Incontinence and Pregnancy

Jul 23, 2019

What causes incontinence in pregnancy?

During pregnancy the hormones circulating in your body causes the ligaments, connective tissue and muscles to weaken and this can lead to increase stress on your bladder and bowel. An increase in body weight is also a significant risk factor for incontinence in pregnancy, as the baby grows inside your uterus this places extra stress on your bladder and bowel. As your pregnancy progresses your bladder is not able to store as much urine and this can lead to more frequent toilet stops and for some people urgency to empty their bladder.



Signs and Symptoms of bladder and bowel issues in pregnancy?

  • Leakage of urine with cough/sneeze/laugh or exercise
  • Incomplete bladder or bowel emptying
  • A sense of urgency to empty your bladder or bowel
  • Leakage of urine or faeces associated with the urge
  • Straining to pass urine or a bowel motion


Prevention is the key! If you have any of these symptoms during pregnancy, your Pelvic Health Melbourne physiotherapist can assess your bladder and bowel function and develop a suitable pelvic floor training program to help prevent your incontinence from worsening and also help to reduce the incidences of post partum pelvic floor dysfunction.


If you have incontinence during pregnancy, our team at pelvic Health Melbourne is here to help you.





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