Ashley James Shares Incontinence Struggle During Paris Trip

Ashley James, a presenter for 'This Morning,' recently shared a personal and candid account of her weekend trip to Paris, where she experienced a "humiliating" and "humbling" situation related to her ongoing postpartum complications with incontinence. The 39-year-old reality star was in the French capital with her partner, Tommy Andrews, to attend a Celine Dion concert as a birthday celebration.

Disaster struck when James realized she had left her wash bag, containing her incontinence pads, on the Eurostar train. James has previously spoken openly about experiencing fecal incontinence, a condition she attributes to an incorrectly managed third-degree tear following the traumatic birth of her son, Alfie, in 2021.

James took to Instagram to describe the incident, sharing that her difficult post-birth recovery continues to affect her. "Lots of you will know that since having Alf I’ve lived with various birth complications, and one of them is incontinence," she explained. The situation was compounded when her partner had to search for replacements in Paris, a task made more challenging by a street closure due to the Pope's visit. He eventually returned with incontinence pants, which James noted, "Needs must."

She reflected on the experience, stating, "And honestly, no matter how glam I may look sometimes, there’s something very humbling about the reality of pulling on your Tena pants." James highlighted the importance of a supportive partner and emphasized that such conditions, stemming from childbirth, should not be a source of shame.

"I have these birth injuries because I gave birth to our children, and so many of us live with birth injuries, with nowhere near enough postpartum care, while somehow being made to feel like the consequences are embarrassing or a failure on our part," she stated. "They’re not. Our bodies go through huge, sometimes permanent sacrifices to bring children into the world, and we deserve support, not shame."

James mentioned that her DMs were filled with messages from other women sharing similar experiences, reinforcing her belief that these issues are common and should be openly discussed. She confirmed she continues with pelvic floor training and is considering surgery but is determined not to let the condition prevent her from living her life.

She also expressed her admiration for Celine Dion, who recently returned to performing despite her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome. James found watching Dion emotional, given the singer's own health journey. The weekend concluded on a positive note, as James confirmed she had retrieved her washbag.

In previous conversations, including an interview with Women's Health in June, James spoke about feeling "heartbroken" by her postnatal recovery and the lack of open discussion surrounding issues like fecal incontinence. She noted that it was only after three months postpartum that she sought professional advice, discovering her condition was not typical and highlighting the need for better postpartum care and more honest conversations about motherhood.