Frequent urination in pregnancy

Why do I have to go to the toilet so often now I'm pregnant?

Frequent trips to the toilet are a hallmark of pregnancy. Having to wee a lot is especially common during the first and last trimester. In fact, it's one of the usual early signs of pregnancy, part of all the hormonal changes your body goes through (NHS 2011, Shepherd et al 2004).

As your pregnancy progresses and your baby grows, your body will produce more urine but your bladder will shrink. Even when your bladder is empty, the pressure on it can make it feel full. You'll particularly feel this late in pregnancy when your baby's head has engaged ready for birth (Shepherd et al 2004).

You may also have trouble emptying your bladder completely, another reason for the extra pit stops.

Any hints on how to spend less time on the toilet?

Not really, we wish there was a remedy! Don't try to cut back on how much water you're drinking. You should be drinking about six to eight glasses of fluid a day, which should mostly be water. Cutting down on fluids can leave you dehydrated, and you need to drink plenty to help carry nutrients to your baby.

You could try drinking very little for the hour or two before bedtime to cut down on night-time trips.

If this doesn't help, you may just have to ride it out for a few months until your baby arrives. You could take a philosophical approach and see it as nature's way of training you for the many sleepless nights once your baby arrives!

Could frequent urination signal a problem?

Talk to your GP or midwife if:

• You feel pain or burning when you pass urine.
• You feel a sense of urgency while only being able to produce a few drops at a time.
  (NHS 2011)

You may have a urinary tract infection (UTI). Drink plenty of water to dilute your urine and see your GP as soon as possible. You will need antibiotics to treat a UTI. If a UTI is left untreated it can lead to a kidney infection, which can increase your risk of going into labour too soon.

When will I stop needing the toilet so much?

You can expect your need to wee all the time to die down soon after your baby's born. For the first few days after your baby's birth you'll produce greater quantities of urine, even more often. Your body is just getting rid of the extra fluid you retained in your blood system during pregnancy (Bick 2004).

After a few days, your need to urinate will be back to what it was before you were pregnant.