Although women of any age can get a UTI, pregnant women are more prone to suffer from a UTI or Urinary Tract Infection since a woman’s body undergoes various changes in pregnancy. A Urinary Tract Infection is characterized by inflammation in the urinary tract which is caused due to bacteria. At times, it might also be caused due to certain viruses or fungi.
During pregnancy, various changes occur in the urinary tract of a woman. The uterus is situated right on top of the bladder and as the uterus starts to grow, it exerts a lot of pressure on the bladder. This blocks the urine from getting drained from the bladder completely and provides favorable conditions for microorganisms to grow. This is turn, leads to an infection.
When you get a frequent urine sensation and are able to pass just a few drops of urine, some drops also get spilled on your underpants and when these wet underpants come in contact with your skin, it leads to an infection.
Using dirty toilets at home or in public areas is one of the major reasons of a UTI. Most of the times, a public toilet is unclean as people do not use it wisely and has urine and all kinds of germs on it. A western toilet seat often has urine spilled on it and when a person sits on this, all the germs get transferred to their body. Sitting on a dirty western toilet seat is an open invitation to microbes.
Click below to see a woman’s review of Public Toilets
Drinking very less water is another cause of a urinary tract infection. When you drink less water, all the toxins do not get removed from your body, thus causing inflammation and infection in the urinary tract.
If you experience any or all of the following symptoms, you are most probably suffering from a Urinary Tract Infection:
If you’re experiencing the above symptoms, consult your gynecologist immediately so that he/she can get a urine culture and a urinalysis in order to detect the infection and start the medication.
If you do not get yourself treated for a urinary tract infection, it can lead to an acute kidney infection, which can lead to premature labor and low birth weight in the baby. A UTI must be treated timely and properly to save the unborn baby and the mother from any complications.
Most of the times a UTI can be treated with a course of antibiotics that are prescribed for a period of 3-7 days. Usually, the infection subsides in 3 days but that doesn’t happen, you can contact your doctor for further advice. The antibiotics must be taken for the prescribed time even if the symptoms go away in order to prevent the infection from relapsing.
Your gynecologist will only prescribe antibiotics that are considered to be safe during pregnancy. If you experience any side effects such as fever, chills, nausea or vomiting after taking the medicine, contact your doctor immediately.
The likelihood of a UTI can be reduced by taking the following precautions:
While you’re at home, you can prevent a UTI by taking care of yourselves in the above-mentioned ways, but you need to be extra careful while you’re out. You cannot avoid going out for the entire course of your pregnancy. When you go out, the use of a public toilet is inevitable. You have no choice but to use a public toilet, whatever be its condition! So when you go out and have to use a public washroom, we recommend you make use of PeeBuddy. This revolutionary product for women will allow you to stand and pee. You no longer have to sit on that dirty toilet seat. No part of that seat will have to touch your body.
You don’t need to hold on to urine till you get back home. Just carry PeeBuddy with you and pee whenever you need to. This is the best way to maintain hygiene even when you’re in a public place. PeeBuddy is made from waterproof paper and it is a single-use product.
The Peebuddy disposable portable urination device is really easy to use. You can simply carry it in your bag wherever you go and use it in any public washroom. Just open the device and place the open end of the funnel between your legs. Tilt your hips to ensure that the flow is downwards and dispose of after use. It’s that simple!
Want to share your mommy experience with other moms through words or images? Become a part of the Moms United community.Click here and we will get in touch with you
Powered by: PeeBuddy