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Urinary Frequency during pregnancy

What you may be experiencing: Almost all mothers-to-be get to know the path to the bathroom very well during the nine-plus months of pregnancy. In the first trimester, the growing uterus and harder-working kidneys make you feel the need to urinate more often. You may also leak a bit of urine when you laugh, sneeze, or cough. By the fourth month, baby rests higher in the abdomen, reducing the frequent urge to urinate, but in the third trimester, this symptom returns as the weight of the baby presses down on the bladder.

What helps: You should never restrict fluids while you're pregnant, but cutting back on liquids for a few hours before bedtime may reduce your nocturnal trips to the toilet and allow you to get better sleep. Keep a soft nightlight in the bathroom so you don't have to blind yourself in the middle of the night with bright overheads--and for safety's sake, light your path from bed to toilet with nightlights as well. Never ignore the urge to urinate: holding in urine can lead to a urinary tract infection. If you're leaking urine, panty liners may keep you a little happier until the problem goes away. Report any persistent leakage to your practitioner, just in case it's not urine but amniotic fluid.

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