How soon does frequent urination start in pregnancy

You’re pregnant and doing some baby shopping, so you toss a few packages of newborn diapers in your shopping cart. But, if you’re really being honest, you’re considering grabbing some for yourself because you cannot stop peeing. This is a story that starts early on in your pregnancy, and if you’re lucky, you’ll have a reprieve during the second trimester. Once you enter the third, though, all bets are off as your baby’s job of growing bigger means that your bladder is minuscule and needs to be emptied a lot. Read about one of the most common pregnancy symptoms below.

When does frequent urination start during pregnancy?

The American Pregnancy Association (APA) notes that frequent urination can start pretty early on in a pregnancy — at around six to eight weeks. This early inconvenience of pregnancy can feel pretty rude, as your baby is teeny tiny and isn’t putting a load of weight on your bladder. So why does it happen? Well, that brings us to our next point….

What causes frequent urination during pregnancy?

There are two main reasons you might find yourself heading to the bathroom more frequently while you’re pregnant, and neither involve morning sickness.

In Early Pregnancy

During the first months of pregnancy, your body is super busy not only assembling a tiny human, but it’s also ramping up the body fluids you have on board. By the time you’re 34 weeks pregnant, you’re toting around 50 percent more blood in your body than you did before you got pregnant. Paired with a pregnancy hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and your kidneys doing their part by flushing your body out on the regular, you’re going to be peeing a lot more frequently.

In Later Pregnancy

As your baby grows, there will be less room inside your abdomen for your baby and all your organs, and while this can feel cramped and uncomfortable, your bladder will feel like it bears the brunt of your baby’s weight. A third-trimester fetus (and the uterus it’s housed in) basically squishes your bladder to within an inch of your life, and you simply have less room to store urine. So, out it must go.

What can you do for frequent urination?

Before you ask, you cannot stop urinating because that is not healthy at all, even if it sounds like something you’d like to stop doing. There are, though, a few tricks you can use to perhaps stem the flow a bit and make your constant bathroom trips far more manageable.

Avoid caffeine. Caffeine shows up in coffee, tea, and soda, and can also be found in chocolate (sad trombone). While you may not be pounding coffee during pregnancy, you still might be having caffeine here and there. Experts say that avoiding it is for the best if you’re peeing your weight in fluids every day. Why? Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it’s going to have to make you pee more than you already do.

Pee when you have to. Resist the urge to try to hold your urine. Let it free as often as you want to, because holding it in can lead to issues that you definitely don’t want, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI).

Stop drinking a few hours before bed. This tip’s for all you pregnant mamas out there wondering, How can I avoid waking up at night to pee? While this won’t keep you from peeing completely, it can make your nights more restful, as you might sleep a little longer between overnight bathroom breaks.

Prepare yourself for leaks. If you find yourself leaking a bit, wear protection. You don’t really have to wear a diaper, but you can grab a box of pantyliners or just use a regular menstrual pad to contain potential leaks.

When should you see a doctor?

While frequent urination is a completely normal (yet annoying) part of a healthy pregnancy, there are times when it absolutely isn’t normal. There are signs for which you should keep an eye out to make sure you’re not developing a UTI. A UTI can lead to a far more serious infection of your kidneys, and it can also lead to preterm labor.

Signs and symptoms of a UTI include:

  • Blood in the urine
  • Needing to pee right after you’ve already urinated
  • Pain or burning during urination
  • Fever

If you have even one of these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider right away.

This article was originally published on July 29, 2019

On this page

  • What is frequent urination during pregnancy?
  • What causes frequent urination during pregnancy?
  • When am I more likely to experience frequent urination during pregnancy?
  • Am I likely to experience frequent urination if I have had it before pregnancy?
  • How can I reduce frequent urination during my pregnancy?
  • Could it be a sign of something more serious?
  • Will it continue after I’ve had the baby?
  • Where to get help
  • Related information on Australian websites

What is frequent urination during pregnancy?

