Pregnancy and Bladder Control

During pregnancy, your growing baby can put a lot of pressure on your bladder. This can lead to urinary incontinence (inability to control). Bladder control problems can occur during pregnancy and after childbirth. Causes of bladder control problems can include pelvic organ growth, weakness of the pelvic floor muscles, and damaged pelvic nerves. Kegel exercises are often recommended to help strengthen the pelvic muscles and restore control to one another.

What is incontinence

Urinary incontinence inability to control urine flow. If you experience incontinence, you may feel an urgent need to urinate or leak urine during a trip to the bathroom. You may also find that you have to take a regular trip to the toilet if you have trouble breathing. This can happen for several reasons, including pregnancy, childbirth, and age.

How does it work in the bladder

Your bladder is a round, muscular body above the pelvic bone. It is held in place by the pelvic muscles. A tube called the urethra allows urine to flow out of the bladder. The bladder muscle relaxes as your bladder is filled with urine, while the sphincter muscles help keep the bladder closed until you are ready to urinate.

Other systems of your body also help control the bladder. Sensors from the bladder send signals to the brain when the bladder is full and nerves from the brain point to the bladder when it is ready to be emptied. All these nerves and muscles must work together so that your bladder can function normally.

How do pregnancy and childbirth affect the control of the bladder

During pregnancy, you may leak urine during a trip to the bathroom. This is called incontinence. Another type of abstinence that can affect pregnant women is incontinence in depression. If you experience stress incontinence, you may urinate when:

Cough.

Laugh.

Do physical activity.

Your bladder stays under the uterus. As your growing baby grows, the bladder is compressed (flat), making the urine space smaller. This extra pressure can make you feel like urinating more often than usual. Usually, this is temporary and lasts a few weeks for your baby to be born.

However, the risk of losing control after pregnancy often depends on your pregnancy, type of birth, and the number of children you have. Women who have given birth – either through vaginal or C-sections – are at a much higher risk of developing uncontrollable stress than women who have never had a baby.

Loss of bladder control may be due to pelvic organ development (sliding down) that can sometimes occur after childbirth. Your pelvic floor muscles can stretch and weaken during pregnancy or childbirth. If the pelvic floor muscles do not support you enough, your bladder may move or bend. This condition is called cystocele. When the bladder is moving, it can cause the urethra to dilate.

What causes gynaecological loss in women after pregnancy and childbirth

There are a few things that can cause you to lose control of your bladder after you have a baby, including:

Pelvic Organ Prolapse: If the muscles around your bladder become weak, the organ may be out of place. This condition is called cystocele.

Pelvic nerve damage: The pelvic nerves that control the function of the bladder can be damaged during a long or difficult delivery of a woman’s vagina.

Injury during childbirth: In some cases, forceps birth can result in damage to the pelvic floor muscles and the anal sphincter muscles.

Injuries due to prolonged pushing: Prolonged pushing during childbirth can also increase the chances of injury to the pelvic arteries.

Is it common to urinate during pregnancy

For many women, incontinence is common during pregnancy or after childbirth. As your body changes during pregnancy to accommodate the growing baby, the bladder can be put under pressure. This is common for most women during pregnancy.

How are bladder control problems diagnosed during or after pregnancy

Although most bladder control problems during or after pregnancy disappear over time, you should talk to your healthcare provider if the problem persists for six weeks or more after birth. It is a good idea to keep a diary that records your trip to the bathroom. In this diary, you will want to make sure you keep track of how often your urine leaks and when it happens.

During the appointment, your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam to diagnose various medical conditions and see how well your bladder is working. Your provider may also order various tests, including:

Urine Analysis: During this test, you will be asked to provide a urine sample. This sample will be analyzed to determine the most likely causes for the disorder.

Ultrasound: Images produced by ultrasound waves can ensure that your bladder is completely leaked.

Bladder Depression Test: During this test, your provider will check for signs of urinary incontinence when you are coughing profusely or fainting.

Cytoscopy: This examination involves a small tube with a small camera on one side that is inserted into your urethra. Your provider will be able to look inside your bladder and urethra during this test.

Urodynamics: A tiny tube is inserted into your bladder during this test. Water flows into this tube to fill the bladder, to balance the pressure inside the bladder.

How are bladder control problems treated

There are several ways to treat bladder control problems. Kegel exercises can help improve bladder control and reduce urinary leakage. In addition, changing your diet, losing weight, and setting aside time to go to the toilet may be helpful.

Other suggestions for helping with bladder control problems include :-Switch to decaffeinated beverages or water to help prevent leakage of urine. Drinking beverages such as carbonated beverages, coffee, and tea may make you feel like you need to urinate more often.

Reduce the amount of liquid you drink after dinner to reduce the number of trips to the bathroom you need to make at night.

Eat foods high in fiber to prevent constipation, as constipation can cause urinary incontinence.

Maintaining a healthy weight. Excess weight can put extra pressure on the bladder. Losing weight after your baby is born can help to reduce the pressure on your bladder.

Keep a record of where you experience a leak of urine. It is a good idea to keep track of what times during the day when urine leaks. If you notice a pattern, you may be able to avoid leaks by planning a trip to the bathroom early.

After you make a regular pattern, you may be able to extend the time between trips to the bathroom. By exercising longer, you will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and increase your bladder control.