People who've done this before...

[sammyad]

I have a three hour exam at 37w5d. Various scaremongers of my acquaintance assure me I'm going to need to get up to pee every twenty minutes or so. Really?! If so, I should probably forewarn my uni/ put in a mitigating circumstances form in advance, which I've been avoiding doing because they make it into a massive faff.
But yes - I know things aren't going to be exactly comfortable, but are people exaggerating or not, before I make a song and dance about needing extra time for loo breaks or anything?

Not every 20 mins in my experience but probably every hour, not vast amounts but just because the baby was pressing down on my bladder it meant I didn't have the control I usually do.

I had to pee about every 30-45 mins otherwise it would start to leak out but i dont think i did very well with all my pelvic floor exercises.
I also gave birth at 37+4 so would never have made it!

Do extenuating circumstances ahead of time just to be on the safe side. You might feel a bit stiff sitting down for so long so might need the loo to have a walk. I think you will be fine but do an extenuating circumstances.

Actually I don't know if you can do it ahead of time but you might be busy at 37 weeks and not able to do it after the exam.

Lots of people are still at work then. I found 9 months pregnant easier than 8 months. So the last bit felt good. (I wasn't at work by then though)

Not exactly the same, but we drove 6 hours to a wedding when I was 36 weeks. I didn't need a toilet break, but I did appreciate stopping for petrol so I could stretch my legs.

How far away is the exam? Have things been fairly straightforward so far? If so, you might be lucky enough to get through without any problems. Couldn't hurt to do the forms just in case though.

I did my second year exams, all 2.5 hours, at 32 weeks - the invigilators told me I could go for a wee more often if I liked, and one was prepared to deliver me right there! I was grateful I didn't have to take her up on that offer! I think I needed to go just once an hour at most.

I have never really got the whole 'very frequent peeing' thing. I have never got up in the night either (well, maybe twice a month when I've been up to one of the older ones and gone on my way back). It isn't inevitable. Worth getting the form in in case though.

I found (and am finding again) that I needed a wee as son as I stood up, so the exam might be ok. Still, you'll be v obviously pregnant so I'm sure an adjudicator would understand if you requested a loo break!

I attended a wedding 4 hours from home at 39wks and didn't need to stop. Had I been pottering around at home I imagine I would have gone numerous times but your bladder doesn't just give up - you still have control if you really need. You might want to see if you can schedule in a wee break half way through as much to stretch your legs than actual weeing.

Good luck!

What I might be tempted to do, which sounds a bit yucky but might solve the problem, is try something like tena lady pants, just in case?

I think the replies show everyone is different in this respect, so I agree best to ask for extra breaks just in case you need them.

Thing I'd find most difficult would be sitting on an uncomfortable chair for 3 hours - can you take a pillow, or better still, sit on a birthing ball?

Definitely put the mitigating circumstances form in and, as eeeek said, think about something comfy to sit on which will allow you space for your bump. I didn't need to pee a lot in my pregnancies but would have felt very stiff in the hips to sit down for so long.

I would also add that I didn't make it to 37+6 with either of mine. Best of luck with the exam and birth!

I found sitting fine - didn't do a 3h exam, but was at uni until 39+2 (as DS arrived at 39+4!) and did 3h classes and shorter exams. I personally didn't need to pee loads in pg, a little bit more but as someone else said mainly when I stood up. It never woke me in the night and whilst I did go to the toilet during my classes it wasn't hugely more than my classmates. Everyone's different, if you haven't been peeing loads thus far then my guess is you'll be alright on that front.

At my uni there is a Learning Support team. When you're pg if you tell them they put in place a Learning Support agreement. This means, at my institution, that during exams you get stop the clock toilet breaks (ie needing to pee isn't taken from exam time), you get a lift key if the exam isn't on the ground floor, and you're placed in an exam room near a toilet. I have 4 x 3h exams at the end of this year and this is what I'll get, but I'll only be 4mo. I think it's good to have this in place, I presume the uni already know you're pg.

Tbh I'm more concerned at how my back will hold up! I get very achey right from conception it would seem, and those chairs aren't great...

I used to go every 20 mins. Everyone is different. Best ask for the time just in case.

I was peeing all the time, and it hurt to walk (SPD) so it would have taken me ages to waddle out to the toilets. I think I could have done an exam but woukd have needed extra time, and might have found the chairs pretty uncomfortable.