How the Method of Bladder Emptying After Epidural Placement in Labor Affects Postpartum Voiding

At least ten percent of patients have postpartum urinary retention or difficulty urinating after birth, which can cause incontinence and other urinary problems long-term. After getting an epidural placed, patients should be numb in their pelvic region. This numbness makes it difficult to feel the need to urinate, so patients need a urinary catheter placed to empty the bladder. Some patients have one catheter placed throughout their labor and others have a catheter placed to empty the bladder then removed every few hours. The investigators are studying whether placing a catheter once or catheterizing multiple times affects the rate of postpartum urinary problems and infection.

NCT Number	NCT07125326
Lead Sponsor	University of Pittsburgh
Conditions	Urinary Retention, Urinary Tract Infection (Diagnosis), Postpartum Acute Urinary Retention, Postpartum Care, Voiding Dysfunction
Enrollment	300 participants
Start Date	2025-12-09
Primary Completion	2026-05-21 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-05-21 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-06-12