I’ve been pregnant two times. My body went through major changes after the birth of each of my children. The moms in my circle had prepared me for some of them. They talked at length about how my hair would start falling out a few months after having the baby, and I knew to expect my boobs to sag once I stopped nursing. One of the things no one talked about was bladder leaks.

My daughter weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz. when she was born. Carrying her for 9 months did a number on my bladder. Because none of my friends had ever talked about incontinence, the first time I experienced a bladder leak, I was worried something was seriously wrong with me.

Having an overactive bladder wasn’t something that I could control after giving birth to my first child. Exercising, dancing, even laughing could all end up causing a problem for me. I was so embarrassed about my condition that I kept it a secret for a long time. I did exercises to improve bladder control, and they did help.

A couple of months ago when my son was born weighing 9 lb. 9 oz., it became clear that I need to be prepared for a new normal. Before, I had to worry about bladder leaks when I was doing something active. Now, I can be sitting down relaxing and I experience it. Well, I’m not about to let bladder problems stop me from living and having fun. I’m not going to walk around being ashamed for something lots of women go through.

Did you know that 1-in-3 women experiences bladder leaks? Or 1-in-2 African-American women experience bladder leaks but only 1-in-9 use incontinence products? Period pads aren’t the best choice to protect you from bladder leaks, either. Always Discreet’s line of incontinence products including underwear, pads, and liners are uniquely designed for light to heavy leaks and enable us women to live our lives to the fullest. Always Discreet Very Light Liners are the perfect fit for my needs at this point. Thin and flexible, I can feel comfortable with everything from taking care of my baby to exercising without being concerned about leak discomfort or embarrassment. Just as the Always Discreet name implies, you can manage bladder leaks discreetly.

However, Mamas—we need to talk about it. When you’re giving advice to that new mom, let her know what she might expect after giving birth, and encourage her not to be embarrassed. Our bodies are strong enough to make a baby, but we’re human. Bladder leaks don’t have to hold us back from being the best women, and mamas, that we can be.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Always Discreet. The opinions and text are all mine.