Is it bad for pregnant women to hold in their vomit?

Answer 1

You may be experiencing what's called "stress urinary incontinence," (SUI) involuntary urination caused by pressure on the bladder. This can happen when you vomit, sneeze, cough, laugh, lift heavy objects, or exercise, especially if your bladder is full. Women who are significantly overweight, diabetic, older, or have had past pregnancies, especially if they had vaginal delivery with forceps, are more at risk. Women are more likely to develop this symptom later in pregnancy, because the expanding uterus and growing fetus already put significant pressure on the bladder.

SUI is usually caused by one of two things: either the muscles of the pelvic floor (which supports the bladder) have lost tone, or the urinary sphincters (the valves in the urethra that hold back urine) are weak.

Symptoms often resolve within a few months after delivery, particularly if you do Kegel exercises to strengthen the muscles around the vagina, anus and urethra (see link in Related Links for instructions). Kegel exercises are safe in pregnancy.

Meanwhile, you may want to wear a sanitary pad to catch minor leakage.

Always discuss unusual or troubling symptoms with your doctor.