Frequent urination is when you need to urinate (wee) more often than usual when pregnant. Needing to go to the toilet more often during your pregnancy is normal and is caused by the hormonal and physical changes occurring in your body. Your bladder (which stores urine), your bowel (which your poo passes through) and your uterus (where your baby grows) are all located in the small space of your abdomen, so changes that occur in one organ are also likely to affect the others.

What causes frequent urination during pregnancy?

You experience frequent urination because when you are pregnant, your body produces more fluids than at other times. Your kidneys, which produce urine, also become more efficient. Your uterus – situated directly behind your bladder – becomes larger to accommodate your growing baby and as a result, it pushes against your bladder.

For some women, weak pelvic floor muscles are another cause of frequent urination during pregnancy. Pelvic floor muscles support the organs of the pelvis, which include the bladder, uterus and bowel.

When am I more likely to experience frequent urination during pregnancy?

Frequent urination is common at every stage of pregnancy. During the first stages, hormonal changes increase the frequency with which you need to use the toilet. Later in pregnancy, it is more likely to be caused by your baby pressing against your bladder, while in the last few weeks of pregnancy, you may struggle to empty your bladder completely.

Towards the end of your pregnancy, it is common to wet yourself a little while coughing, sneezing or lifting things. This happens because these actions place more pressure on your pelvic floor, and for many women, the pelvic floor becomes weakened during pregnancy.

Am I likely to experience frequent urination if I have had it before pregnancy?

If you have had bladder problems before pregnancy, unfortunately these are likely to worsen after the birth. Women can also develop new bladder problems after having a baby.

How can I reduce frequent urination during my pregnancy?

While you cannot do much to lessen your need to urinate frequently, you can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Strengthening these muscles can help you ‘hold in’ your urine until you are able to get to the toilet. The best way to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles is through exercise. Exercising the muscles will also provide a sturdy support system for your bowel, uterus and bladder.

Ideally, women should do pelvic floor exercises before becoming pregnant, but it's never too late. Remember to keep up your pelvic floor exercises after your baby is born too.

The Continence Foundation of Australia have produced this video on how to do pelvic floor exercises:


Could it be a sign of something more serious?

While, in most cases, frequent urination during pregnancy is quite normal and not a concern, in some situations it is best to see a doctor. If you feel a stinging, burning sensation or if you feel any pain when you use the toilet, it is important that you discuss this with your doctor. It might indicate you have an infection that needs to be treated promptly.

Will it continue after I’ve had the baby?

While you may continue to urinate more than usual after your baby is born, you will usually see an improvement in the first 6 months after the birth. This is because pelvic floor nerves, tissues and muscles are beginning to recover from pregnancy and birth. Make sure you keep up your pelvic floor exercises — your midwife can also guide you with what to expect over the first few weeks and months after your baby’s birth.

Where to get help

  • Call the Continence Foundation of Australia on 1800 33 00 66
  • Talk to your GP — Click here to find a doctor near you
  • Check in with your midwife
  • Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 to speak to a maternal child health nurse

How early do you start peeing alot in pregnancy?

Frequent urination is an early sign of pregnancy and can begin as early as the first couple of weeks following conception. Most people, however, may begin to experience urgency in weeks 10 to 13, as this is when the uterus begins to push on the bladder.

Can frequent urination start right after conception?

Frequent urination is common. Symptoms can start even earlier than your missed period, since the fertilized egg implants itself into the uterus and begins making the pregnancy hormone hCG, prompting you to run to the bathroom more often.

What are the signs of pregnancy in the first week?

Pregnancy symptoms in week 1.
nausea with or without vomiting..
breast changes including tenderness, swelling, or tingling feeling, or noticeable blue veins..
frequent urination..
headache..
raised basal body temperature..
bloating in the belly or gas..
mild pelvic cramping or discomfort without bleeding..
tiredness or fatigue..