The short explanation
It is common in the first weeks and it often improves, but 'common' is not the same as 'something to live with'. Pelvic floor exercises done properly and consistently are the first treatment and they work for most women — the difficulty is that many people are never shown how, and squeezing the wrong muscles achieves nothing. If it is still happening at three months, ask to be referred rather than waiting longer. Treatment is far easier earlier.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- How likely it is to settle depends on the birth, on whether there was a tear or an instrumental delivery, and on what was going on before the pregnancy. Leaking that started in pregnancy and continued is a slightly different picture from leaking that started after a difficult birth.
- Women's health physiotherapy exists in many Indian cities and is under-used. It is a legitimate referral to ask for.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you why yours is happening, whether there is a prolapse as well, or whether exercises alone will be enough. An examination is what separates those.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Can someone check I am doing pelvic floor exercises correctly?
- Is there a women's health physiotherapist you can refer me to?
- Is there anything else going on, such as a prolapse?
- At what point would we consider something beyond exercises?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
- See a clinician soon for leaking that started suddenly, for pain or burning when passing urine, for fever, for being unable to pass urine, or for leaking stool or wind — that last one needs assessment rather than patience.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
No sources recorded yet.
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off. That is what the “Editorially reviewed” badge means, and why it does not say “Clinically reviewed”. It was written and checked by AskHer’s editorial team, and it is queued for a clinician who works in this area. No sources are recorded against it yet.
- Review status
- Editorially reviewed
- Last reviewed
- Last reviewed 26 September 2026
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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