Ashley James to Undergo Surgery for Incontinence After Traumatic Birth
Former 'Made in Chelsea' star Ashley James will have surgery to address urinary and faecal incontinence, a condition she has managed for nearly six years following complications from the birth of her son.
Ashley James, 39, is set to undergo surgery to treat urinary and faecal incontinence that she has experienced for almost six years. The condition stemmed from a misdiagnosed third-degree tear and incorrect stitching after the birth of her son, Alfie, in 2021.
James, who also shares a three-year-old daughter, Ada, with partner Tommy Andrews, recently brought attention to her health issue by posting a photo of herself in incontinence pants on Instagram. She detailed a trip to Paris with her partner where she had to send him to purchase incontinence products.
Speaking on the television program 'This Morning', James stated that she had decided to proceed with surgery. She described how incontinence requires constant planning and affects daily life. "When you experience something like incontinence, you have to plan your days and evenings around this physical thing that nobody on the outside really sees but you know can happen," she explained.
She expressed a desire to reduce the shame and embarrassment surrounding such conditions, noting that silence does not benefit women. James realized her postpartum experience was not typical only after consulting a private health physiotherapist. "I think because of so much secrecy and mystery around birth, I just assumed, in the "mother and baby doing fine" that maybe everyone goes through this but no one talks about it because it's really embarrassing and humiliating," she said.
James is scheduled for her first appointment to discuss the surgical procedure later this week. "For anyone that experiences incontinence, it's not something you have to put up with. And I will have to have surgery but it's just the trauma of it," she commented.
In her social media post, James shared that while traveling to Paris, she accidentally left her wash bag containing incontinence pads on the Eurostar. Her partner had to find replacements in Paris, eventually returning with incontinence pants. "And honestly, no matter how glam I may look sometimes, there’s something very humbling about the reality of pulling on your Tena pants," she wrote.
She emphasized the importance of supportive partners and adequate postpartum care, stating, "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."
James noted that her openness has led to numerous messages from other women sharing similar experiences, reinforcing her belief that there is no shame. "My DMs were FULL of women saying “me too”, with so many of you saying it feels like a dirty secret, and actually all of your messages reminded me there really is no shame ❤️," she shared. She added that she continues with pelvic floor training and is not letting the condition prevent her from living her life, despite postponing surgery for a time.