After giving birth, you will feel an urge to pee. But, it won’t be as easy as before. During pregnancy, due to the pressure on the bladder, it gets difficult to urinate. After giving birth, the pressure is gone. However, the bladder must learn the urinating pattern all over again.
The process of giving birth can alter your body that can lead to difficulty in urinating. Pressure from pushing the baby through the birth canal and anesthesia can decrease sensitivity or cause temporary paralysis that can make urination difficult. Also, fear can make it harder to pee. The pain of pushing a baby out of the body is not easy to forget.
Try to pee within 4 to 6 hours of giving birth. However, it won’t be possible if you had a C-section as the catheter won’t be removed until anesthesia is worn off completely, which can take hours. If the bladder is not expelling on its own, a temporary catheter will be placed for draining urine out of the body. UTIs associated with catheter placement and birth can also create difficulty with urination.
It is important to increase fluid intake after giving birth, especially if you are breastfeeding. It will help in producing more urine. Try taking a warm bath. If urination is difficult and painful for days, your doctor might recommend a test for urinary tract infection.
