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Medical Review Policy All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. Can't take the bladder pressure? If you're having trouble controlling your bladder during pregnancy, here's how to deal with that potentially embarrassing little problem. Back to Top. In This Article. When does urinary incontinence start during pregnancy?
Continue Reading Below. Read This Next. Nail Changes During Pregnancy. Manicures and Pedicures During Pregnancy. Learn more about why you may have incontinence during or after pregnancy, what it means for you and baby, and how you can cope. Your bladder sits right above your pelvic bones and is supported by your pelvic floor. It relaxes and fills with urine throughout the day while the sphincter keeps the organ closed until you can use the bathroom.
During pregnancy and childbirth, your pelvic floor muscles are put to the test. Pressure: You may leak when you cough, sneeze, exercise, or laugh. These physical movements put extra pressure on your bladder, which causes stress incontinence. Your baby also puts extra pressure on your bladder as they grow bigger. Hormones: Changing hormones can affect the lining of your bladder and urethra. Medical conditions: Some medical causes for incontinence include diabetes, multiple sclerosis, anxiety medications, or a stroke in the past.
Incontinence is a symptom of UTI. The first lines of treatment for pregnancy incontinence are lifestyle changes and bladder management. Here are some tips for managing your bladder:. Do Kegels: Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor. To do a Kegel, focus on the muscles you use to hold in urine. Squeeze them for ten seconds before relaxing. Aim to do five sets of these exercises per day.
Learning how to relax your pelvic floor may help during and after labor. Create a bladder diary: Jot down when you notice the most leaks so you can plan your trips. This is also the first step to bladder retraining. Bladder retraining is about re-teaching your bladder to hold more urine by extending time between trips. Avoid carbonated or caffeinated drinks: Avoid carbonated drinks, coffee, or tea. These beverages may make you feel like you need to use the bathroom more often.
Try drinking more water or decaffeinated drinks. Avoid drinking at night: Limit your beverages in the evening to avoid frequent trips to the bathroom and leaking at night. Eat a high-fiber diet: Eat foods that are high in fiber to avoid constipation, which puts added stress on your pelvic floor. Maintain a healthy weight: Extra weight, especially around your abdomen, increases pressure over your bladder. Losing weight after labor can also help with incontinence after pregnancy.
Read more: Natural remedies for an overactive bladder ». While medication and surgery are also options for incontinence, you may want to wait until after your pregnancy. Contact your doctor if you think you have a UTI. An untreated UTI can lead to a kidney infection, which may also cause early labor and a low birth weight. NHS c Keeping fit and healthy with a baby. NHS a Epidural. NHS b What are pelvic floor exercises? NHS c Exercise in pregnancy.
NHS Common health problems in pregnancy. Sangsawang B, Sangsawang N Stress urinary incontinence in pregnant women: a review of prevalence, pathophysiology, and treatment. When it comes to content, our aim is simple: every parent should have access to information they can trust. All of our articles have been thoroughly researched and are based on the latest evidence from reputable and robust sources. We create our articles with NCT antenatal teachers, postnatal leaders and breastfeeding counsellors, as well as academics and representatives from relevant organisations and charities.
Read more about our editorial review process. Read time 7 minutes. Breadcrumb Home Life as a parent Your body after birth 10 truths: leaking urine in pregnancy and after birth. Email Post Tweet Post.
Urinary incontinence: what it is Urinary incontinence is weeing or leaking urine without meaning to NHS, a. What causes urinary urgency or incontinence in pregnancy? What causes urinary urgency or incontinence after childbirth? Epidurals and spinal blocks may affect urinary incontinence If you had an epidural or a spinal block, for a few days after birth you may not be able to tell when you need to wee. Urinary incontinence is super common In the three months after childbirth, a third of women suffer from incontinence Thom and Rortveit, Pelvic floor exercises are key If you're pregnant or planning to get pregnant, you should start doing pelvic floor exercises straight away NHS, c.
There are other ways to help your bladder As well as doing your pelvic floor exercises: cut down on caffeine avoid spicy and acidic foods drink six to eight glasses of fluid a day but no more many people with urinary incontinence avoid drinking fluids but this worsens it by reducing your bladder capacity be a healthy weight quit smoking avoid lifting. NHS, b 8. Symptoms of a UTI include: needing to wee suddenly or more often than usual blood in your wee pain in your lower tummy feeling tired and unwell pain or a burning sensation when you wee cloudy wee unpleasant-smelling wee fever.
NHS, d Contact your doctor or midwife immediately if you have any of these symptoms because you might need antibiotics NHS, d. Show references.
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