When the bladder gets shocked – During pregnancy
You may be surprised to learn that besides the need for folic acid supplements and morning sickness, bladder weakness is just another common, pregnancy-related health issue. This is what happens to your bladder through your pregnancy and after birth.
First trimester
One of the early signs of pregnancy is the increasing need to urinate. Why? Well, when you are pregnant, the amount of blood your body processes increases dramatically, which leads to a lot of fluid being passed through into your bladder. At the same time, your growing uterus (the size of a grape fruit at 12 weeks) is putting extra pressure on the bladder, which sits right below it!
TIP: Get plenty of fluids but cut down on diuretic drinks (those that increase the urge to pee} like tea and coffee. This is the best time to start your pelvic floor exercises.
Second trimester
You may notice that you need to get up and urinate more often, especially at night. That is because when you lie down, some of the fluid you retain in your legs and feet during the day makes its way back into your blood to your bladder. So, it is very normal. As your baby baby grows, your pelvic floor muscles come under increasing strain. Also, your body produces a muscle relaxant called progesterone to enable your body accommodate your growing baby. This may affect the sphincter muscles, which keep the urine from flowing out involuntarily.
TIP: Lean forward when you urinate to completely empty your bladder to get rid of the pressure on the muscles every so often.
Third trimester
Your baby has now put on much more weight, causing him to press hard on your bladder. Stress incontinence (having leaking urine when you cough or sneeze) is very common at this stage. This is also when your body produces a lot more progesterone, for it to expand as your baby continues to grow.
TIP: Feel free to go to the washroom more often. If you feel pain or burning when you urinate, talk to your midwife or doctor as you could have a urinary tract infection. And if you’re leaking a lot, it could be amniotic fluid, a clear, odourless liquid sometimes specked with mucus or blood. Should this occur, contact your midwife immediately.
Birth
For the first few days following birth, you will pass urine frequently and in greater quantities. This is because your body is getting rid of the extra fluid that had been retained in pregnancy. New mothers have a 20 per cent chance of developing stress incontinence after birth. What is more, if you have a forceps delivery (where tong-like instruments are used in baby delivery in case of distress), where the pelvic floor muscles get stretched, there is a 36 per cent chance you will experience bladder weakness. Within 7 to 10 days, you should go to the toilet just as you did before the pregnancy. However, your pelvic floor muscles will be stretched.
TIP: It Is really important to do your pelvic floor exercises now as this will help you get your bladder control back.
Six months and beyond
Talk to other mothers and you will find it is very common for women to experience bladder weakness, months after birth. This can affect one’s well being, especially if they are not informed. It can be part of the factors that contribute to postnatal depression. It’s therefore important not to let it get you down.
Simply knowing about the problem and the causes and being aware that your situation is not unique or unknown is the beginning. Wearing bladder weakness protection should immediately help you feel fresh,confident and secure as they are designed to lock away any urine leakage. There are brands that have odour-control too.
Remember to do your pelvic floor exercises regularly to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. For guidance, follow our gentle exercises programme. Should you feel the need to see your doctor, or if the flow is quite unmanageable, go ahead and see him.
TIP: Do not be embarrassed to mention this problem to other mothers or when you see your doctor. As the saying goes, a problem half-shared is a problem half-solved.
END: PG38/39