Why do you have to pee constantly when you’re pregnant?

Do you feel like you have to go to the bathroom every ten minutes? Is it agony trying to sit through a long car ride? Do you have to pause the DVR half a dozen times just to get through your favorite show? If you’ve noticed that your trips to the toilet are far more frequent now that you’re pregnant, you’re not alone – women at all stages of pregnancy report that being with child makes them, as teenage film heroine Juno put it, “pee like Seabiscuit.”

So why do pregnant women urinate more frequently? There are a couple of different reasons.

What’s to blame?

For one thing, your growing uterus can put pressure on your bladder, causing the sensation that you need to pee even when you actually don’t. This can occur even very early in pregnancy, as the uterus begins to grow almost immediately, but typically intensifies in the later stages as your uterus continues pushing your other organs out of the way.

Read more: Why do nipples get darker during pregnancy? 

Additionally, when you’re pregnant, the volume of fluid in your body increases. Since you’re now eating and drinking for two, your kidneys are working extra hard to make sure no toxins affect your fetus. When your kidneys are in this state of overdrive, your body flushes liquid out more quickly, causing you to pee with increased frequency.

Tell us: Are you trekking to the bathroom every 10 minutes? How are you coping with your pregnancy symptoms? 

By Pregnancy Editors

The Editors at Pregnancy are constantly scouring the news and best information to provide readers with the most accurate advice and latest trends in pregnancy and new motherhood. Together we've experienced most of the ups and downs of the pregnancy journey and are here to share and help you along the way.