Complaints about the tena lady ad

After each pregnancy I was offered 12 physiotherapy sessions doing a lot of stomach and pelvic exercices Also to help the pelvic muscles there was the vaginal electrical stimulation device.

Bit late to the game here but for what’s its worth I hate it too so twee talking about a little bit of wee

Agree Calli. I know we need to know these facts but they are portrayed as normal, so women could well miss important issues or wear pads when they wouldn't really need to, all the while increasing sales for the manufacturers!

It is not "normal" to be incontinent after childbirth

No, it's not.
Either something is wrong or she's not doing her pelvic floor exercises.

"A little bit of wee is not going to stop me being me" she says as she pulls incontinence knickers up over her flat stomach!

Stop trying to normalise incontinence in young women Tena
Lady!

Hi. I don't know exactly what ad these comments refer to, but I would like to express my opinion on the ugly ad where a woman has not even taken a shower and to me she looks dirty, hair and everything. I dislike so much the way she says "not this skin", "that...skin" and she moves her eyes implying private parts. Yuck, that it's nasty and lacks good taste, I change the tv channel when I see her. Not pleasant to see or hear. What happened to "my most delicate skin" or sensitive skin. I simply won't buy Tena until they show better taste for their publicity. Yuck!

Well Id rather have the pads than MESH. I am fortunate I really only have issues occasionally. However, the treatment for this seems to have destroyed many womens lives. Surgery is not always succesful either. I also agree with a lady I was speaking with recently that Pelvic Floor Exercises should be taught to young women in High schools. After having my children I was handed a leaflet and the only good thing being the nurse was emphatic that the exercises be done. I don't think we are informed enough about these matters. I dont mind the ads, the issues shouldnt be hidden away. Men should also have information as they can have these problems too.

As a former physio with a lot of maternity experience (I worked on maternity for a number of years) the ad makes my blood boil.

It's not an 'oops' moment for most women, it's mortally embarrassing!! Pelvic floor exercises are very important post natally and in later life and don't seem to be taught now!

missdeke - yes men have pelvic floors too but I ~think~ their incontinence problems have different causes. The pelvic floor supports your abdominal contents (guts etc) so any rise in pressure can lead to leakage if there's weakness

These adverts are my pet hate. Is nothing sacred these days? I presume the point of tena lady pants are that no one knows what they're for, well they know now.
I went off Claire Raynor way back when my children were young and she appeared in an advert for sanitary towels.
I hated when it came on tv. I still hate those adverts.
If it's good enough for women why don't they show men's incontinence pads and pants? They exist!

I bought a Kegel exerciser thingy a few years ago.I used it reiligiousy for months and the problem appeared to have been solved.It did reoccur earlier this year so the wee Kegel m/c is back in use,this time I'll keep using it longterm to avoid it coming back .

Same with the one for Viagra though,which is misleading, but i think it might have been taken off,i haven't seen it recently
Viagra is advertised as a wonder pill for ED and showed a man merrily skipping downstairs, after using Viagra, but for men with more serious problems ,maybe prostate cancer it might be depressing for them to watch, Viagra isn't for all men

I haven't seen the Tena one. Not sure where I've been but the Always Discreet one is awful.

I've now got an ad for 'KNOBBY' underpants.
Sounds like they may be for men.

Tapdance6 that’s sad and glad they did something then but to have to go through that...

I don’t mind the ads.

This thread is about a specific ad, not the existance of ads selling incontinence products

If incontinence is a bit of a taboo subject then my problem is worse and never really mentioned.

I suffer from IBS D from time to time and this has resulted in me covering my tracks for years. I watch what I eat and knowing what I can eat helps a lot. But if I'm travelling on a long journey I resort to wearing these pants as an insurance policy and believe me I've sometimes been thankful. I know all toilets on route for common journeys.

Sadly knowing I'm leaving the house can trigger a trip to the toilet and sometimes, not always this can turn into an 'episode' I'll spare the gory details. As I said this has gone on for years and my solution is to manage it and these pants are part of my armoury.

I agree with Sparkly. I am not incontinent but have wet myself ( rarely). When you have RA and you wake up in pain and stiffness it precludes you getting to the loo quickly. I don’t mind the ads. Thankfully I do not need pads much.

Incontinence if not treated will become worse as I found out a few years ago. I was going to the doctors and explaining my situation but to no avail. Eventually my bladder gave way and I was soaking wet through all my clothes. I wrapped a towel round me and went straight to the doctors. Was told no doctor available so I took the towel from around me and said "Now tell me I can't see a doctor". The receptionist was aghast. Just hang on a couple of minutes and I will get the doctor to see you. At last something was done about it. Admitted to hospital where several tests were performed and they eventually tightened my tummy muscles. Thank goodness this sorted the problem out.

Glad to hear it Purple

TENA advert criticised for 'normalising' incontinence after childbirth www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49235784
Apparently the Royal College of Nursing complained to the Advertising Standards Authority. Good for the RCN!

Notanan, I heartily agree with you. I have nursed incontinent patients and tried to prevent bedsores. Prevention of bedsores from incontinence is a qualified nurse's responsibility unless you are the Queen or something.

Incontinence can lead to major issues if untreated so it is not that minor

It can cause fatal pressure sores
Fatal kidney damage
Sepsis

Its not a "little" problem!

Notanan, I'll take your word for it that women with incontinence are fobbed off especially because I have been to the doctor about minor health problems and have been fobbed off with some more or less useless prescription.

The GPs haven't time for minor incontinence problems but if it's something they can sort out like intermittent diarrhoea as a sign possibly of bowel cancer, or urinary incontinence as a sign of uterine prolapse I bet the GP would pay a lot more attention.

I do wish there were more incontinence nurses or physios who would treat minor conditions. E.g. some incontinence can be cured with pelvic floor excercises, and other incontinence by good bowel management.

But the problem is not that the products exist or that they are marketed.

The problem is that when so many women are fobbed off when they DO seek help for these issues, the ads are reinforcing the message that women should suffer in silence!

I agree with sparkly, in that for some (a lot, I would say) it is normal, for a variety of reasons.

The ads are pretty twee, but then its quite an uncomfortable subject, even though it shouldn't be.

SparkyGrandma we are not say some women and men who don’t ever get these kind of adverts suffer from incontinence. Glad you have seemed help but these adverts are only for PROFIT and do nothing to help others that with some help or information about what support is out there can cure it. The pollution is astronomical and it takes over 300 years for these products to break down into the environment. There are products out there that are less harmful. Tena want all women to accept this problem as a oops moment and just put up with it. I cannot believe how some are hoodwinked into paying these extreme costs for their products profiteering on the women population. There is a massive economy based on women’s sanitary wear and promotion of products like vaginal perfumes etc that are extremely harmful and they play on women’s fear. This should be out in the open I agree and gets some facts right good be a good thing