Leaky Hoohas and the #DropYourPants for #Underwareness Bladder Leakage Movement by Depend

Many thanks to Depend for sponsoring today’s story and encouraging people to #DropYourPants for #Underwareness. 

I Want You to #DropYourPants for #Underwareness

STOP! JUST STOP! That’s something that over 65 million Americans say every day. It’s called bladder leakage (or as I like to refer to it – a leaky hooha) and it is nothing to be ashamed about. Life in a House of Testosterone has partnered with Depend Underwear and we’re creating a new social movement (and charitable cause) called #DropYourPants for #Underwareness and encouraging people to talk about bladder leakage and break down the stigma associated with the condition and get everyone involved!

My Leaky Hooha Story

My mother never told me about what happens to your body after you have babies. Multiple babies. Big babies. Each of them almost eight pounds each or over eight pounds. Three of them total, and they all did a number on my poor little bladder. Shortly after my daughter was born, I began to notice that every now and again (not often) I would have a little leakage if I laughed too hard or I coughed too hard. A particular round of bronchitis when she was about a year old kept me home from work for several days until I could get the coughing and the broken water faucet between my legs that wouldn’t shut off fixed.

Once my two boys came along, forget it. If I coughed, sneezed, laughed or even bent over just a little too far – there was an accident. I literally did not know what to do. I mentioned the bladder leakage problems that I was having to my physician. Even then – after having given birth to three children with my hooha hanging out for the entire world – I was ashamed to talk to my doctor about the subject of incontinence and what I could do about it. 

Sure I knew about Depend undergarments, but they were diapers for old people. I wasn’t old, and I definitely was not ready to be wearing a diaper while my kids were still in diapers, so I played down the problem. Told him that it only happened “once in a while” and that it wasn’t really much of anything except a minor annoyance. His suggestion was to use a maxi-pad while I was out in public to give me peace of mind, and to keep doing my Kegel exercises to strengthen my hooha back up to pre-pregnancy shape. (Sorry doc, there is no way that the hooha was ever going to get back to that!)

So I muddled through my late 20s, all of my 30s and now into my 40s dealing with the leaky hooha every time I laugh too hard, or cough, or bend over. I’m not “old” by a long shot (although the tween and the teen might disagree with me there), and I want you to know that bladder leakage can happen to anyone at any age for a multitude of reasons. Women do not have the corner on leaky hoohas. It can happen to men as well.

Breaking the Stigma

Depend Underwear is promoting the #DropYourPants for #Underwareness movement to support the millions of Americans with bladder leakage, and to help remove the stigma associated with the condition – and with Depend undergarments as well.

The Depend Silhouette Briefs for Women and the Depend Real Fit Briefs for Men provide the look, fit and feel of ‘real’ underwear. So sleek and comfortable, nobody will ever know that you are wearing them.

Let’s dispel some of the common misconceptions about Depend. They are not for old, debilitated seniors in nursing homes. They are not big, bulky adult diapers. They are not for people with a bladder leakage condition “way worse than yours.” Depend is for every man and woman out there who suffers from mild, moderate, or severe bladder leakage. 

The leaky hooha is a fact of life. It is going to happen, sooner or later, and honestly – there is nothing to be ashamed of! So get your camera, get your cell phone, and join me in promoting #Underwareness! For every pant drop, photo, and video shared, Depend will donate $1.00 – up to $3 million total – over the next three years to the Simon Foundation for Continence and United Way. So take those photos, create a video and share what #Underwareness means to you on YouTube, and tag those videos and photos with #Underwareness and #DropYourPants to help with this campaign.

Get a Free Sample

In order to show their support for leaky hoohas everywhere, Depend is offering a free sample just for visiting their website and clicking on the GET A SAMPLE button located on the top right of the screen. All you need to do then, is select the sample you would like to receive and keep those legs crossed and don’t cough or laugh until it arrives!

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Okay readers. I’ve literally dropped my pants in support, and I am challenging each of you to do the same! #DropYourPants for #Underwareness and take a photo of your pants, leggings, skirt, knickers down around your ankles and post it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+ and then come on back here and leave a link to your post in the comment section.

Show your support for people like me. You’ll be helping out a great cause as well as letting the 65 million Americans who suffer from bladder leakage know that they aren’t alone. So come on readers … I want to see some ankles!