Incontinence affects 1 in 3 women post birth, yet we don’t talk about this and hardly ever hear anything about it. Tamsin Somerville is on a mission to reduce the shame surrounding the topic of bladder leaks in women and to provide an affordable and sustainable alternative to pads, liners and tampons for waste-free protection down below.
“It was not mentioned in my antenatal classes, nor by medical professionals, and not even by friends or family. Instead, I was encouraged to give birth ‘naturally’. But there was nothing NATURAL about my births. Both of my babies came out the size of toddlers and they demolished my pelvic floor muscles!” says Tamsin Somerville. “Had I known how common it would be to pee when I laughed post birth, I would have requested the sun-roof option.”
According to a study conducted by the Clinical Urology and Epidemiology Working Group at Helsinki University Hospital, women who have delivered a baby vaginally are twice as likely to develop stress incontinence compared to women who have delivered via caesarean. However, while an elective caesarean may reduce the risk of stress incontinence in the short term for some women, there is no guarantee it can prevent this problem altogether.
For years, Tam didn’t tell anyone about her bladder leak problem. “I didn’t even tell my husband. I did mention it to my doctor, but I was told it was just normal,” says Tam.
But, while common, incontinence is not normal. According to Health Navigator NZ, two-thirds of women who experience bladder control problems do not seek help – they see this as a normal female problem and think nothing can be done about it.
“When I reached my mid-40’s, I gained more perspective on life. I had less concerns about the little things and greater awareness about what I needed to make my life more complete,” says Tam.
For her, the desire for a life change came from the ‘wee’ issue. She felt like more could be done for women facing the same issue she had.
Tam wanted to help reduce the shame surrounding the topic of bladder leaks. “First, I created a Facebook community support group and then I started a blog. I would encourage others to speak up about bladder issues to raise awareness. But that wasn’t enough. I also wanted to reduce the waste,” says Tam.
“You see, over time I’d developed a nasty habit of wearing disposable liners/pads every day to catch those pesky bladder leaks that occurred when I exercised, laughed or sneezed. But I hated throwing away money on single-use sanitary products that would remain in landfills for way longer than my lifetime,” explained Tam.
Sanitary products and nappies make up roughly 12 per cent of all New Zealand’s domestic waste. This figure continues to grow as it takes over 500 years for a single-use sanitary pad to decompose.
Tam made the decision to start a new business. “Giving up my comfortable career and starting a business during a pandemic wasn’t the easiest path to take, but it has been worth it to show my children and myself that personal happiness and fulfilment matters, all while helping women and the environment at the same time,” said Tam.
Tam’s products provide an affordable and sustainable alternative to pads, liners and tampons. If you need a little waste-free protection down below, then check out Vivo Bodywear. Our bodies deserve elegant comfy protection that you can genuinely rely on!
