UTIs During Pregnancy

Tips to avoid an uncomfortable urinary tract infection.


Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common ailment during pregnancy, because your expanded uterus—which sits atop your bladder—sometimes can block urine drainage, causing the infection.

UTIs are becoming more difficult to treat with widely prescribed antibiotics, say researchers at George Washington University (GWU). E. coli, which causes infections in the bladder, was more likely to survive the common prescription treatment trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in 2010 than in 2000. The strain's resistance means more doctor visits and rounds of antibiotics for patients, says the study's primary author, GWU grad student Guillermo Sanchez.

Left untreated, UTIs can cause early labor and low birth weight, so see your doctor if you suspect a problem. Prompt treatment during pregnancy is also important because "there's a higher risk of a UTI developing into a full-blown kidney infection," says Karen Nordahl, M.D., clinical associate instructor in the family practice department at the University of British Columbia. Reduce your risk of UTIs by drinking plenty of fluids and peeing when your body tells you to.

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