In pregnancy, the bladder may receive tremendous pressure from the growing baby. Urinary leakage may result from this. Bladder and bowel issues can happen both during pregnancy and after giving birth. The uterus is supported by the bladder. As your baby grows, the bladder flattens (compresses), making less room for urine. You may feel the urge to urinate more frequently than usual as a result of the added pressure. This usually passes quickly after your baby's birth and is only transitory. For some women, particularly after childbirth, bowel leakage also can be an issue. According to a recent study, constipation and diarrhoea affect nearly three out of four pregnant women, yet these disorders have little impact on their quality of life. Bowel problems are caused by the physiological and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy.

Additional symptoms that the bladder or bowel may be affected during or after pregnancy involve urgency in the bladder or bowel or difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel. All of these symptoms require an equal amount of attention. 

Why do bladder and bowel issues arise during and after pregnancy?

The pelvic floor, a set of muscles and ligaments in your pelvis, can be stretched and strained during pregnancy and vaginal delivery. The regular operation of the pelvic organs, such as the bladder, vagina, and rectum, is impacted when the pelvic floor isn't as muscular as it should have been. 

During pregnancy, the following are the most common bowel and urine issues:

• Urinary incontinence, also known as uncontrollable pee leakage
• Urinary urgency or the need to urinate urgently.
• Fecal incontinence or the unintentional leakage of stool from the bowel.
• constipation or urination discomfort
• Urine leakage when exercising, sneezing, lifting, or coughing.
• Unable to stop the passage of wind or feces.
• Immediately feel the need to relieve your bowels or bladder.
• Pelvic organ prolapse, or dropping of the internal organs, is a condition brought on by a loss of the pelvic floor muscle group's ability to provide support.

Within several months of having delivered, these issues will disappear for some women. Others might experience symptoms that last or worsen over time.

• Excessive weight gain during pregnancy (above expected limits)

• Pregnancy-related hormonal changes
• High-intensity workout
• Constipation
• Consistent bending over and weight lifting
• Hyperactivity of the pelvic floor

Will everything simply improve?

Unfortunately, unless you take action to strengthen weak muscles and minimise multiple risk factors, bladder or bowel leakage and urgency are unlikely to go away.

Emptying disorders frequently require assistance to get better over time.

The right treatment can help-

After pregnancy, there are numerous choices for managing bowel and bladder issues. Others may require pelvic floor physical therapy, medication, or invasive surgery. Some simple lifestyle adjustments include changing your food or fluid intake.

• Kegel exercises, sometimes referred to as pelvic floor workouts, work to strengthen the muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and bowels. These exercises may help you overcome urinary problems after delivery. Building these muscles throughout pregnancy will enable you to relax and control your muscles before labour and delivery.
• To encourage the repair of perineal tissues, build pelvic floor muscular strength and aid in the muscles' return to health, kegel exercises are strongly advised during the postpartum period (after giving birth) (including better urinary control). 
• Consult your doctor about pelvic floor physical therapy if at-home Kegel exercises are insufficient.
• Switching to caffeine-free and/or carbonated beverages
• Maintaining a healthy weight in order to avoid putting undue strain on the bladder.

Suggestions for Prevention

• Avoid milk products, especially if you have lactose intolerance, and hot and fatty foods.
• Cut back on coffee and other caffeinated drinks.
• Eat meals high in fibre (for constipation).
• Eliminate things that contain added sugar (like diet soda or sugar-free gum).
• To restore muscle control, engage in physical therapy.

• If you develop pelvic organ prolapse after pregnancy, consider pelvic floor physical therapy or seek urogynecologic care for a suppository fitting.
• A vaginal suppository is put into the vagina to support the uterus. A urogynecologist might go over possibilities for minimally invasive surgery if issues continue or worsen.