You are 6 weeks and 3 days

Needing to urinate often is, unfortunately, one of the unwanted side effects of pregnancy.

235 days until your due date

Spending a lot of time in the bathroom? As well as nausea and vomiting, most pregnant women need to urinate more often, so you may not want to stray far from a bathroom.

Your bladder may feel as if it can't hold much, so you need to go again soon after you've been, day and night. This is because more blood is being pumped through your kidneys, so you make more urine.

As your uterus grows, it presses on your bladder so it can't expand as much and feels uncomfortably full sooner. This can last all pregnancy, but it's most likely in the first and third trimesters.

If you're worried about how much urine you're passing, or you have pain or stinging when you urinate, you may have a urinary tract infection and should see your doctor straight away.

Focus on

Nutrition: Get carb loading

Make carbohydrates part of a balanced diet, but choose the right ones. Refined carbs, such as white bread and white rice, break down very quickly, flooding your bloodstream with glucose that's quickly used up, so levels then fall fast. These swings are linked to diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, and recent data suggests they're not ideal for adult or fetal health.

Unrefined carbs, such as whole-wheat bread and brown rice, break down slowly and release glucose steadily, keeping you fuller for longer. This helps prevent the hunger that follows a quickly digested meal and helps with weight control. Your baby draws glucose from your blood constantly, so a steady supply keeps you both fueled. New research suggests babies whose mothers eat mainly unrefined carbs may have more lean body mass and less fat, while still being a healthy birth weight, making them less likely to be overweight later in life.

Ask a Doctor

Why do I have so much saliva now that I'm pregnant?

Excess saliva, called ptyalism, is caused by rising hormone levels. Don't try to hold it in your mouth; if you're drooling, spit into a tissue or small cup, and put a towel on your pillow. Sucking lemon wedges or ice cubes may help. It usually eases later in pregnancy.

This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.