Urinary Incontinence in Pregnancy

Some pregnant women leak urine, especially when they cough, sneeze, laugh or exercise. Others notice a sudden urge to urinate and leak before they can reach the toilet. The changes your body goes through during pregnancy affect the load on your pelvic floor and bladder. Although urinary incontinence is common in pregnancy, it doesn't mean you just have to put up with it. When leaking happens, how often it occurs and whether there are other symptoms are all important in the assessment.

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Urinary Incontinence in Pregnancy: Is Leaking When You Cough or Sneeze Normal?

What Causes Urinary Incontinence in Pregnancy?

During pregnancy, the uterus grows. As a result, the load on the bladder and pelvic floor increases. During this time, you may leak urine when you cough, sneeze or laugh; some people also experience sudden urgency and not making it to the toilet in time.

Types and Symptoms of Urinary Incontinence

Leaking during coughing, sneezing or exercise is usually defined as stress urinary incontinence, while not making it to the toilet because of a sudden urge is called urge urinary incontinence. Both can also occur together.

Physiotherapy for Urinary Incontinence in Pregnancy

A pelvic floor physiotherapist assesses the strength of your muscles and their ability to contract and relax, then creates a personalized exercise plan. NICE recommends offering supervised pelvic floor muscle training to women with stress or mixed urinary incontinence during pregnancy.

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Common and Treatable

A systematic review and meta-analysis combining 20 studies from Turkey reported an estimated prevalence of urinary incontinence in pregnancy of 35%.

"I leak a few drops of urine when I cough or sneeze."

"I suddenly need to go, and sometimes I can't make it in time."

"I never had this problem before I got pregnant; now it's started."

Dinc Kaya H, Gunaydin S, Dogan E. Prevalence of urinary incontinence in pregnant women in Turkey: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 2023;284:162–168.

Urinary Incontinence in Pregnancy FAQ

Is urinary incontinence normal during pregnancy?

Urinary incontinence can occur in pregnancy, but that doesn't mean every woman will experience it. If your symptoms keep coming back or affect your ability to exercise or your daily life, mention them to your doctor or midwife and ask about pelvic floor physiotherapy.

Why do I leak urine when I cough or sneeze?

Coughing and sneezing briefly increase the pressure inside your abdomen. When the pelvic floor muscles can't respond to this pressure quickly enough, a few drops of urine may leak; this is called stress urinary incontinence.

Can I do Kegel exercises during pregnancy?

Pelvic floor exercises are suitable for many people. However, it is important to work the right muscles and to be able to relax them fully. A physiotherapist assesses your muscle function and shows you whether the exercises are right for you and how to do them. NICE recommends supervised pelvic floor muscle training for stress or mixed urinary incontinence.

What happens during a pelvic floor physiotherapy assessment?

Your physiotherapist asks when you leak, how long it has been going on and how it affects your daily life. The assessment looks at how your pelvic floor muscles contract, relax and coordinate.