Pregnancy and bladder weakness

Pregnancy comes with a lot of changes to your body, one of which might be urinary incontinence or bladder weakness, where you experience an involuntary loss of urine. For some, bladder weakness might be mild and infrequent, but in other pregnant women, it can be severe. And unfortunately, it can continue after pregnancy too.

Put the blame on stress incontinence

Most women experience stress incontinence during pregnancy. Stress incontinence is the loss of urine caused by increased pressure on the bladder and the bladder sphincter does not function well enough to hold in urine.

And… an overactive bladder

Bladder weakness during pregnancy can also be caused by an overactive bladder. Women who have an overactive bladder need to urinate more than usual because their bladders have uncontrollable spasms. In addition, the muscles surrounding the urethra – the tube through which urine passes from the bladder – can be affected. These muscles are meant to prevent urine from leaving the body, but they may not be strong enough if the bladder has a strong contraction.

What about after pregnancy?

After pregnancy, incontinence problems might continue because childbirth weakens the pelvic floor muscles, which can cause an overactive bladder – which makes those Kegel exercises a vital part of ensuring you have a healthy pregnancy.

Wearing purpose-made products

If you are having accidents, wearing purpose-made products can help to give you peace of mind. And the global leader in this area, TENA, makes a range of incontinence products to suit every bladder and body shape, from pantyliners to full underwear, so you never have to suffer the embarrassment of leaking urine in public.

You should not be trying to use other products such as sanitary towels to mop up any urine leakage. Sanitary towels are designed for absorbing blood, and are simply not equipped for urine leaks, and the accompanying odour that is often a problem. Purpose-made products, however, are designed to be discreet and odour free, so that you feel confident and fresh all day.

Managing your bladder weakness during and post pregnancy

To manage any bladder weakness you’re experiencing during and after your pregnancy, it’s important to incorporate lifestyle changes like pelvic floor exercises. Urinating on a schedule can also help to prevent embarrassing accidents.

Use a chart or diary to record the times that you urinate and when you leak urine. This will give you an idea of your leakage patterns so that you can avoid leaking in the future by going to the bathroom at those times.

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