Bladder Control During Pregnancy
En Español (Spanish Version)
Aside from a growing belly, you may notice other changes in your body now that you are pregnant. One thing you may notice is the loss of urine when you are not trying to urinate. Loss of bladder control, also called
incontinence
, is common during pregnancy and after childbirth. Needing to run to the bathroom often or leaking urine can make you feel embarrassed. Do not feel shy about talking to your doctor if you have incontinence. She can help you understand and manage bladder control. Here is some information to help you learn more.
Urine is stored in your bladder, which is an organ located in your pelvis. The muscles of the pelvis help keep your bladder in place. When you urinate, urine travels from your bladder and out of your body through a tube called the urethra. Ring-like muscles (sphincter muscles) keep the urethra closed so urine does not pass until you are ready to urinate.
The weight of a baby in your belly and the act of giving birth may cause your pelvic muscles to stretch and weaken. This causes your bladder to sag, and your urethra to stretch. Nerves can also be damaged. It is this damage to muscles and nerves that can cause bladder control problems.
The good news is that incontinence may go away once your pelvic muscles heal, usually six weeks or so after giving birth. But you can take steps after childbirth to minimize bladder control problems by doing
Kegel exercises
. These exercises strengthen your pelvic muscles.
Kegel exercises do not require equipment and can be done anywhere—while sitting at your desk, standing in line at the bank, or even lying down in bed. They are done by squeezing your sphincter muscles in the same way you would when stopping urine flow. After 6-8 weeks of doing the exercises, you may find that you have fewer leaks.
Talk to your doctor to learn more about how to correctly do Kegel exercises. Following pregnancy, if Kegel exercises do not control the incontinence, your doctor may discuss other treatments or refer you to a specialist who can help. Here are some general steps for doing Kegel exercises from the
Womenshealth.gov
website:
- Squeeze your sphincter muscles as if you were trying to stop the flow of urine. Do not squeeze the muscles in your belly, legs, or buttocks.
- Relax. Squeeze the muscles again. Hold for 3 seconds. Relax for 3 seconds.
- Do 3 sets of 10 repeats.
If incontinence is still bothersome, talk to your doctor about other options, such as wearing absorbent pads or diapers. With support from your healthcare team, you will be able to manage incontinence, as well as other bodily changes that come with pregnancy.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. What I need to know about bladder control for women. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse website. Available at:
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/bcw_ez/#cause
. Updated August 2007. Accessed June 7, 2010.
Last Reviewed June 2010