Half of new mums suffer urine leakage

New babies inevitably attract ‘wee’ jokes but the subject is no laughing matter when it is mum, rather than baby, who has the trouble holding their water.

More than one in three expectant mothers in Ireland report leaking urine in early pregnancy and half of all new mums say they are left with leaks three months after giving birth — playing havoc with their sex lives and their ability to exercise and leaving them fearful even to laugh or sneeze.

The finding is the first from a major study under way by researchers from Trinity College Dublin who are looking into all aspects of maternal health for firsttime mothers.