Going With the Flow: The Facts About Frequency of Urination During Pregnancy

Find yourself trekking off to the restroom more often than usual, now that you're pregnant.

There are two main reasons why you’re making all those extra trips down the hall.

First, the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy increase blood flow to the pelvic region, something that can trigger the need to urinate more frequently.

Secondly, pressure from your uterus on your bladder can increase the sense of urgency to, ahem, go with the flow.

While you should expect to be urinating more often than usual, you shouldn’t be experiencing any pain or burning during urination; nor should your urine exhibit an unusual color or odor.

If you’re experiencing any unusual or worrisome symptoms, you’ll want to get in touch with your health care practitioner to find out if you have developed a urinary tract infection. It's important to seek prompt treatment for a urinary tract infection in case it is an upper urinary tract infection (pyelonephritis). Untreated upper urinary tract infections have been associated with low birthweight (a baby weighing less than 2500 grams), prematurity (a baby born before 37 weeks, as measured from the first day of the Last Menstrual Period – LMP), premature labor, hypertension (high blood pressure) and/or preeclampsia (a serious medical condition characterized by high blood pressure, the presence of protein in the urine, and swelling of the face, feet, and hands), maternal anemia (low iron), and amnionitis (inflammation of the thin, membranous sac containing the growing baby).