| |
A common early sign of pregnancy, frequent urination affects many women throughout their pregnancy and even days after they have given birth. Due to an increase in the overall fluids and blood circulating through a woman's body during pregnancy, the need to visit the bathroom more regularly also intensifies. In fact, a woman's blood supply will increase approximately 45 percent by the end of her pregnancy to accommodate the needs of the fetus.
Unfortunately, the need to urinate commonly increases at night after fluid that is retained in the lower half of a woman's body returns to her bloodstream when she lies down in bed. This fluid is then processed by her kidneys and passed to her bladder for removal. To help alleviate this problem, some women find it helpful to drink the majority of their liquids during the day and taper their drinking in the evening hours (or a couple hours before bedtime).
Once a woman has entered her third trimester, she may yet again notice an increase in her visits to the bathroom. This is because as her uterus grows to accommodate her growing baby, it begins to shift and put pressure on the other organs around it, such as the bladder. If a woman is experiencing frequent bathroom trips in her third trimester, it is recommended that she lean forward when urinating to ensure she is completely emptying her bladder, ideally resulting in fewer bathroom breaks.
Finally, it is important to note that frequent urination will continue into postpartum, as a woman's body excretes the extra fluid it previously had circulating in her system for her baby. As these extra fluids leave the woman's body, she should see her urination return to normal.
| |
