The growing belly that is so beautiful during pregnancy can also cause some embarrassing side effects; sneezing, laughing or coughing may lead you to experience some urinary incontinence during pregnancy.
Causes of Urinary Incontinence, Pregnancy
Pressure is the sole reason you may be unable to hold your bladder as well as you did before getting pregnant. With the weight of baby on your bladder, you may not have the strength to hold back urine the way you did before becoming pregnant.
Important Facts About Urinary Incontinence, Pregnancy
Peeing unexpectedly may be annoying, but there are no health issues to worry about for you or your baby. Urine has an ammonia smell and a yellow color. Therefore, if leaking has these characteristics you should assume it is urine. However, if there is no smell and the leaking fluid is clear, it could be amniotic fluid, which means the “bag of waters” is rupturing and the baby is on its way.
Treatment for Urinary Incontinence, Pregnancy
Kegel exercises will help strengthen the urinary muscles that are used to hold urine in the bladder. Kegel exercises involve squeezing your urinary muscles and holding for ten seconds before releasing and repeating. Some women find that it is easier to perform Kegel exercises while urinating: after your urine flow has started, try stopping the flow and holding for ten second and then releasing the flow.
Urinating by choice more frequently, say every 30 to 40 minutes, helps to keep the bladder empty so there is no urine to escape. Fast or excessive weight gain can make urinary incontinence during pregnancy far worse, so try to gain weight slowly throughout the pregnancy.
Wearing panty liners or feminine napkins for the last trimester can prevent odors associated with urinary incontinence.