Reasons why pregnant women have urinary incontinence during pregnancy

The article is professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Hung - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Women during pregnancy often urinate a lot, with urinary incontinence due to a major change in the urinary system. Many pregnant women with urinary incontinence can have urinary incontinence, which affects their psychology and quality of life.

Urinary incontinence in the first 3 months of pregnancy is a common sign in most pregnant women. The hormonal changes of the pregnant woman's body cause the body to increase urine production, the uterus expands and puts pressure on the bladder. Urinary incontinence in the first trimester of pregnancy is completely normal, even when the baby is very small.
In the middle stage of pregnancy, the symptoms of frequent urination and urinary incontinence will decrease slightly compared to the first period because at this time the uterus is in a higher, larger position, away from the bladder, causing less pressure up the bladder. However, in the last months of pregnancy, the baby will be pushed lower in the pelvis, preparing for labor. At this stage, the bladder is under great pressure, pregnant women will often feel the urge to urinate, urinate many times in an hour, causing urinary incontinence in the last month of pregnancy.

In addition to the problem of hormonal changes inside the body during pregnancy, urinary incontinence can also be caused by increased pressure in the abdomen. The bladder is increased pressure, the bladder sphincter does not perform well, causing urinary incontinence during pregnancy. The bladder has to work continuously leading to uncontrollable spasms.
In addition, the muscles around the urethra can also be affected. The function of these muscles is to prevent urine from flowing out. But when the bladder has a strong contraction, it can still open. The bladder sphincter is a valve located at the base of the bladder that controls the flow of urine. During pregnancy, a woman's uterus expands, increasing pressure on the bladder, causing the bladder sphincter and pelvic floor muscles to be under a great deal of pressure, gradually becoming overloaded. Urine from there can leak out, especially when there are other pressures such as sneezing, coughing...
Not only leaking urine during pregnancy, but even postpartum women can still leak urine. The process of childbirth weakens the pelvic floor muscles leading to increased bladder function. Moreover, the bladder contraction during pregnancy and labor also affects the nerves that supply the bladder.

Urinate on time, bladder training. Can record the time of urinating and the time of urine leakage to master the process of urinating, set a urination plan; Do pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles; Do not hold urine for too long, causing the bladder to fill with water. As soon as you feel an upset stomach, you need to go to the toilet immediately; Use tampons daily or change underwear regularly to avoid causing moisture and infection; If urinary incontinence is out of control or does not improve after a while, you should see a doctor because it could be a symptom of a urinary tract infection.

Urinary incontinence: Usually occurs when pregnant women cough, sneeze. Urine leakage is small, yellow in color and has a characteristic odor; Amniotic fluid leak: The rupture of the amniotic sac will cause the amniotic fluid to overflow in large quantities. Water flows from the vagina. Amniotic fluid is usually clear, odorless, and may be accompanied by pus or blood. Pregnant women with urinary incontinence, if they feel uncomfortable with urinary incontinence during pregnancy, can consult a doctor to receive detailed advice to help improve and improve their quality of life.
Dr. Nguyen Hung graduated as a doctor specializing in General Internal Medicine - University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City; Can speak English and French. With over 36 years of experience in the profession, of which 17 years is the Head of the Department of Endocrinology - Endocrinology, Da Nang Hospital, the doctor has experience in treating endocrine - diabetes and kidney diseases. Currently, he is an endocrinologist at the Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine at Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
Pregnant women in the first 3 months are the most sensitive time during pregnancy. In order for mother and baby to be healthy, parents need to pay attention to:
Understand early signs of pregnancy, pregnancy poisoning, bleeding during pregnancy. Timely, correct and sufficient first prenatal check-up, avoiding too early/too late. Fetal malformation screening at 12 weeks detects dangerous fetal malformations that can be intervened early. Distinguish between normal vaginal bleeding and pathological vaginal bleeding for timely intervention to maintain pregnancy. Screening for thyroid disease in the first 3 months of pregnancy avoids dangerous risks before and during delivery. Vinmec currently has many maternity packages (12-27-36 weeks), in which the 12-week maternity package helps monitor the health of mother and baby right from the beginning of pregnancy, early detection and timely intervention of health issues. In addition to the usual services, the maternity monitoring program from 12 weeks has special services that other maternity packages do not have such as: Double Test or Triple Test to screen for fetal malformations; Quantitative angiogenesis factor test for preeclampsia; thyroid screening test; Rubella test; Testing for parasites transmitted from mother to child seriously affects the baby's brain and physical development after birth.