5 Ways to Deal With Incontinence During Pregnancy

1. Exercise Control

Incontinence is an unpleasant side effect of pregnancy. Doing Kegel exercises will help you to control stress incontinence, or involuntarily leaking urine during pregnancy. A Kegel exercise is a pelvic floor exercise. To do Kegels, you have to pretend that you are trying to stop the flow of urine. You tense up your pelvic floor muscles. You can do these exercises as often as possible. Don't actually do these while you are urinating. You should only stop the actual flow of urine once so you know the correct way to do Kegels. Kegel exercises will also help you to push more effectively during your child's birth.

2. Watch Your Weight

Doctors don't recommend dieting during pregnancy. Gaining excess weight isn't acceptable either. Eating a balanced diet will help you to stay in a healthy weight range during your pregnancy. When you are pregnant, your uterus and the weight of your growing baby put pressure on your bladder, which can cause incontinence. Gaining excess weight will put pressure on your already stressed bladder. Ask your doctor about your healthy weight range because this range is different for every woman.

3. Flush Your System

When dealing with incontinence, women often think that they should limit their fluid intake. This isn't a good idea during pregnancy. When you are pregnant, becoming dehydrated can lead to uterine irritability and urinary tract infections. Both of these problems can make incontinence worse. In addition to aggravating your incontinence, dehydration can lead to premature labor and other serious problems. Keep in mind that if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. You can stay hydrated by drinking water, juice and clear liquids. Carbonated and caffeinated drinks can cause you to become dehydrated and they may irritate your bladder so it is best to avoid these. Remember to use the bathroom as often as possible. It isn't a good idea to hold in urine when you are pregnant.

4. Protect Yourself

Wear panty liners or pads to protect your panties and to avoid embarrassing leaks when you have urinary incontinence when you are pregnant. Pads and panty liners can absorb minor leaks. You should change the pad as soon as possible after you have an accident. It is a good idea to carry baby wipes in addition to your extra pads. Use the baby wipes to clean yourself after an accident if you are away from home.

5. Encourage Extra Control

If your incontinence is from laughing, sneezing or coughing, you can cross your legs when you do any of these. Crossing your legs will help to lessen or prevent urine from leaking out. In addition to crossing your legs, try doing Kegel exercises when you laugh, sneeze or cough. Doing this will take some practice but, it is well worth the effort when you can enjoy yourself without fearing an embarrassing accident.