Frequent urination during pregnancy: causes and tips

If only a few weeks have passed since you found out you were pregnant, and already you’re noticing more frequent trips to the bathroom, this is all very normal. Frequent urination in pregnant women starts early on and continues right through to the third trimester as the uterus, and your growing baby, pushes up against your bladder.

Is it a bit annoying? Yes. Is it normal? Yes. In most cases, peeing a lot during pregnancy is nothing to worry about.

In this article, we will cover:

• What causes frequent urination throughout pregnancy?
• Tips for managing frequent urination during pregnancy
• Could frequent urination during pregnancy signal a problem?

Read on to understand what’s causing you to pee more, how to manage this, and the signs to look out for when it comes to urinary tract infections (UTI).

During pregnancy, frequent urination can become a common occurrence — more trips to the bathroom and sudden urges, sometimes only involving small amounts of urine.1 It's something many expectant moms experience, especially in the later stages of pregnancy.

Now, it’s important to know the difference between frequent urination and incontinence.

• Frequent urination means you feel the need to go to the bathroom often, but still have control over your bladder.
• Incontinence, on the other hand, is when there’s involuntary leakage, often triggered by things like coughing, sneezing, or even laughing.¹

It's also worth mentioning that many pregnant women do experience occasional leaks, but don’t worry, there are ways to manage this.¹ For more info on how to deal with it.

There are a lot of ways that pregnancy can affect your bladder, most of which are totally normal (if a bit inconvenient). Here’s what to expect throughout your pregnancy:

First trimester

Frequent urination (one of the more common early symptoms of pregnancy) can start around week four in your first trimester.

This is all to do with your hormones. After you conceive, the fertilized egg, together with the developing placenta, begins to produce an increased amount of the hormone hCG.

This pregnancy hormone increases blood flow to your pelvic area and kidneys, which become more efficient during your pregnancy and cause frequent urination. The downside is that it can cause symptoms like nausea and a frequent need to urinate.

Hormones such as progesterone and relaxin soften the muscles and ligaments in your pelvic floor to prepare it for delivering a baby. This also weakens the muscles that control urine flow, so you may also find that leaking urine (aka pregnancy incontinence) becomes more common.

We’re also more prone to constipation during pregnancy and after childbirth, which puts even more stress on the pelvic floor and bladder, weakening the support around the urinary tract. If you’re experiencing leaks, check out, How to Manage Urine Leaks During Pregnancy and After Childbirth.

Second trimester

The second trimester is usually a more comfortable one. That’s because levels of your hCG hormone (responsible for everything from nausea and fatigue to that constant urge to pee) ease off, so you should find yourself visiting the bathroom less often.

Third trimester

It’s common for that urge to pee to ramp up again in late pregnancy, as your growing baby puts more pressure on your bladder and slowly moves its head down to the pelvis. This extra pressure can mean you wake up needing to pee more often in the night.

It’s also normal, particularly in the third trimester, for fluid to build up in your legs, feet and ankles. The extra fluid accumulates throughout the day in the lowest parts of your body, especially if the weather is hot or you’ve been on your feet for long periods of time.

Then, when you go to bed at night and your feet are elevated, the excess fluid finds its way back into the bloodstream and through the kidneys, where it’s filtered out as urine so, again, you need to pee more.

There are things you can do to ease frequent urination and swelling, and the need for multiple nighttime visits to the bathroom.

Fully empty your bladder when urinating

When you visit the bathroom, lean forward and use good support for your feet. Using a good position like this can help you fully empty your bladder.

Avoid caffeine

Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and black tea can irritate your bladder, causing an increased need to urinate.

Don’t drink too much before bed…

If you find you have to get up often to urinate during the night, try limiting fluids right before bedtime.

…but still make sure you get enough fluids

Don’t drink less overall, thinking it will help keep you out of the bathroom. Your body still needs a steady supply of fluids during pregnancy.

Keep your feet and ankles from swelling during the day

Avoid standing for long periods of time, as much as possible. Try wearing compression socks, keeping your feet elevated when possible, and taking regular walks or doing foot exercises.

Elevate your legs before going to bed

Try to find time to elevate your legs before bedtime. This can help you stimulate the fluid that has accumulated in your swollen ankles and feet to move it into the bloodstream, allowing you to urinate before turning in for the night.

Use liners or pads to absorb leaks

Frequent urination during pregnancy may increase, especially in the third trimester when your baby puts extra pressure on your bladder. If you are experiencing leaks, finding the right incontinence liner or pad can make you more comfortable. Unlike menstrual pads, incontinence liners or pads will offer the right levels of absorption because they are specifically designed to deal with urine leakage. If you’re experiencing light leaks, TENA Sensitive Care Ultra Thin Incontinence Pads provides triple the protection from leaks, odor and moisture. 

If your leaks are slightly heavier and you need a bit more absorbency, TENA Sensitive Care Ultimate Pads lock away moisture and provides long-lasting dryness. 

There’s also TENA Sensitive Care Very Light Liners if you have sensitive skin. They are fast-absorbing and very discreet, designed for light bladder leaks.

Strengthen your pelvic floor

Pelvic floor exercises can help to counteract the softening effect that those hormones have on your muscles and ligaments, including the muscles around your urinary tract, which makes it harder for you to hold in your urine. Check out pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy to find out how to do them effectively.

Peeing a lot during pregnancy is normal, but frequent urination can also be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI), making diagnosis a bit tricky.

If you have any other symptoms, such as pain or a burning sensation when you pee, constant lower abdominal pain, urine with an unpleasant smell, or that’s cloudy or contains blood, contact your healthcare provider.

To understand more about identifying whether or not you have a UTI, and all the signs to look out for, check out our article on what to do if you get a UTI during pregnancy.

Frequent urination during pregnancy is common, albeit inconvenient, but it’s usually nothing to worry about. Your urge to pee will vary throughout your trimesters but, once the baby has arrived, that increased urge should slowly ease off and you’ll just have your baby’s pee to take care of…

TENA is here to help you navigate your pregnancy and postpartum period, with practical advice for pregnancy and postpartum incontinence. We have a range of women's incontinence products designed to support you through your new journey. If you feel that you need more support, don’t hesitate to contact a healthcare professional.

• Pain or a burning sensation when you urinate
• A sense of urgency to pass urine even after you have urinated
• Your urine smells unpleasant, is cloudy, or contains blood 
• A constant lower abdominal pain
• Lower back pain
• Feeling generally unwell
• Urinary leakage