Frequent urination in early pregnancy may start when you are about six weeks into your first trimester. Some women also experience frequent urination in early pregnancy about 7-12 days after the temperature rise after ovulation, before they even miss their period. In fact one of the early symptoms of pregnancy is the frequent urination. So why do you have this frequent urination in the early stages of pregnancy? This is mostly because the amount of blood in your body increases to a great extent when you are pregnant. This increase in blood production leads to your kidneys having to pass more liquid. This liquid is sent directly to your bladder. The result: frequent urination in early pregnancy. This however, does not end as your pregnancy progresses. As your baby grows larger, his/her body weight presses down onto your bladder and this will also give you the urge to urinate. This may occur more frequently at night because when you are lying in a horizontal position, the excess liquid in your body moves towards your bladder. Frequent urination in pregnancy may also occur due to hormonal changes. Hormonal changes occur when the embryo is implanted. The hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) causes frequent urination in the early stages of pregnancy. While some women experience less urgency to urinate in the second trimester of pregnancy others feel the urge to urinate throughout all three trimesters.
Remember that frequent urination in early pregnancy is a normal side effect of a pregnancy. However, there may be times when this frequent urination in the early stages of pregnancy can signal an underlying problem. For instance, if you find you are urinating frequently and this is accompanied by any burning or irritation, you must contact your doctor immediately. This may be a sign of a urinary tract infection. If you continue to feel the urge to urinate even when you are only able to produce a few drops, it could also indicate a urinary tract infection. A urinary tract infection is a common bacterial infection in pregnant women and if left untreated could lead to complications. These complications include a kidney infection, preterm labor or possible, both.
Is there anything you can do to deal with this frequent urination in pregnancy? There are several methods by which you can make this side effect easier to deal with. To begin with, you should avoid beverages that have a diuretic effect. These include tea and coffee. Drink plenty of fluids during the day but avoid excessive liquid intake in the evening and before you go to bed. This will help to reduce the number of trips you need to make to the bathroom at night. By watching and reducing the amount of liquid you are ingesting you are reducing the amount of liquid your body needs to get rid off. Having said that, it is also important to note that you should have enough fluids in you as well as this is also important during pregnancy. You will have to drink plenty of fluid to keep hydrated during pregnancy. You should also examine how you are going to the bathroom. Lean forward while urinating as this will help your bladder to empty its contents more easily. Many women find that they have to visit the bathroom more often as they have not emptied their bladders completely.
All this frequent urination will stop once your baby is born. For the first few days after delivery, you will urinate in great quantities as your body gets rid of all the extra fluid it retained during pregnancy. After a few days, you will find that your need to urinate is back to what it was before pregnancy.
Submitted by J on December 7, 2010 at 12:28