Ask anyone—whether they’ve been pregnant or not—what one of the symptoms of pregnancy is, and they’re bound to say frequent urination. The fact that pregnant women pee a lot is by now widespread knowledge. In fact, going to the bathroom more often than usual is many women’s first indication that they’re pregnant. But why does it happen? And how much should everyone be peeing, anyway?
Why pregnancy leads to frequent urination
There are a number of reasons why pregnant women pee a lot, often so frequently that they’ve memorized the location of every bathroom everywhere they go. Let’s break down some of the most common causes.
Hormones. As soon as that embryo implants in the uterus, the body starts making a hormone called HCG, which is meant to help the body support a growing baby. HCG sends more blood to the kidneys, making the kidneys process waste more efficiently—which also means more urine. The amount of blood circulating in a pregnant woman’s body is higher too (by a whopping 50 percent!), so not only are the kidneys working faster, they’re also just processing more blood than they’re used to!
Pressure on the bladder. There’s not a ton of extra room inside the body, and the uterus obviously needs to expand. It goes from being roughly the size of an orange to being the size of a watermelon—and in doing so, it pushes the surrounding organs around. Therefore, sometimes the bladder gets shoved into especially uncomfortable positions. Not only that, but by the time the third trimester rolls around, the rapidly growing baby also often puts pressure on the bladder. This can cause frequent urges to pee and can also lead to some stress urinary incontinence, meaning involuntary leakage.
UTIs. Unfortunately, pregnant women are exceptionally prone to urinary tract infections; about one in three experience one. This happens because the bladder, due to its awkward positioning during pregnancy, has trouble emptying completely and stays open longer, giving bacteria more opportunity to enter and infect it. In addition to a UTI’s unpleasant symptoms such as pelvic pain and a burning sensation, frequent urination is also a common side effect.
Drinking water is important! In addition to all the bodily changes that are influencing your peeing patterns, there’s also the simple fact that pregnant women have a steady fluid intake. It’s recommended that pregnant women drink 10 glasses of water a day—which, frankly, would make anyone pee a lot even without extra hormones and bladder pressure. (The average bladder holds 16 ounces, so no wonder it needs constant emptying.) Drinking water is vital during pregnancy because dehydration can trigger pre-term labor. Water also helps prevent UTIs and constipation, which about half of pregnant women experience.
How frequent is frequent?
It’s hard to say what’s “normal” when it comes to peeing, because everybody (and every body!) is different. But a non-pregnant person usually pees around six to eight times a day, or about every two or three hours. There’s no set rule for a “normal” amount for a pregnant woman to urinate either, but the number of times she goes to the bathroom is bound to increase. Just how much depends on individual circumstances and on the stage of the pregnancy. Some women report going to the bathroom once an hour; others say they feel like they’re peeing 20 times a day during waking hours.
Waking up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night is also typical. While most (non-pregnant) people are able to sleep through the night without urinating, it’s not uncommon for women in their third trimester to get up three or four times a night needing to empty their bladder.
Frequent urination starts in the first trimester largely due to changes in hormonal balance. In the second trimester, many women experience a bit of a respite as the uterus rises out of the pelvis and into the abdomen, releasing some pressure. However, by the third trimester, when the uterus and the baby are both large, the pressure becomes intense and the urge to urinate becomes incessant.
How to prevent frequent urination
The truth is that frequent urination during pregnancy is basically inevitable.
But a few factors might be able to mitigate it somewhat. First, hydrating often early in the day can help you drink less in the evening, which might make the nighttime intrusions a bit less prevalent. But it’s imperative not to dehydrate yourself in an effort to pee less; that will only have adverse effects on both you and the baby.
Avoiding caffeine can also help, as can leaning forward to urinate (which helps empty the bladder), and doing exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor. Using incontinence pads and liners can also be useful to manage any surprise leaks.
When does it go back to normal?
After the baby is born, women might still experience frequent urination for a few days as the body starts to reorient itself and flush out any excess liquids from pregnancy. Most women are peeing on a normal schedule within a week.
However, for many women, frequent urination and UI don’t always go away immediately—and sometimes not at all. If you experienced bladder leakage during pregnancy, that might linger for months because of a change in the strength and structure of the pelvic floor. Doing regular exercises can sometimes help bring the body back to normal—and a number of products can help keep any embarrassing or unwanted situations at bay.