Urinary
Incontinence and Pregnancy
Urinary incontinence
and pregnancy have a close relation. Studies reveal that
many women experience the first symptoms of urinary
incontinence during pregnancy or just after delivery.
Many pregnant women
experience leaking of urine, called stress urinary
incontinence, when they cough or sneeze. There’s a reason
for this.
In the normal course,
the pelvic floor muscles work together with nerves and
ligaments to keep the urinary bladder tightly shut even when
it is full. This prevents involuntary or sudden leaks.
However, when a woman is pregnant, the expanding uterus puts
a lot of pressure on the bladder. Childbirth puts additional
pressure and trauma on the pelvic floor muscles. Prolonged
pushing or a large baby can also stretch the muscles too
much thus causing incontinence
problems after delivery.
According to studies,
women who undergo vaginal childbirth are more vulnerable
than women who deliver by cesarean section. Assisted vaginal
delivery, like a delivery by forceps can cause nerve damages
which lead to urinary problems after childbirth. Obviously,
chances of developing urinary incontinence rise with the
number of childbirths.
Stress urinary
incontinence caused by pregnancy is a temporary
phenomenon. For a few women, leaks continue for some time,
becoming less frequent and disappearing altogether after a
while. But, in some women, leaks persist in varying degrees
even long after childbirth. This happens if the muscles of
the pelvic floor have been weakened considerably or if there
has been extensive nerve damage.
Here are some handy
tips that can help reduce stress urinary incontinence after
delivery:
-
Kegel
exercises are a must as they improve the continence
mechanism by strengthening the pelvic floor
muscles. Work up to 100 Kegels a
day.
-
Weight gain
should be brought under control because additional
weight puts pressure on the
bladder
-
Train the
bladder by scheduling urination
helps
-
Never cut
down on fluids. Drink eight glasses of
water
-
Eat foods
rich in fiber so as to avoid
constipation
-
Avoid
foodstuffs that irritate your
bladder
-
Smoking makes
the problem worse
Women who experience
urinary incontinence during or after pregnancy may
experience a recurrence of symptoms years later. This is
because the problem has a tendency to grow with age. That is
why it is important to arrest UI in its earliest stages.
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