|  | Conditions Treatments | Urinary Disorders

Signs & Symptoms of UTI in Pregnancy

Urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria that enter the urinary tract, usually from the digestive system. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, pregnant women are at high risk for UTIs between weeks 6 and 24 of their pregnancy. Doctors believe the higher risk is due to changes in the bladder during pregnancy. UTIs themselves are not serious and can be treated with antibiotics without any effect on the baby, but it's important for them to be caught early. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse says urinary tract infections during pregnancy are more likely to travel to the kidneys, which can harm the baby.

  1. Pain

    • According to the American Pregnancy Association, one of the most common symptoms of a UTI is pain or burning during urination. The Mayo Clinic reports that pregnant women may have pain in other parts of their body, depending on which part of the urinary tract is infected. Pain in the upper back and side may indicate a kidney infection, while pain or burning during urination is indicative of a bladder infection or infection in the urethra.

    Frequent Urination

    • Another common symptom of a urinary tract infection is frequent urination. The American Pregnancy Association says women who have a UTI may also feel a sense of urgency when they urinate. The biggest problem with this symptom for pregnant women is that frequent urination alone doesn't mean they have a urinary tract infection. Urinating often is very common in pregnant women.

    Urination Problems

    • Women who have a UTI may also experience other urination problems like blood or mucous in the urine. According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, these may also include cloudy urine or passing only a small amount of urine even when the patient feels a strong urge to urinate heavily. The urine may also smell foul or unusually strong. Patients may also wake up frequently in the middle of the night to urinate, although this is also common in pregnant women who do not have a UTI.

    Flu-like Symptoms

    • A urinary tract infection in the urethra or bladder usually does not cause a fever, but if it spreads to the kidneys, patients may experience flu-like symptoms. These include chills, fever, nausea and vomiting.

Urinary Disorders - Related Articles