While pregnancy is a time of excitement and anticipation, it is also a time of various physical discomforts. Along with morning sickness, backaches and heartburn, you may experience pressure on your bladder. Although bladder pressure is a common occurrence during pregnancy, certain symptoms may signal the presence of a urinary tract infection.

Bladder

Your bladder is a muscle shaped like a balloon. As it fills with urine, you experience pressure that signals it is time to go to the bathroom. Pressure on your bladder can also come from the outside, also causing you to feel the urge to urinate. Both types of bladder pressure can occur frequently during pregnancy.

Early Pregnancy

During the first few weeks of your pregnancy, you may notice pressure from a full bladder, requiring you to urinate more frequently. During this time, your body is producing human chorionic gonadotropin, a pregnancy hormone. By the second trimester, you may notice the sensation of bladder pressure eases as your uterus rises higher in your abdomen.

Late Pregnancy

Although your second trimester may offer some relief from bladder pressure, your third trimester can bring about an increase in discomfort as your baby grows. Sudden fetal movements and kicks can cause abrupt pressure on your bladder that may cause urine leakage.

Frequent Urination

The pressure on your bladder can cause you to make frequent trips to bathroom. Additional fluids in your body can cause your bladder to fill more frequently. You may also mistake the pressure of your baby as the sensation of a full bladder, causing you to make trips to the restroom only to find you don’t really need to urinate. Frequent urination and bladder pressure can also be symptoms of a urinary tract infection, a common condition during pregnancy.

Urinary Tract Infection

Often referred to as UTIs, urinary tract infections can occur during pregnancy because of changes in your urinary tract. Your growing baby can also block the drainage of urine from your bladder, leading to an infection. The American Pregnancy Association advises that you have an increased risk for developing a urinary tract infection between your sixth and 24th week of pregnancy. With an infection, you may experience burning during urination, blood or mucus in your urine, tenderness around your bladder, fever and back pain. Contact your doctor if you have any worrisome symptoms.