not able to urinate during labour

[2CheekyMonkeys]

i was just thinking about the labour i had with first pregnancy and going through what i liked about it, what i dont want to happen again etc. i remembered that i had a lot of trouble urinating during early labour. i was really trying to sip a heap of water too (cause they said to do that during antenatal class) so you can imagine how full, painful and how much pressure there was, especially when i had a contraction, because i just could not urinate. when i was having an internal examination i had a contraction and i guess either the pressure of the contraction or her hand being up there or just that i was soooooo full caused me to empty my bladder right then and there. i didnt even realise it until the midwife told me. i eventually had an epi and catheter.

my first question is: why would this have happened to begin with?
second question: what can i do in the future so that it doesnt happen again?
third: if it does happen again are there any techniques i should know about that i can try to use?

(sorry that it is a bit of a TMI question and a little embarrasing but i have never heard of this happening before).

[~Raven~]

I was unable to as well. I was told to give a sample when I first got to hospital but nothing came out and as far as I know there was none till after the birth and I peed in the shower.

[*Efjay*]

Wow thats really interesting. Have never heard of thathappening before & feel for you. Have you spoke to your care provider about it?

[SamiH]

Hi

In early labour i could wee and my doula and hubby kept reminding me to go - I was drinking loads of water too - then about an hour from delivery I couldn't think of anything worse than having a contraction on the loo and flat out just told them no I didn't feel the urge to wee anyway - I was sipping in between contractions - then just before I needed to push something happened and it came out

My advice is to just keep going in early labour and hopefully you won't have the build up you experienced last time. It is not uncommon - there is a lot going on in the body!!

[2CheekyMonkeys]

yeah the thing is though i WAS trying to go to the loo frequently but nothing would come out. nah, i havent spoken to anyone about it yet cause i really only just remembered it. i will though cause it is a terrible feeling and i reckon made the pains worse. anyone else know about this sort of thing happening? and how to stop it>?

[Netix]

I wasn't told to drink lots (or any!) water during my labour that I can remember. Or to give a pee sample.

I do remember having to wee and getting helped from the bed to the loo at least twice (where I think I almost fell asleep too!), and giving myself the WORST bruising on the inside of my arm/elbow from holding on so hard to the rail next to the toilet during contractions I guess (the bruising lasted several months!). Anyway, nothing came, and it was apparently how the baby had moved, so they gave me a catheter for just a few minutes, and I remember feeling so much better afterwards. I didn't have an epi.

I guess just go (or try to) when you feel like you need to, and if you can't, then get a catheter. And I would only drink when I wanted to. Not sure I really answered your questions there.

[Astrid]

I had the same problem with my first and started a thread on it before bub2 was born. Got some really great replies on what can help. Will see if I can find it.

ETA: Found it https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ng-labour.html

[AnyDream]

In my case, I was weeing early in labour but the combination of overly full bladder and descent of baby's head stopped me later on. I think it contributed to a much higher level of pain than necessary because the relief and decrease in pain once they catheterised me was enormous!

I wonder whether sitting in a deep bath would help with this? (Holding the baby's weight off the bladder a little?)

[2CheekyMonkeys]

thanks astrid.. i am about to have a read through the link you posted but even if i find nothing of use i still feel better knowing i am not the only one this has happened to. :-) oh did you have the same problem second time round?

marydean- yeah it may help to be in water. they dont let you use the bath at the royal in brissy and i was induced so didnt do any labouring at home. its an idea though if i go into labour naturally at home and have the same problem.

netix- did having the catheter put in hurt at all? i had the epi in first and so i dindt really feel the catheter going in. i didnt realise they could do that for just a moment, i thought once it was in it was in for the long haul. thats interesting to know as well.

(just reading through your thread astrid.. i left a post there.. i had totally forgotten about even reading it let alond posting in there before. whoopsy )

[Astrid]

thanks astrid.. i am about to have a read through the link you posted but even if i find nothing of use i still feel better knowing i am not the only one this has happened to. :-) oh did you have the same problem second time round?

Didn't get a chance to find out second time round After speaking to the midwives about my first birth, it looks as though she was a brow presentation and that may have caused the bladder problem during labour.