Frequent Urination in Pregnancy: What You Need to Know

Following are some of the reasons for frequent urination during pregnancy:

Hormonal changes
The hCG hormone that is active during pregnancy is one of the main causes of frequent urination. It increases blood flow to the pelvic region and kidneys, which then work better. Your body tries to get rid of toxins.

Pressure on the bladder
Your bladder can hold about 500 ml of urine without pregnancy. But during the first trimester, your uterus expands and compresses the bladder to move it. A compressed bladder cannot hold more urine so it tries to empty the bladder as soon as possible. This can be a major reason for frequent urination in early pregnancy.

Extra fluid
Blood fluid levels increase throughout your pregnancy, and it is about 50% higher than before pregnancy. Therefore, excess fluids are formed which collect in the kidneys and cause frequent urination.

Urinary Tract Infection
If a UTI or bladder infection is left untreated, it can cause serious problems. Frequent urination is one of them. Other symptoms include a burning sensation during urination, pain at the end of urination, and blood in the urine.

If a UTI is left untreated, it can lead to a kidney infection (pyelonephritis), which can cause fever, vomiting, and severe back pain. It may require intravenous antibiotics and hospitalization. It can increase the risk of premature labor and miscarriage.

The need to urinate frequently is an inevitable fact of life for most pregnant women. But the following tips can limit the frequency of going to the bathroom:

• Avoid certain beverages: Avoid coffee, tea or certain carbonated beverages (such as soda) as these are all diuretics, which make more urine and make you need to urinate more often.
• Empty your bladder: When you urinate, lean forward to empty your bladder completely.
• Don't hold urine: Go to the bathroom as soon as you feel the need to urinate. In fact, holding urine for a long time can weaken the muscles in your pelvic region.
• Do Kegel exercises: Kegel exercises help gain control over the urethra. The best thing about this exercise is that it can be done anywhere and at any time. You can do this exercise three times a day with 10-20 contractions for 10 seconds each. Use pads: Use sanitary pads especially if you cough or sneeze. Activities like coughing, sneezing or lifting heavy objects can sometimes lead to urine leakage and can be embarrassing.

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The pressure exerted by your uterus on the weakened bladder and pelvic muscles when you cough, laugh, sneeze, lift heavy objects or do certain exercises like jogging can cause urine to leak. This is called "stress urinary incontinence", and it is most likely to occur in the third trimester or after delivery.

You can prevent it to some extent, so don't ignore the urge to urinate and make sure to urinate before exercising. Doing Kegel exercises, which strengthen the muscles of the pelvic region, can also help reduce stress urinary incontinence and make it easier to recover after delivery. It is a good idea to do Kegel exercises early in pregnancy and continue postpartum and if needed, use a mini pad or panty liner in case of urine leakage.

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Frequent urination can be a sign of urinary tract infection (UTI). It is the most common type of bacterial infection in pregnant women. If left untreated, UTI can lead to kidney infection, preterm labor or both. Talk to your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• If there is a burning sensation or pain during urination.
• If there is bloody urine.
• If there is an urge to urinate without urinating.

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Even after delivery, the urge to urinate frequently does not slow down for the first few days as the body tries to eliminate the excess fluids accumulated during pregnancy. When all the excess fluids are eliminated, the urination process becomes normal. However, if this condition persists for a long time, you should talk to a doctor.

Kegel exercises prevent the problem of urinary incontinence in women after delivery. Apart from this, reducing the extra weight that you gain during this period will also reduce the risk of urinary incontinence.

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Frequent urination is a common symptom during pregnancy, which is caused by hormonal changes in the body and the growth of the uterus. This problem is more in the early and late stages of pregnancy, as the size of the uterus increases and it puts pressure on the bladder. Apart from this, frequent urination also occurs due to increased blood flow and fluid volume in the body. Water should not be reduced in this situation, as hydration is important. However, reducing water intake a little before sleeping can prevent getting up frequently at night. If you feel burning or pain with urination, then consult a doctor, as this can be a sign of urinary tract infection.