We’ve all heard that pregnancy puts your bladder on overdrive, right? So why would your trips to the bathroom suddenly become less frequent? As a baby grows and starts to move around, his or her position can change the pressure on your bladder and your subsequent urination patterns. However, infrequent urination can also be a sign of a more serious condition, so look out for other symptoms if you think something’s up down there.
What causes it?
One of the common causes of infrequent urination is dehydration, a condition you should avoid at all costs during pregnancy. Inadequate hydration could be caused by excessive vomiting or diarrhea, but the best thing you can do is to drink plenty of water. Decreased urine output could also be a sign of urinary tract infection, which is easily treatable but still concerning. Even more dangerous is the possibility of kidney disease or preeclampsia, which is characterized by high blood pressure and increased protein content in urine. Infrequent urination for more than a day or two should be explored further, since it may be symptomatic of one of these serious conditions.
Tips?
You can usually improve your fluid circulation simply by drinking more water. If you think infrequent urination is related to another condition, talk to your healthcare provider to make sure you are clear of any threatening internal problems. You can prevent urinary tract infections by keeping good hygiene, eating a balanced diet and, of course, staying hydrated. Signs of preeclampsia, such as headache, vomiting, and hypertension, may be apparent in addition to infrequent urination, so it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider if this combination of symptoms is happening to you.
Reviewed by Dr. Jamie Lo
Read more
Sources
- “Signs & Symptoms.” Preeclampsia Foundation. Preeclampsia Foundation, 7/5/2010. Web.
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Urinary tract infection (UTI).” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 7/23/2015. Web.
