Your Pregnant Body This Week
Week 35 of Pregnancy: Frequent Urination
Now that your baby is (most likely) head down and (almost) engaged in preparation for childbirth, his or her head is pressing squarely on your bladder. The result? As before, you go, girl — to the bathroom, that is. And you go again and again.
Did you know that the measurement in centimeters from the top of your pubic bone to the top of your uterus is roughly equivalent to the number of weeks of pregnancy? So at 35 weeks pregnant, your practitioner will likely be measuring 35 centimeters on the tape measure. It's an easy way to remember how far along you are (as if you'd ever lose track).
Something else that'll remind you just how far along you are in your pregnancy: the frequent urination. Yep, it's first trimester deja vu all over again, but this time, instead of pregnancy hormones to blame, it's the position of your baby's head that's causing the need to pee. Now that your baby is (most likely) head down and (almost) engaged in preparation for childbirth, his or her head is pressing squarely on your bladder. The result? As before, you go, girl — to the bathroom, that is. And you go again and again.
And as if that's not enough, you may also experience urgency (gotta go now!) or a lack of bladder control when you cough, sneeze, or even laugh (though there's nothing funny about that). Don't be tempted to cut back on liquids, thinking it will lessen your bathroom jaunts. You need your fluids! Instead, empty your bladder as completely as possible by leaning forward (if you can with that big belly of yours — be careful not to tip over), practice your Kegel exercises (which will strengthen the pelvic muscles and prevent or correct most cases of pregnancy-induced incontinence), and wear a panty-liner if you need one (and you thought you had more years ahead of you before you had to depend on Depends!).
