In many cases, urinary incontinence is minimal and infrequent. In these cases, wearing a panty liner or sanitary pad is often enough to avoid an embarrassing situation while out in public; however, more severe cases may not offer enough absorption to conquer the problem completely. Severe or frequent urinary incontinence can be so bothersome or embarrassing that it can interfere with normal daily activities. Fortunately, there are several simple steps you can take to improve bladder control and avoid awkward or uncomfortable situations.

The first step in controlling your bladder is to fully understand the situation. In order to get a good grasp on your particular urinary incontinence issue, keep a record of when you urinate and when you experience leakage. If a pattern emerges, this will help you schedule preemptive trips to the bathroom before leakage occurs. Once you have an established pattern and scheduled bathroom trips, you can then train your bladder by stretching out the period between bathroom breaks a little at a time.

Each pound that you gain will increase the pressure on your bladder and; therefore, will increase the instances of urinary incontinence you experience. In order to avoid this as much as possible, pay attention to your weight gain during pregnancy to ensure that it is within healthy limits. You may also want to avoid foods and beverages that can worsen urinary incontinency in pregnancy, such as sodas, alcohol, coffee and citrus.

One of the most effective things you can do to prevent or treat urinary incontinence in pregnancy is to perform Kegel exercises, which strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. While it is great if you can incorporate a Kegels routine into your pregnancy preparation period, these simple exercises are also very effective if started after you are pregnant or after urinary incontinence begins.

Your Kegel muscles are the muscles you use to stop the flow of urine; therefore, if you are not sure where they are, you can find them by stopping your urine flow midstream the next time you use the restroom. Once you have found your Kegel muscles and become familiar with how it feels to tighten them, perform Kegel exercises throughout the day by tightening the muscles and holding them tight for a count of 10, releasing, and then repeating the process. You can perform Kegels at specific times during the day, or simply perform them while driving, watching television or chatting on the phone.

It is also common for urinary incontinence to continue after childbirth, particularly if the muscles or nerves of the pelvic floor have been damaged. Normally, post-childbirth urinary incontinence will subside within a few months; however, if the issue persists you should consult your physician to ensure that there is not an underlying medical concern in need of attention.