How did you deal with bladder issues when pregnant?

Jody - posted on 01/26/2009

Thanks Adrienne!! I'll go check our Babies R Us. I rarely go to places like that because they are a bit of a trip but will do so to see if they have one.

Adrienne - posted on 01/26/2009

Quoting Jody:

Quoting Jessica:

I think somewhere you can buy like a belly belt or corsetty type thing for when you are pregnant

If anyone knows or has heard of such a thing and can pointme i the right direction, then please do! She has a previous abdominal surgery (appendectomy when she was 14 and her scar is huge so she had some issues with it) She seems to be carrying really low and I thought due to ehr prior abdominal surgery, maybe the cut into the muscles may have weakened them some as well. But I figured they may be different than what you'd need for your bladder.

You can get them at baby r us. They are a couple displays in, and theres a manequin with one on.

Adrienne - posted on 01/26/2009

Quoting Jody:

Quoting Jessica:

I think somewhere you can buy like a belly belt or corsetty type thing for when you are pregnant

If anyone knows or has heard of such a thing and can pointme i the right direction, then please do! She has a previous abdominal surgery (appendectomy when she was 14 and her scar is huge so she had some issues with it) She seems to be carrying really low and I thought due to ehr prior abdominal surgery, maybe the cut into the muscles may have weakened them some as well. But I figured they may be different than what you'd need for your bladder.

You can get them at baby r us. They are a couple displays in, and theres a manequin with one on.

Jody - posted on 01/26/2009

Quoting Adrienne:

I had it so bad that sometimes i didnt even know I was going til i was soaked.

That's exactly it!!! She BARELY makes it and once, she was lying in bed and WOOSH...never even had a chance to get up. She's so worried about what her fiancee will say and he's been great, but still, totally embarrassing.

Jody - posted on 01/26/2009

Quoting Jessica:

I think somewhere you can buy like a belly belt or corsetty type thing for when you are pregnant

If anyone knows or has heard of such a thing and can pointme i the right direction, then please do! She has a previous abdominal surgery (appendectomy when she was 14 and her scar is huge so she had some issues with it) She seems to be carrying really low and I thought due to ehr prior abdominal surgery, maybe the cut into the muscles may have weakened them some as well. But I figured they may be different than what you'd need for your bladder.

Jody - posted on 01/26/2009

Quoting Audrey:

Tell her NOT to restrict her drinking as she might be tempted to do, especially if she's planning to go anywhere

Yes, we already had that discussion because she passed out cold when she was about 20 weeks along. She had gone too long without eating or drinking anything and became unconscious and passed out when we were stopped at a convenience store while moving her fiancee in with us. She hadn't drank enough and they had even thought she had a pulmonary embolism. Plus she was on oral Flagyl at the time, so should have been drinking more. She's rarely thirsty and so I've had to try and remind her to drink because when she gets involved in her computer work, she loses track of time and may go a while without drinking. Now, she's drinking anough and this happens. You voiced exactly what I was worried about too.

Victoria - posted on 01/26/2009

try the blater pads like tena they work better the normal pads that really are not made to hold that kind of uh ... fluid.... but other than that all you can do is give her a hug and let her know its all right , oh and ice cream always me feel better when i was pregnat lol, good luck and take care

Adrienne - posted on 01/26/2009

 i feel for her too. I had it so bad that sometimes i didnt even know I was going til i was soaked. Hopefully it gets better for her.

Tiffany - posted on 01/26/2009

Quoting Jody:

Quoting Tiffany:

Has she tried super absorbency pads? My mother & I went shopping the other day to stock up since I will be having my son soon & she was amazed because they make them so thin nowdays that you hardly notice they are there. Even the night time pads can be bought in thin style.

No, she hasn't tried those. She had BV early on in pregnancy and was treated twice for it, so she wants to make sure not to risk another infection by wearing pads you may leave on a bit longer because you don't notice the wetness as much.

I had a problem with yeast infections with my first pregnancy. But she could try them out & change them very often which is a good idea when you are pregnant anyways so that you don't risk infections. I was just thinking with the higher absorbencies it might give her the chance to get to the bathroom and change a pad before it soaks through to her clothes. Has her doctor recommended anything?

Audrey - posted on 01/26/2009

Tell her NOT to restrict her drinking as she might be tempted to do, especially if she's planning to go anywhere; rather to set a timer and try to wee every hour whether she needs to or not.  I think she needs the security of an incontinence pad and nowadays they are very sophisticated and won't cause embarrassment - if she's weeing every hour, any accident will be a small one.  At night, especially when baby gets bigger, she will probably need to get up several times to wee; a bucket/commode by the side of the bed is best as getting up frequently to go to the bathroom will wake her up too much.  Above all, reassure her that this is pregnancy related and will go away once baby is born (I think she just has a sensitive bladder and I empathise), don't think its anything to do with previous problems.  Kegel exercises are great, best practiced when weeing cos you know you're doing it right when the flow stops.  It would be great for her to get into the habit of doing these cos she'll need them post-delivery anyway if she doesn't want to feel like her insides are falling out when she runs for a bus!  Good luck - don't worry - all will be well. x

Jessica - posted on 01/25/2009

Kegels is the only thing I could suggest!! I did them daily and I think I have that to thank for no problems at all since the birth!



I think somewhere you can buy like a belly belt or corsetty type thing for when you are pregnant- perhaps she could look into this- it may be able to lift the baby off her bladder slightly? Sorry, Im just trying to think of any kind of way to help her!

Jody - posted on 01/25/2009

Quoting Tiffany:

Has she tried super absorbency pads? My mother & I went shopping the other day to stock up since I will be having my son soon & she was amazed because they make them so thin nowdays that you hardly notice they are there. Even the night time pads can be bought in thin style.

