Let’s Talk About Peeing Our Pants

My honest experience with Morpheus8 V—and why I'm glad I finally asked my doctor about urinary incontinence.

I don't pee when I sneeze.

I don't pee when I laugh.

Sometimes I pee when I jump.

But mostly? I drink a lot of water (because we're all told we should), get busy, convince myself I can finish just one more thing before stopping to use the bathroom...and then I don't quite make it.

If you're a woman "of a certain age," you may know exactly what I'm talking about.

I'll be honest—I went back and forth about sharing this. It's vulnerable, a little awkward, and definitely not glamorous. But if this season of life has taught me anything, it's that the conversations we avoid are usually the ones we most need to have.

At my last annual exam, I finally admitted it to my doctor.

"I pee my pants almost every day."

Her response led to a series of questions.

"Do you leak when you sneeze?"

"No."

"When you jump?"

"Sometimes."

As glamorous as this season of life can be (ha!), the muscles down there just aren't holding things in quite like they used to.

Ugh.

There are several treatment options for urinary incontinence, but my doctor recommended Morpheus8 V—a microneedling treatment for the vagina.

Yes...you read that correctly.

A microneedling wand is used both inside the vagina and on the surrounding tissue to stimulate collagen and elastin production, with the goal of improving tissue support and, hopefully, helping me stop peeing my pants.

How it works

According to the provider:

"Microneedling has been used on the face and body for years to induce collagen formation in the skin. Tiny, sterile needles create microinjuries to the tissue, and the body responds by producing more collagen and elastin.

The vagina and vulva are then softer, more elastic, and intercourse is far more comfortable and pleasurable. The tightening action of Morpheus8 V strengthens the anterior vaginal wall, which in turn lifts the bladder and urethra. This results in a dramatic improvement in urinary incontinence."

(You can find more information and the full description here.)

My experience

The treatment consists of three 30-minute appointments scheduled about a month apart. It's an in-office procedure, and you can drive yourself home afterward.

I absolutely love the office I go to. The nurse practitioner who performed my treatments, Paula, is wonderful, and the nurse assisting her made sure I was completely numb before starting. A topical anesthetic is applied inside and around the treatment area and, yes...it is a very strange feeling to be completely numb down there for a few hours.

I was incredibly nervous before my first appointment, but the procedure was surprisingly easy. It was painless, there was no bleeding, and I felt completely normal afterward.

The second and third treatments weren't quite as comfortable, but they were still very manageable. I experienced some bleeding during both procedures and felt a little more sore afterward, but the discomfort was mild and didn't last more than a few hours.

Aftercare

For about a week afterward, I was told to avoid swimming, sex, and tampons.

Easy enough.

Did it work?

I think so.

I was told not to expect much improvement after the first treatment, and that proved to be true.

After the second treatment, I noticed a small difference.

After the third, I noticed a bit more.

Was it life-changing?

No.

Was it worth it?

For me, yes.

The improvement has been subtle, and I honestly hoped for more dramatic results. But I do think it helped, and I'll gladly take any improvement.

Would I do it again?

Probably not.

I don't regret doing it because I believe it made a difference. But for me, the results weren't significant enough to go through the series of treatments again.

The treatments weren't covered by insurance, so this was an out-of-pocket expense. I was also told the results generally last 1-2 years, which means repeating the treatment to maintain them. For me, I'm glad I tried it once, but the improvement wasn't significant enough for me to keep doing it year after year.

As always, this was simply my personal experience. If you're considering Morpheus8 V or another treatment for urinary incontinence, talk with your healthcare provider about what option might be best for you.

If there's one thing getting older has taught me, it's that we don't have to accept every annoying symptom as "just part of aging." Sometimes there are treatments that help. Sometimes they don't help as much as we'd hoped. But I don't regret asking the question or trying something new.