Ever feel like no one really gets what it’s like to live with leaks and urgency?

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Hi there, I’m Melissa Leisenring, founder of The Empowered Core Method.

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I’m not just a pelvic floor physical therapist and health coach—I’m also a mom, a midlife woman, and someone who’s been caught off guard by a sneeze more times than I’d like to admit. I understand the panic of wondering if you'll make it to the bathroom in time, the embarrassment of leaks, and the frustration of “doing everything right” and still feeling like your body is failing you.

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I help strong, capable women who are tired of living life around bathrooms, leaks, and bladder anxiety finally feel confident and in control again—without relying on pads, pills, or being told it’s just part of aging. My approach is holistic, realistic, and rooted in daily habits that actually work.

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If you’ve ever felt like no one really understands what you're going through—keep reading. Because this isn’t just what I do professionally… it’s part of my personal journey too.

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My Story: From “I’ve Got This” to “Wait… Did That Just Happen?”

The Moment Everything Changed

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I was standing in my kitchen, stirring a pot of dinner while my kids buzzed around me. The smell of sautéing onions filled the air, and my mind was juggling a million things—what still needed to be prepped, homework that needed checking, and the never-ending to-do list.

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Then, out of nowhere, I felt it—a sneeze coming on.

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No big deal. I barely thought about it. But as I sneezed, something unexpected happened.

I peed in my pants a little.

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I froze. Hoping it wasn’t as bad as it felt. But the uncomfortable wetness clung to me, and I knew. I turned off the stove, slipped away to change, and stood there in disbelief.

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This Wasn’t Supposed to Happen to Me

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I wasn’t brushing it off. I knew this wasn’t normal.

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As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I understood exactly what was supposed to be happening. I knew the muscles, the strategies, the exercises. I was staying active, doing what I’d been trained to teach—and still, it kept happening.

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Not constantly. But just often enough to make me pause. A sneeze here. A sudden urge there. And with each incident, a growing frustration bubbled up inside me.

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Why, if I was doing all the “right” things, was I still leaking?

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The Turning Point

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That frustration led me to look beyond the exercises.

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I started to notice patterns. The leaks became more frequent when I was under more stress or skipping water because I was afraid I wouldn’t make it to a bathroom. I began recognizing how my lifestyle—not just my workouts—was impacting my pelvic health.

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I realized I was ignoring signals from my own body. Holding my bladder during a busy workday. Pushing through stress. Not truly listening to what I needed.

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And that’s when it clicked: it wasn’t just about doing more—it was about doing things differently.

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Small Shifts, Big Changes

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I began making small, simple changes:

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• Drinking water in a way that supported my bladder instead of fearing it

• Tuning into my body’s cues instead of overriding them

• Managing stress so it didn’t show up in my pelvic floor

• Moving in a way that felt supportive, not just strong​

 

Over time, I stopped planning around the bathroom. I stopped fearing sneezes and sudden urges. And most importantly—I started trusting my body again.

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What I Want You to Know

 

Leaking isn’t something you just have to accept. It’s not your fault, and it’s not about doing more Kegels or pushing harder.

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It’s about learning to support your body with mindful, realistic shifts that fit into your life. That’s exactly what I help women do now through my coaching and The Empowered Core Method.

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Because you deserve to feel confident, in control, and free from the anxiety of “what if I leak?”

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Want to get started with some simple steps that actually make a difference?

Grab my free guide: “5 Days to Fewer Leaks and More Confidence.”

It’s the perfect first step toward reconnecting with your body and taking back control.