How To Deal With Frequent Urination in Pregnancy

Frequent urination is common in pregnancy. Here's what can help.

Medically reviewed by Alyssa Dweck, MS, MD, FACOG

Going over the river and through the woods for summer vacations and holiday gatherings can become more of an adventure when pregnant. You may find yourself learning every rest stop from point A to point B, not because pregnancy cravings may have you longing for a specific fast-casual menu item. Frequent urination in pregnancy can increase your need to go to the bathroom, often at inconvenient times, like at night.

“Frequent urination can be annoying,” concedes Ashley Parr, DO, OB-GYN at the Women’s Hospital at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in California. “No one wants to spend extra time each day making trips to the bathroom or worry that they can’t make it through a drive without having to stop and find a clean bathroom.”

Stats vary, but most pregnant people will notice an increase in their need to pee. Research has shown about three-quarters of pregnant individuals will experience frequent urination. Although annoying, frequent urination is normal and generally benign. However, the symptom can sometimes be a sign of something more serious.

“Frequent urination is good to know about because it can be a sign of an underlying medical condition such as a urinary tract infection or even an asymptomatic bladder infection,” says Kyle Graham, MD, a board-certified OB-GYN at Pediatrix Medical Group in California. “These conditions can cause normal pregnancies to become higher risk and should be addressed promptly.”

Experts explain more about frequent urination in pregnancy, including why it happens, how to cope, and when to flag it with your provider.

What Is Frequent Urination in Pregnancy?

It largely depends on who you ask. “The textbook definition is voiding more than seven times per day, but in clinical practice, frequent urination is really subjective,” says Ankita Langan, MD, an OB-GYN with Novant Health in North Carolina.

This subjectivity is because patients have different baselines for “normal” urination.

“You kind of have to think about how often you went before you were pregnant,” says Andrea Braden, MD, FACOG, IBCLC, a board-certified OB-GYN. “Frequent would be increasing the number of times you go when you are pregnant—for most people, maybe it is two or three extra times a day.”

Causes of Frequent Urination in Pregnancy

Frequent urination is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. “In fact, it may be a symptom that tips some people off to take a pregnancy test in the first place,” Dr. Parr.

Like many other pregnancy symptoms, you can blame your increased bathroom trips on hormones. “Beta HCG, the same hormone detected by pregnancy tests, plays a role in increasing blood flow to the kidneys," says Dr. Parr. "Hormones such as progesterone and relaxin are also involved in the increase in filtration by the kidneys.”

The increase in blood flow leads to more urine production and frequent urination. But unlike first trimester symptoms like nausea and fatigue, frequent urination is less likely to subside (sorry).

“Starting around 10 to 12 weeks, the uterus has grown to a point where it causes some compression on the bladder,” says Dr. Langan. “This limits the bladder’s capacity to store urine, which also causes frequent urination.”

Growth will continue to play a role in the cause of frequent urination. As a fetus develops from the size of a hairbrush to the size of a bath mat and beyond, there will be less room for them to put their heads or move around.

“By the third trimester, the baby’s head can press on the bladder, which elicits the micturition reflex otherwise known as bladder contractions and thus the sensation to urinate,” explains Dr. Graham. “Sometimes, the baby’s movement, such as kicks and movement of the arms, can cause the bladder to contract, and thus urination occurs. This can happen without our control sometimes, and we call that incontinence.”

How To Manage Frequent Urination in Pregnancy

Bad news first: “There is not much that can be done to stop frequent urination—it is your body responding to normal physiologic changes during pregnancy,” Dr. Parr says.

However, experts share that there are a few ways to manage it.

Limit fluids before bed

Pregnancy can be tiring, and you may be trying to take all that advice to “sleep while you can.” But the need to go to the bathroom may be particularly disruptive at night.

“Try to scale back on the amount of water or fluids you are taking in right before bed,” says Dr. Braden. “This is a pretty common practice even when you are not pregnant.”

You might try ceasing fluid intake about two hours before bed. For example, if bedtime is 9 p.m., Dr. Braden suggests stopping at 7 p.m.

But don't stop hydrating throughout the day. The constant need to pee can be irritating and disruptive, but Dr. Parr stresses it’s important to continue to drink up.

“During pregnancy, it is more important than ever to stay hydrated,” Dr. Parr says. “[Limiting fluids at night] does not mean limiting fluid intake overall. You will need to work harder to get enough fluids in during the day so that you are staying hydrated.”

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends pregnant people drink 8 to 12 cups, or 64 to 96 ounces, of water daily.

Reduce intake of certain items

Specific drinks can exacerbate the need to pee. "Avoiding things with caffeine like energy drinks, sodas, coffee, and tea, can help,” Dr. Graham says.

The same can be said for certain foods, too. “Some foods like dandelion, hibiscus, and asparagus have natural diuretics, which are molecules that make us urinate," adds Dr. Graham.

Double void

You may have heard of double-cleansing in skin care. Double-voiding is also a thing, and Dr. Parr says it may help with frequent urination in pregnancy.

“This means after you finish urinating, stand up, shift your weight around, or lean forward, then void again,” Dr. Parr says. “This may help you empty your bladder more completely and extend the time to your next bathroom trip.”

When Is Frequent Urination a Concern?

Frequent urination in pregnancy is usually common but can be a symptom of a more serious medical condition.

“Frequent urination when accompanied by a fever, or pain or an odor in the urine can all be signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI),” Dr. Braden says.

Additionally, Dr. Braden says frequent urination may be a flag of gestational diabetes if it coincides with increased thirst.

It’s best to flag concerns with a provider and be sure to go through tests and labs, such as the glucose test for gestational diabetes, toward the end of the second trimester.

Finally, discussing your bathroom habits with a health care provider can feel embarrassing. However, Dr. Graham stresses pregnant people should be open about concerns.

“Your doctor or midwife has probably had the discussion about urination with many patients in the same day,” Dr. Graham says. “It is a topic that is very common, and your provider will be comfortable discussing the topic with you. They will be able to clarify what is normal and not normal with you, and it will be the safest thing for your pregnancy to address.”

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