Nothing controlled Mariela Meakes' bladder leaks until she discovered this helpful product.

For children, playgrounds mean carefree fun. But for some mothers, like 41-year-old Mariela Meakes, parks and other outdoor activities come with an unexpected sense of dread.

The reason: “There are no bathrooms at the playground,” says Meakes. The mom of two has been experiencing incontinence since long before having her kids—though it has gotten worse over the years. “It’s hard to go anywhere where there’s no bathroom close by.”

These unpredictable and uncomfortable urine leaks pop up in every aspect of her life—from parenting to pastimes. With no good solution to her leakage, Meakes no longer enjoyed hiking like she used to and found herself dressing differently too. “You start worrying about whether or not you can wear tight pants,” she recalls. “I was limited to wearing skirts, because if something happened, it was easier to hide.”

The stress of the situation exacerbated Meakes’ incontinence. At work, she’d find herself giving a presentation or trying to meet a deadline, only to be met with another uncomfortable leak. Meakes knew she needed to find a solution before things got worse.

While it may not be everyone’s idea of table talk, urine incontinence is a common phenomenon. It affects one in four women, with nearly half of women over 50 admitting to sometimes experiencing a leak. That’s one reason Meakes, an Alberta, Canada-based geological engineer-turned-blogger, never felt ashamed of her condition.

“I have a fair amount of self-confidence, and I know this is just one of those things so many women go through,” she says, explaining that her mother has the same challenge. “But it was hard too. And it can get even worse as you get older.” She knew she needed to find a way to regain control of her life.

Meakes tried exercises like science-backed kegels and, though helpful, they didn’t fix her problem completely. She’d long used Always pads for her period, and when she began having leaks, she noticed the brand made a product specifically for incontinence.

After discovering Always Discreet Liners and Pads, Meakes slowly regained her freedom.

“This is ultra-thin stuff, and you don’t even feel it,” she says of her experience with the liners, which have a RapidDry core. “You don’t feel wet because they absorb so well. And they stick really well to your underwear, so you don’t have to worry about them coming off.”

One time, Meakes accidentally purchased a generic brand of liners because the packaging looked similar to Always, and she was shocked at how poorly they performed. “They did not absorb as well and did not stick to my panties, either. Sometimes, I would lose them and wonder where they disappeared to,” she says with a laugh. “Always [may be] a little more expensive, but a pack lasts me so much longer, because I don’t have to use as many for the same results.”

Meakes says both she and her mother use Always Discreet regularly. “They have been a lifesaver to manage my urine incontinence,” she says. “I’ve used them daily for so many years now that they’re a part of my life.”

These days, Meakes is nearly leak-free life. “To me, it’s about freedom and confidence,” she says, adding that she always keeps a few extra liners in her purse.

For starters, she gets to wear leggings and light-colored pants without worry, vastly increasing her wardrobe options. And now, she can go hiking with fewer worries—and doesn’t need to bring an “adult diaper bag” that contains an extra pair of pants to change into.

But perhaps the most monumental change is that she gets more stress-free playtime with her children. “My life is a lot of running, taking them to the park, and playing with them,” Meakes says. “And even if I don’t feel the urge to ‘go,’ I sometimes leak when I run around with them because it puts stress on my bladder. Once you realize that has happened, the liner gives you time to find a bathroom.”

That has made all the difference to this super-active mom. “Now I have the peace of mind that even if I have a leak, people won’t see it and I don’t have to be embarrassed about it.”

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