Bladder leakage at 32?! Yes. Ashamed? No, but I got help with Depend. + FREE sample!

 Thank you to Depend for sponsoring today’s post about the #underwareness movement. I am simply posting this disclosure in accordance with FTC guidelines. If you would like more info on the said guidelines, please leave a comment below and I'll happily re-direct you to more info! As always, all thoughts and opinions in sponsored posts where I either receive either free product or payment, are honest and my own!

To be honest, I have felt embarrassed when I've experienced bladder leakage.  Now when I look back, I can see that I started having moments of leakage when I was a child. I don't think I've talked much about my childhood here on the blog, but I used to walk until I was 11 years old. I was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy and unfortunately, my disease is progressive BUT it's a slow progression thankfully. When I did walk, I literally walked like a penguin; side to side, and slowly. I was bullied as a child. I was made fun of for walking like that and because of my weight, which has fluctuated all my life, mostly due to medication I need to be.

I remember raising my hand in class to ask for the pass to go potty. Walking as best as I could down the halls to the restroom, I would start to pee. Sometimes, I would need to go to the nurses' office to get a change of clothes, which ended up mismatching my top! I felt so left out. I couldn't be cool like the other kids!

Well, now as an adult, I no longer have to feel that way because Depend has created Silhouette Active Briefs that are a new moderate-absorbency brief that feature a thin design for complete comfort with the trusted protection of the Depend brand and a lower rise+ for an underwear-like look, fit and feel! I recently purchased them and as a category first, the product is available in black and beige colors. The black isn't super black, but close enough! I think it's  great to have an option of which color to wear when planning outfits! Hey, I am all about fashion over here! The trial pack I bought came with two briefs, some cleansing wipes and a four dollar off coupon!

It's true. Depend has made the Silhouette Active Briefs to look like underwear. They are soft. and they fit like underwear. I love that they feature a lower rise because I have a short torso and the distance between my belly button and my crotch is short and I just don't want any undergarments to sit near my boobies! haha. The sides have stretch to them and no pesky, scratchy tag on the back!

I had no idea, but there are more people with bladder leakage are in their 20’s than their 80’s. The average age of someone with bladder leakage is only 52! Also, more people with bladder leakage are 50 or younger than 60 or older! I am in that category at 32!

With these briefs, people can go about their lives without the shame or worry of bladder leakage. Depend has made a great brief for bladder leakage protection! I absolutely cringe at the thought of having to wear a diaper. Even my neurologist has told me that eventfully my bladder muscles will weaken to where I won't be able to control my bladder. Having to wear a diaper deeply saddened me. I promise I'm not THAT vain, but c'mon, what younger person wants that?! I am not trying to discriminate on age either. I am sure older people don't want to wear a bulky squeeky diaper either. As I write this, I recognize the social stigma attached to such events of bladder leakage.

It makes me so happy about Depend's #underwareness movement highlighting their Silhouette Active Briefs to support women who have bladder leakage. I am relieved and thankful too, for  when the time comes that I am unable to control my bladder, I'd willingly and more happily accept wearing their briefs versus an adult diaper! I know I'll feel like I can keep my dignity and still feel comfortable and confident living my active lifestyle! Britt is always on the go!

If you experience bladder leakage or know someone that does (which I am sure you do!), please check out www.underwareness.com to know more about the #underwareness campaign, support the cause and request FREE samples of Silhouette Active Fit! Yay!

Also, if you're into social media, you can help Depend as they go into their second year of their #undewareness campagin by every photo and video shared using #Underwareness and featuring Depend products, the Depend brand will donate $1, up to $3 million, through 2016 to fund charities that advance the research and education of bladder leakage. Now, how awesome is that! Bladder leakage is real. "The struggle is real." but the shame and stigma of bladder leakage doesn't have to be anymore.

Thank you for reading and feel free to share your story or struggles with bladder leakage with me. I'd be interested to hear how it has or is affecting you or what you do about it. We can come together as a community by sharing our common struggles and joys and funny ways we cover up and by doing this, we strengthen and lift one another up! Amen!

Boost your confidence with U by Kotex!

I was talking with a friend today about how I've struggled feeling confident lately, especially in the last few months. As my pain has increased, it's been leaving me feeling like a rag doll with insomnia + fatigue! I think anyone, especially women, struggle with feeling confident when they are dealing with any personal issues that include health, relationships, career, and life in general. Feeling like they just don't measure up. I KNOW that comparison is a killer of joy, yet I allow myself to wade in the dangerous current of the comparing game.

