Incontinence During Pregnancy

During pregnancy many women may have a small amount of urine leakage especially in the last trimester. This may occur from coughing, laughing, exercise, bending over or lifting. This condition is known as stress incontinence – very embarrassing, but extremely common.

Your pelvic floor muscles are under considerate strain during pregnancy. They have to support the weight of your growing uterus, and cope with the changes caused by pregnancy hormones. A sharp increase in abdominal pressure – as happens when you cough or jump – may be momentarily too much for the muscles to hold back the flow of urine, with the result that a few drops may escape.

Stress incontinence may happen at any time in pregnancy, but is more common towards the end. It is often worse for a few days following the birth, when the muscles of the pelvic floor and other structures are recovering. That said, women who give birth by caesarean section may also suffer from stress incontinence.

In pregnancy many women may have a small amount of urine leakage especially in the last trimester. This is due to the pressure of the baby against the bladder and the muscles that support it. The hormones of pregnancy, especially progesterone, also weaken the sphincter or pelvic muscles surrounding the urethra (the tube that carries the urine from the bladder to the outside), which adds to the problem. Our Women’s Health Physiotherapist can help to overcome these difficulties by teaching you to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

 

Can we help you? Please click here for an appointment