Pregnant? Here's Why You Shouldn't Ignore a UTI

Did you know that pregnancy increases your risk of getting a urinary tract infection (UTI)? Though you never want to ignore a UTI, it’s even more important to get care for this infection during pregnancy because it can lead to preterm labor and affect the health of your baby.

At Pro-Health Urgent Care of Midland, our specialists diagnose and treat UTIs in pregnant women. When you have a UTI during pregnancy and can’t get an appointment with your prenatal care provider, you need urgent care so you can get the treatment you need to prevent complications. Here’s why you shouldn't ignore UTIs during pregnancy.

Pregnancy and UTIs

UTIs are infections that involve your urinary system, which includes your urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidneys. Anyone can get a UTI, but they’re more common in women and even more common — and problematic — during pregnancy. 

The hormonal changes that occur when you’re pregnant increase protein, sugar, and hormone levels in your urine. Plus, your growing uterus may make it more difficult for you to completely empty your bladder, and any remaining urine may turn into an infection. These changes increase your risk of developing a UTI.

Why you shouldn’t ignore UTIs

You should never let a UTI go untreated. However, this type of infection is especially dangerous during pregnancy because it can affect you and your baby’s health. 

Without treatment, a UTI may lead to preterm labor, low birth weight, or even fetal death. The infection may also travel to your blood, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome; ARDS is a life-threatening condition that requires hospital care. 

Because UTIs are so common and so serious, your prenatal care provider checks your urine frequently for an infection. However, what do you do in between these visits? Monitor for symptoms. 

Some of the signs that you may have a UTI include:

• Urgent need to pee
• Peeing more than usual
• Burning or pain when peeing
• Cloudy or off-odor urine
• Blood tinged urine (pink, red, or brownish)
• Inability to urinate
• Fever

You can also have a UTI and not have symptoms. 

When you need urgent care

If you have UTI symptoms and can’t get an appointment with your primary care provider, it’s time to visit urgent care. The specialists at Pro-Health Urgent Care of Midland offer comprehensive UTI care. We review symptoms, pregnancy care, and medical history.

We perform a urinalysis to diagnose a UTI and determine the cause of the infection. Most UTIs are caused by bacteria.

Though UTIs are a serious infection during pregnancy, you only need a short course of antibiotics to clear things up. We only prescribe antibiotics that are safe to take during pregnancy such as amoxicillin or penicillin. 

Some infections are dangerous during pregnancy, like a UTI. For you and your baby’s health, don’t wait to get help. Call our office in Midland, Michigan, or book an appointment online today.