All this talk about UTIs has me worried

When I was not pg, I was very prone to UTI's. And when I got them, they came on fast and strong, usually sending me to the emergency room with blood in my urine and excrutiating pain within less than 24 hours.

Knock on wood, I haven't gotten one yet, but I would like to be as prepared as possible so I have been drinking cranberry juice almost every day since getting PG (although the blends, 100% jiuce, but not 100% cranberry juice).

For those of you who have had them, are the symptoms the same as when you get them when you're not PG?

Is there a certain time in your pregnancy that there is more of a risk?

How do you know when you have one?

I'm hoping they are not as bad as my usual ones.

Re: All this talk about UTIs has me worried

I have been prone to UTI's since I was a child. The only thing that helped was to drink a huge glass of cranberry juice every day. I finally got them under control (one a year) and then I got pregnant.
Not to scare you but I had 2 in the second trimester. I had one and then less then 2 months later the second came. The only symptom I had with the first was frequent trips to the bathroom. I would go literally every 10-25 minutes. I always felt that my bladder was no emptying so I had to go even after just going. I went on Macrobid for 2 weeks and it cleared up. Then about a month and a half later I felt the burn. You know what I mean. I called the doctor and he called in a script. I had a dip done when I finished the meds and the infection was gone. Now I am just waiting to see what happens.
For me pregnancy ones are not as bad as non pregnancy. It will burn but not like you are peeing fire (sorry tmi). And it came on a lot slower. They have tests in CVS that will look for nitrates or WBC in the urine. I keep them on hand and if I feel like I am peeing more then I should I test. If it is + I call the doc and get meds. Good luck and I hope you are spared.

Re: All this talk about UTIs has me worried

Supposedly, in pregnancy, you can have UTIs with zero symptoms.


I had a friend of mine loose a baby at 6 months because of a massive UTI, and she was asymptomatic in terms of the typical UTI symptoms...urgency, frequency of urination etc,. However, she began bleeding one week prior to the miscarriage. In my opinion, her OB was negligent...she was at the ER 3 nights over the course of a week for bleeding, and they never performed any labs, and at the end of the week, she miscarried.)

It was later determined upon lab reports of the baby that it was a UTI that spread.

Keep in mind, she did have red flags going off with the bleeding, but her OB dismissed them.

Re: All this talk about UTIs has me worried

I definately feel obligated to answer this post since Ive been the one making a lot of posts about UTI's and stressing you out.
Honestly I had zero symptoms with all of my UTI's during pregnancy. The only reason I knew I had them was because my drs. office does routine cultures because I have a kidney disease. But, the reason I am so prone to them during pregnancy is because of my kidney disease, and apparently my colony count was always very low so that may be why I had no symptoms.
If you know you have been prone to them in the past, maybe you could request routine cultures to make sure they dont come back?? Ive never had a UTI in my life, didnt have any for most of my pregnancy and have had 3 in the 3rd trimester.

Re: All this talk about UTIs has me worried

Thanks ladies. I will definitely let my doctor know at my next visit and keep some nitrate tests at home just in case.

I definitely appreciate the information. Hopefully I can use it as a preventive measure and stay UTI free during my PG.

Re: All this talk about UTIs has me worried

I tend to be prone to them but so far, I have not had one during the pregnancy. So definitely drink your juice and try to empty your bladder, but this may not happen to you.

Re: All this talk about UTIs has me worried

Since becoming pg, I've had two uti's. The only symptoms I had were pain across my abdomen.