Frequent Urination during Pregnancy

From WikiParenting

Women who are newly pregnant find they are going to the bathroom more frequently than they normally would. What is behind this frequent urge to urinate? Is it normal to have to pee all the time when you are pregnant?

[edit] Early sign of pregnancy

The urge to urinate more often is one of the early pregnancy signs that you will notice. Right after conception a woman’s body begins to produce pregnancy hormones that promote and sustain the pregnancy. About a week after conception has occurred, levels of the hormone hCG ( human chorionic gonadotropin) have risen enough to cause the muscles of the bladder and uterus to relax.Pregnancy also causes the volume of blood in a woman’s body to increase. These two factors combine to cause a kind of congestion in the pelvic organs and bladder irritation. The brain registers the extra fluid and bladder irritation as the need to empty the bladder.

[edit] First trimester frequent urination

In the first trimester your kidneys work harder to process and filter the extra volume of blood that was created for the pregnancy. This results in an extra volume of urine that needs to be passed.

[edit] Second semester frequent urination

A lucky few women will have a second semester break from the frequent urge to pee as their uterus rises out of the pelvis, and reduces pressure on the bladder. Most women will not get this break, however. Take comfort in the thought that at least your morning sickness has gone, and your energy is back in the second trimester at least.

[edit] Third trimester frequent urination

The mechanism behind frequent trips to the bathroom in the third trimester is pressure from the uterus on the bladder.

[edit] Post partum urination

For the first few days after your baby is born you will still be using the bathroom more frequently. Your body is removing all the extra fluid that was needed for pregnancy. After the volume of fluid has returned to normal, you will need to use the bathroom less.

[edit] Night waking

Pregnant women often need to rise in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, even if they are careful to not drink large amounts of fluids late in the day. The reason for the night waking is that fluid that has collected in the legs during the day has a chance to redistribute and be eliminated from your system via your bladder.

[edit] Stress incontinence

Women in the third trimester and post partum women commonly have stress incontinence. Stress incontinence is when a few drops of urine are released involuntarily when doing activities like laughing, sneezing, coughing; or when lifting heavy objects or exercising. To reduce stress incontinence:

• Regularly perform Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles
• Don’t stretch out the bladder by holding urine in when you have the urge to pee
• Empty the bladder frequently

[edit] What you can do

If you are still drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks, reduce or eliminate them from your diet, as they have a mild diuretic effect. Another thing to try is leaning forward when you do go to the bathroom, as this helps to completely empty your bladder and leaves more room for next time. Never cut down on the amount of fluids that you take in to try and reduce the trips to the bathroom, as you could get dehydrated.

[edit] When to call the doctor

Frequent urination during pregnancy is normal, but occasionally it can signal a problem that you need to call the doctor for. Call your doctor if you:

• Have pain or a burning sensation when you urinate
• Only produce a few drops of urine when you try to go

These symptoms may indicate that you have developed a urinary tract infection, a common bacterial infection that can develop during pregnancy. It is important to treat urinary tract infections as soon as possible, because untreated infections can cause pregnancy complications such as kidney infections and preterm labor.