Hey, pregnant mummies out there!
Have you ever felt a sudden urge to pee only to have little to none come out of you the moment you sit down?
And then you’d feel a burning sensation in your vaginal area that just makes things absolutely uncomfortable for you.
You’d also end up having a generally uncomfortable time waiting for the discomfort to taper down.
As if pregnancy on its own wasn’t already uncomfortable!
Well, if you’re having these issues throughout your pregnancy, you may be experiencing a urinary tract infection (UTI).
What Is UTI?
Let’s back things up a bit here. Firstly, what is a UTI?
And why is it so uncomfortable?
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in any part of the urinary system.
Most infections involve the lower urinary tract—the bladder and the urethra.
Quite often, a UTI will present itself with these following symptoms:
- Pain and burning sensation during urination
- Increased frequency of urination
- Feeling of needing to urinate on an empty bladder
- Pressure or cramps in the groin area
- Bloody urine
UTI can also cause urine to smell strong, and have a darker colour, too.
However, if you are only experiencing that but with none of the other symptoms listed above, you may just be dehydrated.
Is UTI Common in Pregnant Women?
UTI is quite commonly caused by a myriad of issues, mostly circling around hygiene and medical-related issues.
The good news is that it’s actually pretty common for pregnant women to experience UTI.
So, don’t fret too much if you’re experiencing UTI while expecting.
However, a UTI should never be left untreated, as it can have adverse effects on both you and your little one.
Only One Cure
So, with that out of the way, what should you do if you have a UTI while pregnant?
The issue with UTI is that there is only one way to treat it once you have it—with antibiotics.
Now, some mums may feel wary to take any unusual medication during pregnancy. And it is understandable, too.
However, this infection should be treated promptly at its early stages when possible.
If you decide to leave it untreated for extended periods of time, this infection can cause kidney infections.
Not only does this cause even more problems for yourself, but it also puts your pregnancy at higher risk for preterm birth, too.
This can seem like a situation where you have to pick the lesser of two evils, admittedly, as antibiotic overuse can also have potential effects on the baby inside you.
So, it is highly crucial for you to prevent it once you have cured it the first time round.
Preventative Measures Towards UTI
Another good news: unlike its cure, UTI has quite a lot of preventative measures.
By practicing these measures consistently, not only will you prevent UTI, but you’ll also be practicing a cleaner, healthier life, too!
Stay Hydrated
One of the key methods to ensure that no repeats of this infection happens is by staying hydrated.
A key contributor towards UTI is the lack of proper hydration in your everyday life.
Urinating is basically how your body releases waste and re-regulates your body’s salt and chemical levels.
By drinking water regularly, you’re making sure your body regularly flushes out any waste in your body in the form of urine.
This will flush out any bacteria that can potentially cause UTI.
It is highly recommended for pregnant women to drink around 8 to 12 cups of water per day, so make sure to get your daily hydration intake.
Practice Self-Hygiene
By this, I don’t mean just washing yourself after going to the toilet.
You should always make sure to also wipe and dry front to back after going to the toilet.
As the root cause of this infection is due to bacterial growth, wearing damp underwear after going to the toilet can speed up and heighten the risk of UTIs for you.
So, you should make sure your private parts are dry before putting underwear on.
In relation to that, you should also pick underwear that is more comfortable for you.
This means that cotton underwear that fits you comfortably may be a better fit for those who are prone to UTIs.
Go When It’s Time to Go
When it’s time for you to go, do not hold in your pee.
UTIs can manifest itself when you hold in your urine for more than 3 to 4 hours at a time.
This is mainly because when you hold in your urine, the bacteria and waste will be in the urethra.
So, when you’re holding it in for too long, it can cause the bacterial growth to speed up, ending up with a case of UTI for yourself.
So, the next time you feel like urinating, go to the toilet promptly.
Empty Your Bladder after Sexual Activity
Another key step to being UTI-free is to make sure to empty your bladder after any sexual activity.
When you engage in sexual activity in the bedroom, you potentially pass bacteria from your genitals into the urethra.
So, it’s absolutely crucial that you make sure to go to the toilet after you’re done.
Urinating post-sex can help you flush out said bacteria, lowering the risk of UTIs from happening by a significant amount.
Avoid Irritation in Your Private Area
If you’re using scented soap to clean your vagina, stop right there!
For a lot of reasons, you do not actually need to clean your vaginal area with any type of cleanliness products.
Your vagina produces its own cleaning material that comes in the form of discharge, which cleans away any bacteria, blood, and other discharges.
All you have to do really is to just wash it with warm water!
You should also refrain from using undergarments that are tight, restrictive, and hard to breathe through.
If you wear those kinds of garments, bacterial growth can become rampant thanks to the stuffy and moist environment it creates from the unabsorbed excess moisture.
Healthy Diet
A healthy diet can also be a contingent factor to preventing UTIs in your future.
Your vagina produces a bacteria called lactobacillus, which you may know to be a good bacteria.
So, try incorporating food that contain probiotics into your daily meals to get that extra dose of good bacteria for your body!
Looking for desserts that fit the bill?
Try this Greek Yoghurt Cheesecake recipe, or this Banana-Blueberry Yoghurt Smoothie recipe!
Additionally, you can also try consuming cranberry-based products to prevent UTIs from reoccurring, too.
This is due to the fact that cranberries contain proanthocyanidins, which is a substance that prevents E.coli bacteria from attaching on to your urinary tract.
When they can’t attach themselves there, they can’t cause chaos in your body.
So, make sure to pick up some juice or pastilles with these cheery cranberries next time you go on a grocery trip!
Is UTI Forever with You?
UTIs can be a frustrating situation to deal with for just about anyone, especially a pregnant mummy.
So, it’s quite understandable that you wouldn’t want to deal with this issue on a recurring basis.
However, UTIs tend to recur for 4 to 5% of pregnant women, and can happen two times or more.
Now, sometimes these bouts will disappear on their own, which is a relief.
But there are times when the only way to cure it is via medication such as antibiotics.
So, technically, yes, it will forever be a possibility in your life—even after pregnancy.
But, so long as you keep good care of your self-hygiene, you will have higher chances of having less interactions with this annoying infection.
With that said, we hope all this info helps you understand UTIs a bit better.
Now you know what to watch out for and how to stay healthy.
We wish you a happy, healthy, and comfortable pregnancy, mummies!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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