Do you also have difficulty controlling your urine during pregnancy? (Urinary Incontinence)

Do you sometimes accidentally leak a little urine when you laugh out loud, cough, or sneeze? Do you sometimes rush to the toilet but end up peeing a little too early? This is actually a common experience that many mothers face during pregnancy. So there is no reason to be ashamed or afraid of this. Most of the time, this condition is temporary. Everything returns to normal within a few months after the baby is born. So let's talk about this in detail today.

What is incontinence?

Simply put, urinary incontinence is the loss of control over your bladder. This can be caused by a sudden, strong urge to urinate, or by involuntary leakage of urine while you are going to the toilet. Sometimes, the need to go to the toilet more often is a symptom of this condition. Pregnancy and childbirth are two of the main causes of this condition.

The good news is that this discomfort during pregnancy is often temporary . It will mostly go away within a few months after the baby is born.

What are the most common types of thrush during pregnancy?

There are two main types of this condition that we can see during pregnancy. It is very important for you to be aware of these two.

How common is this really?

This is more common than you might think. Between 40% and 50% of women experience this during pregnancy. Especially in the third trimester of pregnancy, the weight of the baby increases, which puts more pressure on the bladder. Therefore, this condition is most common during this period. However, it can occur at any time during pregnancy.

This problem can also occur or worsen after childbirth. This risk is especially high in cases of vaginal delivery.

Why does this happen during pregnancy and after childbirth?

During pregnancy, your body changes to accommodate your growing baby. But these changes can be detrimental to your bladder control. Let's take a look at the reasons for this.

• Uterine enlargement: Your uterus is located behind your bladder. As your baby grows, your uterus grows larger. This puts pressure on your bladder. This reduces the amount of urine your bladder can hold.
• Hormonal changes: During pregnancy, hormones like progesterone cause your pelvic floor muscles to relax and weaken. These muscles help hold your bladder in place. These muscles need to relax to make room for your baby and prepare for delivery. But when these muscles weaken, it can be difficult to "hold in" when you feel the need to urinate.
• Childbirth: Pelvic nerves can be damaged, especially during vaginal birth. Sometimes, forceps delivery can also damage these muscles. Also, prolonged pushing during labor increases the risk of nerve damage.
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP): Sometimes during pregnancy or childbirth, the pelvic floor muscles become so weak that they are unable to hold the organs in place. For example, the bladder can drop down. This condition is also called a ``cystocele''. This can also cause problems with urinary control.

What other risk factors affect this condition?

In addition to pregnancy and childbirth, several other factors can increase the risk of this condition.

• Body weight: If your body mass index (BMI) is over 25 (overweight) or over 30 (obese), this risk can be doubled. Losing weight can sometimes help control this condition.
• Age: Those over 30 years of age at the time of first childbirth are more likely to develop SUI than those under 30.
• Vaginal delivery: Vaginal delivery is more likely to cause urinary incontinence after delivery than a cesarean section (C-section).
• Episiotomy: This is a small cut near the vaginal opening to make childbirth easier. While it was previously thought to reduce risks such as urinary control problems, it has now been found to weaken the pelvic floor muscles.
• Baby's weight: If the baby weighs more than 4 kilograms (9 pounds) at birth, the risk of nerve damage during delivery may increase.
• Diet and lifestyle: Some foods and drinks can stimulate the bladder. Caffeinated beverages (especially coffee), alcohol, and carbonated drinks can cause the bladder to contract and increase the need to urinate urgently. So can spicy, acidic foods. Some studies have shown that smoking also increases this risk.

What can we do about this?

There are several things you can do to improve your urinary control during pregnancy. Trying these out can be a great relief.

1. Doing Kegel Exercises

This is the most important and effective method. Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that hold your bladder in place. When these muscles are strong, they help you control your urine.

How exactly do Kegel exercises?

Imagine trying to stop urinating suddenly while you're urinating. Or trying to stop a gas leak. That's what you need to do when you're tensing your muscles.

1. Identify the correct muscles: First, find those muscles.

2. Tighten and hold: Now tighten those muscles and hold them for a count of 10 seconds. Be careful not to tense your legs, buttocks, or abdominal muscles during this time.

3. Relax: Then relax the muscles completely.

4. Repeat: Do this 15 times. That's one round. Try to do about 5 rounds of this a day.

2. Lifestyle changes

In addition to Kegel exercises, changing a few of your daily habits can also make a big difference.

• Avoid caffeine and spicy foods: Switch to decaffeinated beverages or water. Reduce spicy and acidic foods as much as possible.
• Limit fluid intake at night: Reducing fluid intake after dinner can help reduce the number of times you have to wake up at night to go to the toilet.
• Eat high-fiber foods: Constipation can be prevented by eating high-fiber foods. Straining during bowel movements can also put pressure on the bladder and cause urine to leak.
• Maintain a healthy weight: Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce pressure on the bladder.
• Bladder Training: Keep a diary of when you feel the urge to urinate and when you urinate. Then, plan to go to the bathroom before you feel the urge to urinate. Gradually try to increase the time between trips to the bathroom. This will train your pelvic muscles to hold in urine.

While doing these things, you can use pads or special underwear (incontinence underwear). This is nothing to be ashamed of, thousands of other mothers go through this experience just like you.

Is this urine coming out? Or is it something else?

It's important to pay attention to what comes out of your vagina during pregnancy. How do you know for sure if it's urine, vaginal discharge, or amniotic fluid?

When should I see a doctor?

It's always a good idea to inform your doctor about urinary control issues during pregnancy, but it's especially important to seek medical advice in these cases.

• If this problem persists even after six weeks or more after childbirth.
• If this discomfort is interfering with your daily life . For example, if you avoid social events for fear of leaking urine, or if you have a reluctance to go out.
• If you have any doubts about the fluid coming out.

Your doctor may perform a physical examination and, if necessary, refer you for tests such as a urine test (`Urinalysis`), an `Ultrasound scan`, `Cystoscopy`, or `Urodynamic testing`.

Most people regain bladder control within 3 to 6 months after having a baby. But for some people, it can take a little longer. It depends on many things, such as the nature of your delivery and the weight of your baby.