Acute urinary retention (AUR) is a rare occurrence during pregnancy. If not dealt with in time, it can lead to bladder rupture, miscarriage, or even uterine rupture and other serious consequences that endanger the health of both mother and fetus.
But it can also loosen ligaments in the pelvis that help you hold in urine. Childbirth, particularly vaginal delivery, can stretch and weaken the pelvic floor muscles. This can lead to pelvic organ prolapse, in which your bladder, uterus, or rectum droops into the vaginal canal.
Holding in your urine, besides being uncomfortable, can inflame your bladder — which in turn could irritate your uterus and set off contractions. Not going when you gotta go could also lead to a urinary tract infection, another cause of preterm contractions.
Holding your urine for too long can weaken the bladder muscles over time. This can lead to problems such as incontinence and not being able to fully empty your bladder. Holding your urine for extremely long periods of time can also cause urinary tract infections due to bacteria build-up.
In most cases, holding it for a short time when you feel the urge to go is not going to be harmful. However, holding pee for a long period of time and ignoring the urge to go might increase the risk of certain problems, such as urinary tract infections.
It's very common in pregnancy. Most people urinate between six and seven times in a 24-hour period. (But between four and 10 can also be normal.) Frequent urination – going more than seven times a day – affects 80 to 95 percent of women at some point during pregnancy.
If your pregnant belly feels tight and heavy, it's usually because your uterus is expanding to accommodate your growing baby. As your uterus grows, it eventually pushes up against your abdominal wall, giving your belly that tight-as-a-drum look and feel.
You might wonder whether bending over when pregnant can squish your baby. The chances of something happening to your baby as a result of you bending over are next to none. Your baby is protected by amniotic fluid during pregnancy.
Use your first morning pee if you can. This is the time of day when your HCG levels will be the most concentrated and easily detected. If you do it at another time of day, try to make sure your pee has been in your bladder for at least three hours.
Try to work up to three sets of 10 Kegel exercises a day. Also try doing a Kegel exercise when you feel the need to cough or sneeze, or when you're about to laugh or lift something heavy. That can help control bladder urges and decrease leakage. Try to minimize constipation during pregnancy.
Tips to Manage Peeing Often While Pregnant
Lean forward when you pee so that you properly empty your bladder. To prevent increased urination at night, try not to drink too much water just before going to bed.
But it's important to be aware of symptoms of overexertion in pregnancy and make sure you aren't overdoing it. Overheating is one risk, and symptoms like dizziness, a headache, or chest pain while working out can signal a health problem or pregnancy complication.
A common recommendation is to not lift objects heavier than 20 pounds during pregnancy.
Most women start to feel their uterus contract and periodically tighten some time during the second trimester, the point in their pregnancy between 14 to 28 weeks.
Why is my belly sometimes hard and sometimes soft? It feels alien enough when your belly has bulges, bumps, and kicks. Added to that, it might sometimes feel squishy and other times rock hard. When your pregnant belly feels rock hard and firm all over, it's usually because you're having a contraction.
Don't Schedule It Too Early or Too Late
A baby shower should not be held before the 20-week mark in pregnancy. Showers held too late, after 38 weeks, run the risk of the baby joining you for the baby shower.
Your bladder rests under the uterus. As your growing baby expands, the bladder gets compressed (flattened), making less space for urine. This extra pressure can make you feel the urge to urinate more often than normal. Usually, this is temporary and goes away within a few weeks of your baby's birth.
Frequent urination is common at every stage of pregnancy. During the first stages, hormonal changes increase the frequency with which you need to use the toilet.
A urinary tract infection (UTI)
Besides frequent urination, signs of a UTI include fever, a burning feeling when you pee, discolored urine and constantly feeling like you need to pee (even after peeing). You may also feel bladder pressure or discomfort in your back or around your pelvis.
Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)
Overly concentrated urine can cause the bacteria to spread through your urinary tract more quickly. How do you know if you have a UTI? Symptoms include: Pain in the pelvic area or lower abdomen.
There's currently no official record set for the longest someone has gone without peeing, but holding it in is not advised. According to msn.com, no serious health problems have been linked to holding urine too long.
Sleep should never be seen as a luxury. It's a necessity — especially when you're pregnant. In fact, women who are pregnant need a few more hours of sleep each night or should supplement nighttime sleep with naps during the day, according to the National Institutes of Health.