The Secret to Dining Out, Despite Bladder Leaks

Girls Night, a.k.a. the perfect time to catch up with your girlfriends on what happened in The Bachelor this week, grab dinner at a new restaurant, or open that bottle of wine you’ve been saving. Whether it’s with your best friend, a few neighbours or book club with 10 strangers, it’s a moment to unwind and connect. The last thing you, or the other 3.3 million Canadians who experience some form of bladder leakage want, when spending time with friends, is to be worrying about accidents.¹

The good news is there are many tips and simple strategies to help manage bladder leaks, so you can focus more on your favourite people to be around without any distractions. Here are a few tricks to help you be there in the moment and continue enjoying nights out with your friends: 

Maneuver Dietary Challenges

No two people are alike, and the same can be said for dietary challenges that can aggravate leaks. Coffee, tea, carbonated drinks (even those without caffeine), alcohol, acidic fruits, and spicy foods are just some of the foods which can trigger bladder leaks. However, it’s important to establish how these irritants work for you and doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t enjoy Indian food or that glass of wine after a long day.

Try avoiding all dietary triggers for a week to see if your bladder leakage improves. Then one by one, every few days, add each back to your diet. Keep a journal noting foods you add and changes in urinary urgency, frequency or severity and look for any connections.²

There are also many bladder-calming foods you can add to your diet. Fibre-rich foods – such as whole grains, lentils and beans, can help by absorbing more liquids as they are digested.³ Fibre is also important for maintaining good heart health but, be sure to increase your intake of high fibre slowly.

Identifying which foods irritate your bladder doesn’t mean you can never indulge in your guilty pleasures. Cutting down the amount you consume may help alleviate leaks, but if you want to double down on protection choose Depend® Fit-Flex® Underwear. Designed specifically for women, Depend® Fit-Flex® comes in a range of tailored sizes that fit all body types, with a super-absorbent core that instantly absorbs wetness to lock in leaks and odour for your best protection and comfort guaranteed*. Its classic design with waistband and leg elastics offer a secure flexible fit in an ultra-soft, blush coloured fabric with printed patterns for an underwear like look and feel, so you can eat what you want without a worry.

Come up with a dining out strategy 

Even if you’re eating out at a new restaurant or lounging on a patio where you may or may not know the fastest route to the bathroom, rest assured – every establishment has one! A little preparation to eliminate being caught off-guard can help you feel more confident in these situations, so you can relax and enjoy the company (and the meal):

1. Do some ‘Google-ing’. Look for items on the menu with fresh ingredients and whole grains. You may want to avoid or limit spicy foods and condiments, particularly soy sauce, tamari sauce, vinegar, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and monosodium glutamate (MSG).⁴
2. Choose an outfit you feel good in and sleek, comfortable options for protection, so you can keep your focus on the topics around the table and not on leaks. One such option is the stylish Depend^® Silhouette^® Briefs. Available in a range of beautiful colours, these briefs comfortably deliver maximum protection with a super-absorbent core that instantly turns liquid into gel and locks in odours. The premium, cotton-like breathable fabric and close-to-body fit, feels like real underwear and offers seamless discretion so you can look and feel great while staying protected.
3. Try emptying your bladder twice before heading out to the restaurant. Fewer interruptions for bathroom breaks means the conversation can go uninterrupted and alleviate stress before you sit down.
4. Upon arrival, ask the staff to show you the way to the bathroom on your way to your table.
5. Remember, always carry personal cleansing wipes and a spare Depend® product in your handbag or purse. Keep plastic, zip-style bags on hand for easy disposal.

Life with bladder leaks doesn’t mean skipping out on nights out and about with friends. Taking steps to find solutions and deploy simple management strategies that work for you can make all the difference. To find out which protection option best fits your needs, visit Depend.com to learn more and order your FREE Trial Kit, so you can see which type of protective undergarment works best with your style.  Life’s better when you’re in it… love every minute of your next girl’s night out and be there with Depend®.

_{¹The Canadian Continence Foundation, What is Urinary Incontinence, http://www.canadiancontinence.ca/EN/what-is-urinary-incontinence.php
²Mayo Clinic, Bladder Control: Lifestyle strategies ease problems, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-incontinence/in-depth/bladder-control-problem/art-20046597
³The Simon Foundation for Continence, Fiber Therapy for Bowel Incontinence, https://simonfoundation.org/fiber-therapy-bowel-incontinence/
⁴Livestrong, Foods and Chemicals that Irritate the Bladder, https://www.livestrong.com/article/90494-foods-chemicals-irritate-bladder/}

_{*Based on Heavy Bladder Leakage Products EQ volume. ® Registered Trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. or its affiliates © KCWW}

_{*If you’re not completely satisfied with your Depend® Underwear, we can help. Original receipt/UPC required. Restrictions apply. See Depend website for details. Purchase by 12/31/24. Mail in by 1/31/25.}