How To Cope With Frequent Urination During Pregnancy

The joys of being pregnant surely come along with several hurdles, which a to-be-mom needs to cross. One of them being the urgency to answer nature's call every few minutes. If you have been pregnant or have observed any pregnant women around you, you would have seen that the frequency of number of times that the washroom needs to be used is on a high.

The urgency to pee is something that cannot be overlooked by a pregnant woman, especially during the last trimester, and sometimes throughout the pregnancy as well.

Why does a pregnant woman feel the need to pee so often?

When you are pregnant, you will definitely feel the need to hurry to the bathroom may be double or sometimes triple the times you would otherwise usually do. Scientifically, the prime reason behind this is because during pregnancy, the amount of blood that flows in your body increases extensively, which eventually makes your kidney process a lot of additional fluids that end up in your bladder.

Sometimes, pregnant women find their feet and lower limbs swollen. These women have the tendency to pee more often during the night time - definitely a big hindrance to achieving a sound sleep. When a pregnant woman is in the lying down posture, the legs come at level with the upper body. So, now the fluid that was retained all the time that you had been sitting or standing is actually carried by your blood to your bladder.

Another reason behind having to hurry to the bathroom, especially as the pregnancy weeks proceed forward, is the size of your growing uterus. Biologically, your uterus is placed right above your bladder, so when the uterus grows, a lot of additional pressure is applied on the bladder, hence making you feel the need to empty your bladder sooner than usual. This symptom mostly begins around the second trimester, or to be precise, when you are approaching the fifth month of pregnancy, and is most likely to worsen as you go forward into the third and last trimesters.

Dealing with frequent urination during pregnancy

Although you cannot avoid it completely, following are some of the simple measures that a pregnant woman can consider to limit or minimize the frequency of rushing to the bathroom:

• To ensure that you empty your bladder when you are urinating, try to lean forward. This helps in emptying the bladder until the last drop of urine. This might ensure that your trips to the washroom reduce a bit.

• Tea, alcohol and coffee are considered diuretic in nature. These when consumed increase the number of times you feel the need to pee. So, it is better to avoid them.

• Intake of water during pregnancy is of utmost importance, especially to keep yourself hydrated and to ensure the well-being of the baby. However, consuming too much of fluids just before bedtime can lead to making trips to the bathroom during the night more frequent. Try drinking more fluids during the day time and cut back on the intake of fluids a couple of hours before bedtime. It is a good habit to reduce the water intake from evening. However, remember that the intake of a minimum of eight glasses of water each day is also important.

• You would have heard from your doctor that kegel exercises can help with the problem of frequent urination. Kegel exercises are meant to allow you to get control over your urethra. The exercise can be done just about anywhere. Your consulting physio can guide you with the process of performing a kegel exercise. This exercise done about three times every day should be able to help you.

• Before stepping out of home or before going to bed, it is advisable that you empty the bladder completely. Be patient and let your bladder be completely empty before you leave the toilet. Also, when out of home, try identifying a toilet nearby in case you feel the need to use one urgently.

• Coughing or sneezing can cause you to leak a bit of urine. This can get embarrassing at times. If you are too conscious or worried about accidently sneezing or coughing in public, then it is advisable to wear a pad. Some pregnant women prefer using a sanitary pad; however, these days you can find reliable leak-proof panties, which can be of great help as well. Lifting heavy objects can also make the urine leak. Urinary incontinence pads are a must for women to remain carefree about the urine leakage, especially when stepping out of the home.

Urine leakage and frequent urination is highly common during pregnancy and not a case to worry about. However, you will need to contact your doctor immediately in case you suffer from pain when urinating or find blood in the urine. Burning sensation while peeing should also be brought to your doctor's notice. In such scenarios, your doctor might perform a few diagnostic tests to rule out the chances of a serious infection that could in turn affect the baby.