No, she hasn't tried those. She had BV early on in pregnancy and was treated twice for it, so she wants to make sure not to risk another infection by wearing pads you may leave on a bit longer because you don't notice the wetness as much.

Jody - posted on 01/25/2009

Quoting Mary:

...tell her man to be more suppsortive and tell her it happens to all pregnant woman adn that it will go away once she give birth.

She is very lucky to have a wonderful guy who is VERY supportive of her and very understanding. He's given a lot of hugs (and a lot of back rubs, foot massages, etc, etc LOL)

Unfortunately, she's so full of pride she is just devastated when it happens to where it soaks right through. I heard that sometimes a baby may sit on your sciatic nerve to whee you don't feel like you have to go. I was wondering if that might be the case because a lot of times she barely makes it to the bathroom.

Jody - posted on 01/25/2009

Quoting Gabrielle:

We all went through it, it is very embarrassing and very stressful...my daughter was sitting on my bladder most of the time, and everytime she moved it happened!

That's exactly how it is with her. Her baby will move and I sat there tonight and her belly button literally popped out and went back in when the baby kicked and she ahd to rush to the bathroom. Last night it was so bad and we had company and she ahd to call her fiancee to get her a change of clothing.

Marie - posted on 01/25/2009

Herbal remedies.... like take cranberry and garlic which can ward off infection.

Gabrielle - posted on 01/25/2009

We all went through it, it is very embarrassing and very stressful...my daughter was sitting on my bladder most of the time, and everytime she moved it happened! the red cheeks and the sweater around the waist til i got home from work! I wised up and actually wore a maxi pad b/c some times it was a lot! my best advice is a liner or pad, depending on how often and constant trips to the bathroom, even if you dont feel like you have to go, try and run some water....especially if you are drinking as much fluids as the doctors have recommended!  Hope this helps...

Mary - posted on 01/25/2009

I had that same problem witrh my daughter,, Tell her to do the kegals acouple times aday adn to wear thin liners it helps keep u clean but the doctor just suggested kegals as well sorry i couldnt be more help tell her man to be more suppsortive and tell her it happens to all pregnant woman adn that it will go away once she give birth.

Tiffany - posted on 01/25/2009

Quoting Jody:

She's gotten some pantiliners but sometimes it is so bad it soaks right through to where she has to change everything-pants and all. The worst accident was when she had Gatorade so all I can assume is it's just too much on her kidneys and not enough room in the bladder. She had a sonogram of her kidneys already but they said they looked pretty good. I hate to see her cry as she worries it is the same thing but I remembers having the same problem when I was a gestational diabetic-I had to drink a lot of water and just couldn't handle it. And yes, I think using it every hour even though you might not feel it might be a very good idea!

Thank you SO MUCH. I told her not to be embarrassed because so many women go through it. I know reading your posts will help a lot. I've told her to join here so she can ask questions because I know even after 21 years of being a mother I'm learning stuff too!

Has she tried super absorbency pads? My mother & I went shopping the other day to stock up since I will be having my son soon & she was amazed because they make them so thin nowdays that you hardly notice they are there. Even the night time pads can be bought in thin style.

Becky - posted on 01/25/2009

Kegels! It's just like any other muscle in your body, you have to exercise it to strengthen it! And do them a lot. I had a lot of problems after my first pregnancy, but did lot of Kegels during my second and after the delivery, it helped a ton! Pantiliners help too.

Jody - posted on 01/25/2009

She's gotten some pantiliners but sometimes it is so bad it soaks right through to where she has to change everything-pants and all. The worst accident was when she had Gatorade so all I can assume is it's just too much on her kidneys and not enough room in the bladder. She had a sonogram of her kidneys already but they said they looked pretty good. I hate to see her cry as she worries it is the same thing but I remembers having the same problem when I was a gestational diabetic-I had to drink a lot of water and just couldn't handle it. And yes, I think using it every hour even though you might not feel it might be a very good idea!

Thank you SO MUCH. I told her not to be embarrassed because so many women go through it. I know reading your posts will help a lot. I've told her to join here so she can ask questions because I know even after 21 years of being a mother I'm learning stuff too!

Bobbi - posted on 01/25/2009

I've only got what everybody else has suggested, sorry: kegels and panty liners

Also use the bathroom like every hour if it is available and appropriate for her to do. That way the bladder doesn't have a chance to get extremely full and less chance of leaking unexpectedly.

Peta - posted on 01/25/2009

Poor thing...but it's all part and parcel of being pregnant. All I can suggest is panty liners and a good sense of humour :) 

Tiffany - posted on 01/25/2009

I am currently 34 weeks pregnant with my second child and I wish I had some great advice here but I do not. I really feel for your daughter since some of it may stem from her previous injury but all I can say is that it is still a very normal part of pregnancy that gets worse the farther along you are. I can't sneeze, cough or laugh too hard...it all leads to leaking. Kegels do help some but the best thing I can think of is to tell her to get some panty liners or light weight pads to wear that way she doesn't have to be worried if she is out somewhere in public or about having to change underwear or clothes when it occurs. Please let her know that she is not alone in this. There are tons of other pregnant women going through the exact same thing.

Peta - posted on 01/25/2009

Poor thing...but it's all part and parcel of being pregnant. All I can suggest is panty liners and a good sense of humour :) 

Melissa - posted on 01/25/2009

Ya as far as I know kegels are about all you can really do when you are pregnant. I made the mistake of not doing them with either of my last 2 kids and my bladder is horrible sometimes I piddle just from coughing a little hard. I just wear panty liners all the time. Thats about the best I can tell you I hope it helps.

Dana - posted on 01/25/2009

Keigels....and wear a panty liner.