Urinary retention after 5 weeks postpartum—why?

Question

Hello doctor,

I had urinary retention during pregnancy, so I had a catheter for a week, and I had problems throughout. I gave birth five weeks ago, but whenever I go to the toilet, I still feel like I need to go again. And sometimes, I do not get the normal sensation to urinate, and I have to press on my bladder to know if it is full. I have had hundreds of urine tests and have never had an infection. I had a bladder scan after urinating, which showed I was still retaining 100 ml urine. What could be wrong with me? Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Sorry to hear about your urinary problems. By the history, it seems you have hypocontractile detrusor, as you do not get the sensation to urinate. And even after urination, there is a significant amount of residual urine. You must have undergone uroflowmetry or urodynamics bladder pressure study. I would like to see those reports too. Sometimes, this can be present after birth. Other causes include diabetes, neuropathy, spine related issues, hypothyroidism, etc.