Chorevia

Day 186 of 280 · 26 weeks + 4 days

The sneeze test

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 7 sources · Plain-text version

Twenty-six weeks and four days. A little leak when you sneeze is common, and pelvic floor training helps prevent it. Today: notice, then three sets.

Size this week
about the size of a cucumber
Length this week
around 35.6 cm from head to heel
A woman with a clear bump in a loose t-shirt sitting upright on a dining chair by a window, eyes closed, hands resting on her thighs, a tissue box on the table, calm daylight.

Twenty-six weeks and four days. Nobody brings this up at dinner, so here it is plainly: a sneeze, a laugh or a cough can now come with a small leak. Today you find out whether it does for you, and either way you do something about it.

Your baby

A single whole cucumber on a plain white ceramic plate, soft daylight.

Around now your baby is around 35.6cm from head to heel, about the size of a cucumber (NHS). They're moving a lot, and their eyes are opening for the first time (NHS). All of that sits above your pelvic floor, which is today's subject.

Your body

The NHS puts pelvic floor exercises on this week's list for a specific reason: they help prevent leaks when you laugh, sneeze or cough (NHS). MedlinePlus gives the same answer for leaking urine when you cough or sneeze: Kegel exercises (MedlinePlus).

The evidence is reasonable. A Cochrane review of 46 trials with 10,832 women found that for women who weren't leaking to begin with, pelvic floor training in pregnancy probably lowers the risk of urinary incontinence in late pregnancy (risk ratio 0.38; moderate certainty) (Cochrane). For women already leaking, the same review found no evidence of benefit in late pregnancy, though that evidence was very low certainty (Cochrane). The reviewers' conclusion favours training that is structured and starts early, so today beats next month.

Try today

  1. The sneeze test

    Time: 2 minutes, three times today

    1. Notice, without fuss, whether the next sneeze, cough or big laugh brings a leak. Either answer is useful.

    2. Then sit or stand comfortably and tighten your pelvic floor muscles for a count of three (OWH).

    3. Relax for a count of three. Repeat 10 to 15 times; that's one set (OWH).

    4. Do three sets today, morning, afternoon and evening (OWH). Tie each one to something you already do: the kettle, the commute, brushing your teeth.

    Make it work:

    If you're unsure you've found the right muscles, ask your midwife or doctor at the next appointment. It's an ordinary question for them.

Watch for

  • Normal

    a small leak of urine with a sneeze or a laugh (NHS).

    Seek care immediately

    for fluid leaking from the vagina, an urgent warning sign (CDC), and if you can't tell what the wetness is, call; MedlinePlus says to make contact for any reason if you're unsure what to do (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    some tightenings of the womb through the day.

    Call your provider or go to the hospital

    for six or more in an hour, contractions every 10 minutes or more often, pelvic pressure, a low dull backache, or period-like cramps; these can be signs of preterm labor (NICHD).

  • Normal

    a bit more vaginal discharge than before pregnancy.

    Call your provider

    if it smells bad, turns greenish, itches or hurts (MedlinePlus).

For you

A leak is worth mentioning to your provider if it bothers you; it's a body question, not an embarrassment. The same Cochrane review found that pelvic floor training in pregnancy was also linked to less leaking more than 3 to 6 months after the birth (risk ratio 0.71; high certainty) (Cochrane). The sets you do now are partly for you after the birth.

If you're the partner: no jokes about it, ever. Make the sneeze a non-event, and if you're looking for a way to help, be the one who says "kettle's on, set two?"

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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