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What are Bladder and Bowel Issues During Pregnancy?
Your pelvic floor muscles are weakened during pregnancy, which causes extra pressure on your bladder. You may find that you need to pee so badly that you can't make it to the bathroom in time, or you may dribble a little bit of urine between bathroom trips. You might also feel like you are going to the toilet more often. There are many reasons behind experiencing it.These issues are usually temporary and can be managed during pregnancy. Your bladder and bowel typically return to normal once your baby is born or a few months after pregnancy. It's important to know and understand the signs, symptoms, and possible treatments for bladder and bowel problems, especially when you are pregnant.
Causes of Bladder and Bowel Issues During Pregnancy
Given below are some of the major causes of bladder and bowel issues:- Weak pelvic floor muscles: Pelvic floor muscles, known for supporting your bladder, uterus, and bowels, can turn weak during pregnancy. This happens due to body-weight change. Once they weaken, you are more likely to experience bladder and bowel issues.
- Extra pressure: As your baby grows, it presses against the pelvic bones and muscles, which makes your pelvic floor weaker.
- Hormonal changes: Hormonal changes, especially during pregnancy, happen for various reasons, and it’s good to consult your doctor to manage them.
- UTI: If you suffer from urinary tract infections, you are likely to experience excessive urine leakage.
- Constipation: Constipation can be a significant cause of bladder and bowel issues, too, as it puts more pressure on your bladder.
- Chronic diseases: If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, and multiple sclerosis, then you are at a higher risk of experiencing bladder issues during pregnancy.
Signs and Symptoms
If you are experiencing bladder and bowel incontinence during pregnancy, you might notice some of these symptoms:- Bladder control issues early on in your pregnancy
- Difficulty holding in urine
- Having to pee very frequently
- Urine leakage
- Going to the bathroom frequently
- Urinary tract infection
The Common Type of Incontinence in Pregnancy
SUI (Stress Urinary Incontinence) is commonly experienced during pregnancy. Stress incontinence occurs when you leak a small amount of urine while:- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Laughing
- Even walking
What Are The Risk Factors of Pregnancy Incontinence?
- Advanced maternal age
- Overweight or obese
- History of vaginal deliveries
- History of pelvic surgery
- Being a smoker (smoking can cause chronic coughing)
- Neurological conditions
- Diabetes
Lifestyle Changes: Preventing Urinary Incontinence
There are a few non-invasive lifestyle changes that you need to follow to eliminate or reduce the risk of urinary incontinence:- Excess body weight: Pressure on the bladder is caused when you have a lot of excess weight. If you are obese or overweight, losing even as little as 10% of your weight can ease bladder issues. Consult your doctor to understand how you can manage your weight better.
- Quit smoking: Smoking is likely to raise your risk for urinary incontinence. Tobacco can irritate your bladder and even induce chronic coughing, leading to unwanted bladder issues.
- Avoid consuming unhealthy foods and drinks: Some foods and drinks can worsen incontinence. Caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods can irritate your bowels. Avoid these foods and drinks, especially if you have a frequent urge to urinate. Drink decaffeinated beverages or water. Also, avoid eating foods that are too spicy or extremely acidic.
- Dealing with constipation: Constipation can worsen urine leakage. Pressure from stool is experienced on the urethra, pelvic floor and bladder. It can make things worse. Include plenty of fibre-rich foods and fluids in your diet.
- Restricting your fluid intake: Restrict your fluid intake after dinner. That way, you will be able to cope better with the number of trips to the bathroom you had to make in the first place.
Before following any of these lifestyle changes, you must visit your doctor first and follow their guidance. Under their supervision, you can effectively sort out your bowel and bladder issues.
Diagnosing Bladder and Bowel Control Issues During Pregnancy
Many experience urinary incontinence when they're expecting and often don't even mention it to their doctors. However, if you're struggling with bladder control, you need to schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately. They can suggest ways to handle it better. Usually, your bladder function should get back to normal post-pregnancy.If you're having these troubles, your doctor will likely give you a physical examination and run some tests to see how your bladder is doing. You might have a bladder stress test to check for any leakage when you cough hard or put pressure down there. They could also do a cystoscopy, a pad test to measure how much urine a pad absorbs over a certain period, an ultrasound of your bladder, a urinalysis, or urodynamic testing.
Pregnancy Incontinence Treatments
The first course of action that you must take is to incorporate lifestyle changes. If it doesn’t help much, then considering treatment options can be a valid decision. Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes or treatment options depending on what type of incontinence you are experiencing. The treatment options may include the following:- Kegel exercises, pelvic floor physical therapy.
- Elimination of bladder irritant foods and beverages.
- A pessary is popped into the vagina to hold up the urethra and stop any pee from leaking out.
- In some cases, a surgical sling might be used for the urethra. It's wrapped around to help pull it back into the correct position.
- “Bladder support tampons" that hold up the urethra against leaks.
- Bladder retraining tactics for urgency incontinence.
FAQs on Bladder and Bowel Issues During Pregnancy
- What are the signs of pregnancy bowels?
Constipation is more frequent, particularly in the early stages of pregnancy. This happens due to the progesterone hormone, which makes the bowels relax and sluggish. To deal with it, following a healthy diet is more important. - Is it normal to have bowel issues while pregnant?
Yes, it's quite normal. You might find yourself getting constipated more often in the third trimester. That's when the baby gets heavier and starts pressing on your bowel.
