UTI - How Can You Prevent it During Pregnancy?

For women, taking care of their health should be top priority, but especially so if one is expecting. Urinary tract infections (UTI) are more common in women and usually occur in the bladder or urethra. And with the rigours of pregnancy, would you avoid one if you could? Surely!

A UTI can be caused by sex, in a lot of cases. This is because there is a transfer of the bacteria, which has the potential to enter the urethra and cause a lot of damage to the bladder and possibly, even the kidneys.

The good news is that as long as a UTI is detected immediately after getting the infection, it can be easily treated. However, not treating this in time can lead to serious complications.

That being said, it is widely known that prevention is better than cure and the adage is just as true when it comes to infections such as these. There are quite a few steps which can be taken to reduce the risk of a pregnant mother falling ill due to a UTI.

How can pregnant women prevent UTI?
The first is to urinate frequently. This is because if the urination of the pregnant woman is not frequent, chances of the festering the bacteria are more. One should try to cut out caffeine and chocolate to as great an extent as possible in one’s diet. If she is able to do this, the amount of irritation to the bladder caused will reduce greatly and this reduces the risk of contracting a UTI.

Another thing which could be done from a dietary point of view is to drink cranberry juice on a daily basis. This is because cranberries have the ability to reduce the amount of E. Coli, which is a form of bacteria sticking around the bladder. However, before this is done, it is better to consult a doctor to make sure that the consumption of cranberry in any form does not clash with any medication.

Urination before and after sex is also a good practice as is having a low dosage of antibiotics which are prescribed by the doctor in case of recurrence of the UTIs. 

Apart from all these steps, the woman should not forget to make sure she stays well hydrated at all times, as this is not only good for the prevention of UTIs, but also for making sure the body functions well.

Follow these simple steps and keep UTI troubles away during pregnancy.