProof says its products use multi-layer absorbent protection and offers options ranging from lighter everyday protection to higher-absorbency styles for stronger leaks. They’re also washable and reusable, so you’re not throwing something away every time you wear them.
Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. I only share products that I genuinely use or think are worth knowing about.
What About Using Them as Period Underwear?
This wasn’t why I tried them.
I’m still very much a tampon person.
But EverLeakProof says that although its underwear is primarily designed for bladder leakage, some styles can also be used for period protection or as backup.
So if you deal with both, I can certainly see the appeal of having one pair of underwear that can pull double duty.
For me, though, the bladder-leak protection is the reason they’re in my drawer.
Apparently This Is Part of Mom Life Too
There are plenty of things motherhood has given me that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
My son.
A completely different perspective on life.
A level of love I didn’t know existed.
And apparently, the ability to assess the nearest bathroom before sneezing.
You win some, you lose some.
For a long time, I thought the leaking was something that would eventually disappear. Then I thought it was something I just had to deal with.
It turns out there was another option.
And while leakproof underwear may not be the most glamorous thing I’ve ever written about on Pretty Current, I’ll tell you what is pretty glamorous:
Not peeing all over a weightlifting platform.
At this stage of my life, I’ll take the win.
Note: Bladder leakage after pregnancy is common, but that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to simply live with it. If you’re experiencing urinary leakage—especially if it’s significant, persistent or affecting your activities—it’s worth talking with a healthcare professional or pelvic-floor specialist about your individual situation.
