Incontinence is a common problem, and it can affect you during and after pregnancy.
Sometimes pregnant women are unable to prevent a sudden spurt of urine or a small leak when they cough, laugh or sneeze, or when they move suddenly, or just get up from a sitting position. This may be temporary, because the pelvic floor muscles (the muscles around the bladder) relax slightly to prepare for the baby's delivery. Find out more about the causes of incontinence and preventing incontinence. You can help to prevent incontinence by doing pelvic floor exercises.
Some women have more severe incontinence and find that they cannot help wetting themselves.
When to get help
In many cases incontinence is curable. If you have got a problem, talk to your midwife, doctor or health visitor.
You could also call the confidential Bladder and Bowel Foundation helpline on 0845 345 0165, Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 1pm. The Bladder and Bowel Foundation provides a factsheet on how to do pelvic floor exercises (PDF, 663kb).
