Here we go again, we are going to talk about another pregnancy ailment, namely the frequent urge to urinate. This ailment starts as early as the sixth week of pregnancy. Many women notice by their urge to pee that they are pregnant. And to be honest, this is only the beginning. From the second and third trimesters, urination only increases as the growing uterus puts pressure on the bladder. The many trips to the toilet are not harmful, but they are very annoying. So in this blog we will give you some tips on how to deal with this better.
Why do you have to pee more often than usual?
The frequent urination is caused by the yawning hormones in the body (Nutricia for You, s.d.) and in particular the pregnancy hormone hCG. This hormone is responsible for the blood supply to the kidneys. The body makes up to 50% more blood during pregnancy. More blood means more fluid in the body, it also means the kidneys have to work harder and the bladder fills up faster. As the uterus grows, this puts pressure on the bladder causing more frequent trips to the bathroom (Pregnancy Portal, 2019).
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Urinating a lot is not harmful, but it can be incredibly annoying. Keep a close eye on whether the urge to urinate is caused by a cystitis. 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, because a persistent cystitis can be harmful to your unborn baby. And if in doubt, contact your family doctor or midwife (Pregnancy Portal, 2019).
Tips & tricks for frequent urination
Unfortunately, there is no magic cure to prevent or reduce frequent urination during pregnancy. However, you can pay attention to certain things to better deal with it.
Important: drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters a day, otherwise you may become dehydrated.
Try to reduce your caffeine intake or leave caffeine alone for the foreseeable future. Drinks with caffeine cause you to have to go to the bathroom more often. Try to drink most of it during the day and don't drink anything else one hour before bedtime. If you do, there is a good chance that your sleep will be disturbed by many trips to the toilet. Do not hold back your urine and when you go, empty your bladder completely. This is best done by leaning forward. Not only will this prevent a bladder infection, but you will also delay your next toilet visit (Pregnancy Portal, 2019).
An ailment that will probably stay with you until the end of the pregnancy. So maybe try to make the best of it anyway. Perhaps you can (together with your partner) 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. (s.d.). PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS. Accessed December 28, 2021, from https://www.nutriciavoorjou.nl/zwangerschap/symptomen/#plassen
Pregnancy Portal. (2019). Frequent urination and pregnancy. Accessed December 28, 2021, from https://www.zwangerenportaal.nl/zwanger/kwaaltjes-en-klachten/vaak-plassen-en-zwanger