National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

Pregnancy,

Childbirth, and

Bladder Control

Pregnancy,

Childbirth, and

Bladder Control
Let’s Talk about Bladder Control for

Women is a public health awareness

campaign conducted by the National

Kidney and Urologic Diseases

Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC),

an information dissemination service of

the National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),

National Institutes of Health.

1-800-891-5388

Let’s talk about bladder control for women.

There’s treatment that works.

BLADDER

CONTROL
1

Do pregnancy and

childbirth affect

bladder control?

Yes. But don’t panic. If you lose bladder

control after childbirth, the problem often

goes away by itself. Your muscles may

just need time to recover.

When do you need

medical help?

If you still have a problem after 6 weeks,

talk to your doctor. Without treatment,

lost bladder control can become a longterm problem. Accidental leaking can

also signal that something else is wrong in

your body.

Bladder control problems do not always

show up right after childbirth. Some

women do not begin to have problems

until later, often in their 40’s.

You and your health care team must first

find out why you have lost bladder

control. Then you can discuss treatment.

After treatment, most women regain or

improve their bladder control. Regaining

control helps you enjoy a healthier and

happier life.
2

Can you prevent

bladder problems?

Yes. Women who exercise certain pelvic

muscles have fewer bladder problems

later on. These muscles are called pelvic

floor muscles. If you plan to have a baby,

talk to your doctor. Ask if you should do

pelvic floor exercises. Exercises after

childbirth also help prevent bladder

problems in middle age.

Ask your health care team how to do

pelvic exercises.

How does bladder

control work?

Your bladder is a muscle shaped like a

balloon. While the bladder stores urine, the

bladder muscle relaxes. When you go to the

bathroom, the bladder muscle tightens to

squeeze urine out of the bladder.

More muscles help with bladder control. Two

sphincter (SFINK-tur) muscles surround the

tube that carries urine from your bladder

down to an opening in front of the vagina.

The tube is called the urethra (yoo-REEthrah). Urine leaves your body through this

tube. The sphincters keep the urethra closed

by squeezing like rubber bands.
3

Pelvic floor muscles under the bladder also

help keep the urethra closed.

When the bladder is full, nerves in your

bladder signal the brain. That’s when you

get the urge to go to the bathroom. Once

you reach the toilet, your brain sends a

message down to the sphincter and pelvic

floor muscles. The brain tells them to relax.

The brain signal also tells the bladder

muscles to tighten up. That squeezes

urine out of the bladder.

The pelvic muscles work to control the

release of urine.

urine

urethra

pelvic floor

muscles

sphincter

muscles

bladder

muscle
4

Strong sphincter (bladder control) muscles

prevent urine leakage in pregnancy and

after childbirth. You can exercise these

muscles to make them strong. Talk to your

doctor about learning how to do pelvic

floor exercises.

Leaking bladder with weak bladder

control muscles

sphincter

muscle

urine

bladder

Healthy bladder with strong bladder

control muscles

sphincter

muscle urine

bladder
5

What do pregnancy and

childbirth have to do

with bladder control?

The added weight and pressure of

pregnancy can weaken pelvic floor

muscles. Other aspects of pregnancy and

childbirth can also cause problems:

• changed position of bladder

and urethra

• vaginal delivery

• episiotomy (the cut in the muscle that

makes it easier for the baby to come out)

• damage to bladder control nerves

Unborn babies push down on the bladder,

urethra, and pelvic muscles.

uterus

backbone

bladder

pelvic floor bowel

muscle

urethra

vagina
6

Which professionals

can help you with

bladder control?

Professionals who can help you with

bladder control include

• your primary care doctor

• a gynecologist (guy-nuh-CALLuh-jist): a women’s doctor

• a urogynecologist (YOOR-oh-guynuh-CALL-uh-jist): an expert in

women’s bladder problems

• a urologist (yoor-ALL-uh-jist):

an expert in bladder problems

• a specialist in female urology

• a nurse or nurse practitioner

• a physical therapist
7

Points to Remember

• Temporary bladder control

problems are common during

and after pregnancy.

• Exercising pelvic floor muscles

can help prevent bladder control

problems.

• Bladder control problems may

show up months to years after

childbirth. Talk to your health

care team if this happens to you.
8

The U.S. Government does not endorse or favor any

specific commercial product or company. Trade,

proprietary, or company names appearing in this

document are used only because they are considered

necessary in the context of the information provided.

If a product is not mentioned, this does not mean or

imply that the product is unsatisfactory.

National Kidney and

Urologic Diseases

Information Clearinghouse

3 Information Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3580

Phone: 1–800–891–5390 or (301) 654–4415

Fax: (301) 907–8906

Email: nkudic@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: www.urologic.niddk.nih.gov

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases

Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) is a

service of the National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The

NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of

Health under the U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services. Established in 1987, the

clearinghouse provides information about diseases

of the kidneys and urologic system to people with

kidney and urologic disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public.

NKUDIC answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government

agencies to coordinate resources about kidney and

urologic diseases.

Publications produced by the clearinghouse are

carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and

outside experts.

This publication is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse

encourages users of this fact sheet to duplicate and

distribute as many copies as desired.

This publication is also available at www.urologic.

niddk.nih.gov.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Diseases

NIH Publication No. 02–4189

May 2002