A REAL Medical Explanation:

My newest best friend

While surfing Baby Center's website, I discovered I'm not the only preggie lady having to run to the potty every 5 MINUTES! (I'm NOT exaggerating!)

Why do I have to go to the bathroom so often?

You may have noticed a more frequent need to pee even before you realized you were pregnant. In fact, it's one of the most common early signs of pregnancy, starting about six weeks into your first trimester.

Why do you suddenly need to go all the time? It's mostly because the amount of blood in your body increases dramatically when you get pregnant, which leads to a lot of extra fluid getting processed through your kidneys and ending up in your bladder. Eventually, you may also feel pressure on your bladder from your growing uterus.

You may notice that you need to get up to pee more often during the night in particular. That's because when you lie down, some of the fluid that you retained in your legs and feet during the day makes its way back into your bloodstream and eventually into your bladder.

Some pregnancy books say that you'll begin to feel some relief early in your second trimester as your uterus rises out of your pelvis, but research doesn't support this idea. The fact is, you may not get that fabled second trimester break at all.

In one study in which pregnant women actually measured how often and how much they urinated, researchers found that both the frequency and volume increased over the course of the women's pregnancies, with no relief in the second trimester.

Try not to let this get you down, though. You'll probably feel better in other ways during the second trimester and, as a result, you may find it less of a chore to be running to the bathroom all the time.

Is there anything I can do about it?

You can reduce your number of bathroom trips by avoiding beverages that have a mild diuretic effect, such as coffee, tea, and alcohol. (Of course, you shouldn't be drinking alcohol now, anyway.)

Another tip: When you pee, lean forward to help completely empty your bladder.

You can make fewer nighttime visits to the bathroom by drinking plenty of fluids during the day but then cutting back in the hours before you go to bed. You may not be able to get much relief, though. As one mom we know puts it, "It's nature's cruel way of training you for the many nights of interrupted sleep once your baby arrives!"

When does frequent urination signal a potential problem?

Talk to your doctor or midwife if you feel pain or burning when you urinate — or if you continue to feel the urge to pee even when you're only able to produce a few drops at a time. These could be signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI). UTIs are the most common kind of bacterial infection in pregnant women and, if left untreated, can lead to a kidney infection or preterm labor, or both.

Will "holding it" cause urinary incontinence?

Many women have what's called "stress urinary incontinence" during pregnancy, meaning that they lose some urine when they cough, laugh, sneeze, lift heavy objects, or do certain types of exercise, like jogging. It's most likely to occur in your third trimester or in the postpartum period. You may be able to prevent it somewhat by not letting your bladder get too distended, so don't ignore the urge to pee.

Doing Kegel exercises, which strengthen the muscles in the pelvic floor, can also help minimize stress incontinence. It's a good idea to begin Kegel exercises early in pregnancy and continue them postpartum. (In fact, it's prudent to make doing Kegels a lifelong habit!)

Finally, remember to empty your bladder before exercising. And, if need be, wear a minipad to catch any unexpected dribbling (and keep fresh ones handy in your purse).

When will this constant need to pee ease up?

You can expect all this peeing to die down soon after your baby is born. For the first few days postpartum, you'll urinate in greater quantities and even more often as your body gets rid of the extra fluid you retained during pregnancy. But after a few days, your need to urinate should be back to what it was before you were pregnant.