After 30 Years, Woman Finds Life-Changing Incontinence Fix

Emma Cherrington was playing netball when she realized she was completely wet with urine. Three months after giving birth to her son Jordan, the then 21-year-old couldn't understand what was happening to her body.

"Everything I did that involved exercise, walking, coughing, sneezing, I just peed," says the Auckland mother and carer. For 30 years, she lived with incontinence in silence, too embarrassed to seek help or tell anyone about her struggle.

The shame affected every part of her life. "It's not just a physical thing. It's a mental thing, it's emotional, physiological, psychological," Cherrington explains. She didn't initially connect her bladder issues to childbirth, which made her feel like something was deeply wrong with her.

One in four New Zealanders experience incontinence, the involuntary leakage of urine or feces. It's not a disease but a symptom of underlying physical, neurological or lifestyle issues that can affect anyone at any age.

For women, childbirth and menopause are common triggers. For men, prostate surgery often causes the condition. Yet shame and stigma keep many people suffering in silence without seeking available help.

Cherrington's turning point came when she finally visited her GP and found Continence New Zealand, an organization supporting people with continence issues. After tests and medical consultations, doctors suggested an unexpected solution: Botox injections into the uterine wall to hold everything in place.

While not suitable for everyone due to possible side effects, Botox has been life-changing for Cherrington. She now speaks openly about her experience, hoping to help others break their silence.

Why This Inspires

Pelvic health physiotherapist Hannah Orr says society needs more open conversations about incontinence to reduce stigma. "If society as a whole understood it, knew it happened and was just much more open to talking about it, it would take away that shame," she explains.

This week marks World Continence Week, with the theme "one conversation can change everything." The message resonates deeply with Cherrington's journey from decades of secret suffering to proud advocacy.

Help is available through GPs, specialists, physiotherapists and the Continence NZ helpline. Starting the conversation is often the hardest and most important step.

Cherrington's message is clear: "Just because you have an issue, this is not of your making, and you haven't caused it in any way. So educate yourself around what the problem is and talk to people who are qualified to support you through that process."

After three decades of hiding, she no longer feels any shame about her incontinence, and she wants others to know they don't have to suffer alone either.