 

Feeling confident is a challenge especially too when you have your monthly period, or if you're like me, you never know when it's going to come for a visit! Since I was 12, my period has always been irregular. never a nice and neat pattern but more of a messy, pop up menace! I am so thankful that feminine hygiene care has advanced like U by Kotex's pads that feature a 3D caption core. This technology helps lock in wetness so you can feel relieved that you won't have a mess on your hands, err, underpants.

I love that I can count on U by Kotex to provide me an option of better protecting my undies, but also allowing me to worry about one less thing in my crazy but beautiful life! I think alot of us deal with  some of the same daily stresses or thoughts of life: bills, making plans, the future, finances, family, friends, what to eat for lunch or dinner, church responsibilities and shopping for necessities to name a few.

So you want to know a few of my secrets on feeling better about myself?

1//  Choose a cute or nice outfit that you love. adding some earrings on AND putting makeup on will make you feel like a solid woman who is ready to take on the world (well, your little world that is!) And if you don't wear makeup, no worries, maybe adding tinted lip balm fits your fancy? Instead of wearing pajamas or lounge clothes for four days in a row, I promise doing the above will hopefully help!  Believe me, I love wearing those clothes, but dressing up a bit does wonders! Btw, no matter what day it is, I ALWAYS wear perfume.

2//  Drinking more ice cold water with freshly squeezed lime juice. I know, it sounds so simple, right? Really, this beverage makes me feel better about what I am putting into my body plus, it tastes so refreshing! However, let me be honest and tell you that I still love + drink my Dr. Pepper! :)

3//  Be prepared. I am definitely a planner and I plan most things in my life, not only because I like to but because I NEED to. Since becoming on the ventilator, ha, my entire life did a 180! I'll have to write a separate post to better explain why I need to plan now. Ok, so back to being prepared. This year I bought myself a nice cross-body purse from Forever 21 and it's amazing what I can pack into it. It literally can be a life saver. Some notable things I carry with me are wet ones hand wipes, aspirin (in case a stranger out in public might be having a heart attack!), lipgloss, because that is an essential!, my coupon envelope for a current shopping trip! No one better get in the way of me and my coupons, a U by Kotex ultra thin pad (in case one of my girl friends needs one while we are out having fun), a photo of the St. George Temple in Utah because it's so gorgeous and I feel protected, and sunscreen because I don't want to get burned or skin cancer and I don't want you to either! Do you sense a theme here? Being prepared makes me feel smarter, securer, and enables me to help others which makes my heart feel great.

Guess what? You can click here to get your own free sample (that include a coupon too!) of feminine products that best meet your needs like the  U by Kotex pads or tampons to help you #savetheundies! I hope you like them!

How do you  boost yourself in the confident department? When do you feel the most confident?

* A huge thank you to U by Kotex for sponsoring this post. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

U By Kotex Saves the Undies

*Special thanks to U by Kotex® Pads for sponsoring today's discussion, however, all opinions are my own.

I must apologize to the men who may read my blog, but we're talking lady talk, so just beware! Hey, it's ok if you wanna keep reading. This might help your best girl friend, girlfriend, future wife or wife! ;)

Let me take you back to January 18th of this year. This was a very special day. It was the day I got baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I opted to wear a vanilla shade dress for my special day. Because of the color, I bought a special pair of nude colored undies. As soon as I put them on, I knew these would be my favorite boyshorts. They are so comfortable and are easily disguised underneath clothing. The material is soft and stays at all the right places! Well, that all changed when I got home that day to find that I had started my period! Talk about an unexpected visitor! My dress and undies were a mess! I wish I would have known about U by Kotex cleanwear ultra thin pads, especially the ones featuring the 3D Caption Core.  This new design by U by Kotex features a one-of-a-kind center that locks away wetness to help stop leaks. Now available in Cleanwear® pads, AllNighter® pads and Security* pads. Now, that's something I could have really used!

I know better now that these pads and liners can help me save the undies! I actually recently tried U by Kotex Cleanwear Ultra thin regular pads. They were comfortable to wear. I liked that the pad was wide enough to make me feel protected and safe from leaks occurring, and  they are thin enough without the bulge of a thicker pad. I don't really want to feel like I am wearing a mini diaper!

I had no idea that U by Kotex® offers a full line of feminine care products for periods including pads, liners and tampons. Outstanding protection that keeps you one step ahead. This is a huge relief to me because I can have confidence in knowing that my next favorite pair of underwear wont be ruined, hopefully! Plus, I just gotta add how cute the packaging design is of each individual pad.

Have you tried these pads before or any of U by Kotex products? If you haven't, you're in luck because you can try these pads for yourself! You can go to the U by Kotex landing page and request a free sample of the U by Kotex hygiene products that will work best for you and help you save the undies! Just click on the blue "free sample" button, enter your mailing info and then you'll be set to go!