How will I know if my bladder is too full?
What your caregiver may do
Having a catheter
You are probably asking yourself 'How could this possibly be a problem after 9 months of needing to urinate all day and often throughout the night?' And funny enough this is usually the comment made when a woman is having difficulty passing urine in labour!
The 2 main reasons a woman is unable to urinate in labour are:
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The baby's head is putting pressure on the urethra (the tube leading from the bladder to the outside world). This mechanically closes off the exit of urine making it difficult to pass water. |
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The woman has had an epidural, reducing feeling in the area and making her unable to pass urine. |
If you are unable to urinate your bladder can fill to the point of inhibiting the movement of your baby down the birth canal and reducing the effectiveness of your contractions. A full bladder can also be injured during the pushing phase of labour. If it becomes overfull it can lead to difficulty passing urine after the birth or cause you to have a substantial haemorrhage soon after the placenta is delivered, as the uterus is unable to contract down effectively to control the bleeding.
When labour moves into the active phase your focus naturally turns inward as your body works physically hard to open up and you become less aware of time, including the last time you emptied your bladder. To avoid a full bladder you should try to empty it every 2-3 hours. Your partner, support person and / or caregiver can help to remind you every couple of hours, so you avoid having an over full bladder.