Frequent urination during pregnancy.

Here we go again, we're going to talk about another pregnancy ailment: the frequent urge to urinate. This ailment starts as early as the sixth week of pregnancy. Many women notice they're pregnant by the frequent urination. And to be honest, this is just the beginning. From the second and third trimesters onward, urination only increases as the growing uterus puts pressure on the bladder. These frequent trips to the bathroom aren't harmful, but they are very annoying. So in this blog post, we'll give you some tips on how to better manage this.

Why do you have to urinate more often than normal?

Frequent urination is caused by the raging hormones in the body (Nutricia for you, nd), particularly the pregnancy hormone hCG. This hormone is responsible for blood flow to the kidneys. During pregnancy, the body produces up to 50% more blood. More blood means more fluid in the body, which also means the kidneys have to work harder and the bladder fills up faster. As the uterus grows, this puts pressure on the bladder, leading to more frequent trips to the toilet (Zwangerenportaal, 2019).

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Urinating frequently isn't harmful, but it can be incredibly annoying. Make sure the urge to urinate isn't caused by a Bladder infection . You may recognize this by a painful or burning sensation before or during urination, pain in your abdomen or back, or if you find blood in your urine. Be alert to this, as a persistent bladder infection can be harmful to your unborn baby. And if in doubt, contact your doctor or midwife (Zwangerenportaal, 2019).

Tips & tricks for frequent urination

Unfortunately, there's no magic bullet to prevent or reduce frequent urination during pregnancy. However, there are certain things you can do to manage it better.

Important: drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters per day, otherwise you may become dehydrated.

Try to reduce your caffeine intake or avoid it for a while. Caffeinated beverages make you go to the bathroom more often. Try to drink most of your fluids during the day and don't drink anything for an hour before bed. If you do, there's a good chance your sleep will be disturbed by frequent trips to the bathroom. Don't hold in your urine, and when you do go, empty your bladder completely. The best way to do this is by leaning forward. This not only prevents a bladder infection but also delays your next toilet visit (Zwangerenportaal, 2019).

An ailment that will likely stay with you until the end of your pregnancy. So maybe it's best to try and make the best of it. Perhaps you (and your partner) could design a pee bingo card to replace the annoying pregnancy ailment with humor. Do you have any tips for us? Let us know!

Sources:

Nutricia for you. (nd). PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS . Retrieved December 28, 2021, from https://www.nutriciavoorjou.nl/zwangerschap/symptomen/#plassen

Pregnancy Portal. (2019). Frequent urination and pregnancy . Retrieved December 28, 2021, from https://www.zwangerenportaal.nl/zwanger/kwaaltjes-en-klachten/vaak-plassen-en-zwanger