Poise Impressa Bladder Supports

Pregnancy and delivery can do a number on your pelvis, and for some moms, the muscles involved in bladder control can be weakened so much that everyday stresses can cause them to pee a little. Coughing, sneezing, running, even a crack of laughter is all it can take. A lot of moms use pads or liners to manage bladder leaks, but another option is a bladder support to prevent the leaks from happening. Poise Impressa Bladder Supports are inserted vaginally and help support the urethra, preventing urinary leaks. To really put Impressa to the test, we sent samples to moms who experience stress urinary incontinence (the technical term) and asked them to tell us all about their experience—and they were impressed, telling us it's effective, comfortable and discreet.

DOES IT WORK?

Our testers were big fans: They said Poise Impressa Bladder Supports always or almost always prevented bladder leakage when they sneezed, laughed, went for a run or were playing around with their kids. Most of our testers didn’t feel the need to wear a back-up liner just in case—a strong vote of confidence. On those rare occasions that leaks still happened, testers said they leaked significantly less urine. One mom noted that Impressa only moderately reduced leaks when she had a coughing fit, but said it otherwise it worked great. Overall, the moms who tried this bladder support said it makes managing bladder leakage easier and less awkward, and they prefer it over incontinence pads or liners.

EASE OF USE

Our testers found this bladder support, which can be worn for up to eight hours daily, very easy to use. A starter kit (CAD $14.99) includes samples of its three sizes so you can try them out and figure out what's right for you. (If it’s your first time using a tampon-like product, the instruction manual offers step-by-step diagrams to ease the process.) Once you know your size, the boxes are coloured-coded so there's no guessing-game grabbing the right one off the shelf. Mimicking the design of a tampon, each individually-wrapped product is slim enough to be tucked in a purse—or up your sleeve.

The rounded tip of the plastic applicator allows for smooth insertion, and the ridges around the applicator give you the grip you need, while the looped string makes it easy to remove. None of our parent testers had any difficulties when it came to inserting or removing Poise Impressa Bladder Supports, but it’s safe to use lubricant if you’d like. Although Impressa can’t be reused, discreetly disposing it is just as easy at home as it is in a public washroom.

QUALITY

A good bladder support is one that gets the job done and is so comfortable you forget you're wearing it. Our testers found Impressa very effective and said they could wear the bladder support without feeling it during a variety of activities, from everyday tasks at home or work to vigorous physical activities, like playing sports or shovelling snow. 

The comfort that moms experienced comes from Impressa's flexible core made from medical-grade silicone that’s covered with a soft, non-absorbent polypropylene material. The removal string, made from a polyester-rayon blend, is also soft.

VALUE

The price of Poise Impressa Bladder Supports varies from store to store, but it's generally in the $15 to $25 range for a box of 10. Impressa can't be used when you're on your period, so one box will last a month if you're using them a few days a week, while you'll need two for daily or near daily use. The moms who tested Impressa for us rated the value very good overall, with effectiveness, comfort, ease of use and quality contributing to the value.

FINAL WORD

There's a lot to like about Poise Impressa Bladder Supports. They effectively prevent bladder leaks, they're comfortable and you can wear one for eight hours daily. We like that it's made with medical grade materials and that the construction is strong, and the tampon-like packaging and insertion method make it very easy to use, accessible for moms and discreet. The sheer simplicity of using Impressa Bladder Supports and its effectiveness in preventing leaks without causing discomfort made it a hit with moms. They gave it very good ratings across the board for quality, ease of use and value, and all said they would recommend Poise Impressa to other moms and felt it deserved the Today's Parent Approved seal.