Urinary Frequency during Pregnancy

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KEY POINTS

• Urinary frequency is needing to urinate often during the day, at night, or both.
• Avoid drinks that can irritate the bladder. Keep drinking plenty of other liquids especially water.
• If you think you might have a bladder infection, talk to your healthcare provider.

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What is urinary frequency?

Urine carries waste that the kidneys filter out of the blood. Urine is stored in the bladder until passed from the body through a tube called the urethra when you urinate.

Urinary frequency is needing to urinate often during the day, at night, or both.

What is the cause?

The uterus is the muscular organ at the top of the vagina. Babies grow in the uterus, and menstrual blood comes from the uterus. During the first 3 months of pregnancy, the growing uterus presses on the bladder. The pressure can make you feel the need to urinate more often. This often gets better after the fourth month of pregnancy, when the uterus moves up out of the pelvis and no longer puts as much pressure on the bladder. In the last weeks of pregnancy, when the baby drops, you may need to urinate more often again.

You may be drinking more liquids during pregnancy. Also, your body is pumping more blood. More blood passes through the kidney’s filters. This process makes more urine as the kidneys work a little harder to get rid of extra waste products.

Sometimes bladder infections make you have to urinate often. These infections can be more common during pregnancy. Other symptoms of a bladder infection are burning or pain with urination, fever, needing to go in a hurry (urgency) or backache. If you think you might have a bladder infection, talk to your healthcare provider.

What are the symptoms?

• Urinating more often
• Feeling that your bladder is always full

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history and examine you. You may not need any tests unless you have symptoms of a bladder infection. Your healthcare provider may do a urine test to check for infection and other substances in the urine.

How is it treated?

If you have a bladder infection, your healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotic medicine and medicine to help relieve burning and discomfort. If you do not have an infection, your provider may suggest that you:

• Avoid drinks that can irritate the bladder. This includes alcohol and caffeine products, as well as carbonated beverages such as soda. Keep drinking plenty of other liquids especially water.
• Avoid drinking a lot of liquids in the evening before bedtime.

How can I take care of myself?

Follow the treatment prescribed by your healthcare provider. In addition:

• Go to the bathroom often and regularly. Avoid long waits.
• Wear a pad to absorb any urine that leaks out.
• Do exercises to tighten and relax the pelvic muscles. Do them as often as you can throughout the day. The exercises are called Kegel exercises. They can strengthen the muscles that help control urination. Ask your healthcare provider how to do Kegel exercises.

Ask your provider:

• If there are activities you should avoid and when you can return to your normal activities
• How to take care of yourself at home
• What symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if you have them

Make sure you know when you should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests.