Urinary Tract Infection While Pregnant

You would have to drink too much cranberry juice for it to do that much good. Getting cranberry tablets are the best. We use cranberry/blueberry tablets and they work wonderfully. I haven't had a UTI in years! Feel free to contact me if you have any trouble finding them Marina.

yes, cranberry juice for 10 days to two weeks, it should clear it up by then...as far as going into early labor, I don't think you needed worry.

If you get sick of cranberry juice they do have cranberry pills. I had kidney stones when I was pregnant with my second child and I took the pills insted because of the extra sugar in the juice.

tablets of cranberry extract with lots of water or plain no sugar added cranberry juice (tastes horrible but you can get it down and follow with water). The cranberry doesn't allow bacteria to adhere to the walls of your urinary tract. It only works if you can drink enough fluids to flush the bacteria out while it can't stick. UTI's can cause early labor so if you are prone to them try to do the preventative stuff on a regular basis.

Also, a small amount of protein in the urine is fairly normal for third trimester pregnancy (you didn't day your status) so don't be to worried, it could mean your kidneys are just working overtime to provide for you and your baby at that stage.

Marina
Marina,
Well, it's already Monday, so I don't know if you still need advice, but here's a bit anyway:
Drinking lots of liquids (not coffee and not alcohol) is the best thing to do for a UTI. Cranberry juice is good, and so is lots of water.
I know the last thing you want to do is have to uninate even more often, but that's the best treatment. I'm sure your OB will have other ideas if you only want natural treatment. I hope it clears up fast.

Hello ... Im a mother of 3 kids. I had a bladder infection with my oldest and a uniary tractr infection with my last two it will be ok. Yes to cranberry juice and plently of water.. They told me . Thats as natural as you can get. Just keep drinking water and cranberry juice is very good for you . Hope this helps.. L. A

Cranberry concentrate. You can buy it at any health food store or pharmacy. Also make sure that you drink plenty of fluids and urinate frequenly (as if you aren't already), don't hold your urine any longer than you have to. You can also drink cranberry juice to help.
K.

I've heard that corn silk tea is great for bladder or UTIs. You can buy it at any health food store and it's natural.

Hi Marina

I had the beginnings of a UTI and drank a lot of water like almost a gallon. It is supposed to flush out your system. It worked. I never got it fully.

I had urinary tract infections with all of my pregnancies, and understand they are common late in pregnancy. Since I was high risk for premature labor, I was always on watch. I did cranberry juice (watch for HFCS) and PLENTY of good water.

Another thing to try is yogart.

I had so many of those in college! They can be so miserable.

Cutting out caffeine and always peeing after sex are the two best ways for me to control not getting one. I haven't had one in 10 years, but for a while I was getting them all the time.

Peeing often is the best way to get healed up. Peeing takes 98% of the bacteria out of your bladder and urinary tract, so pee every time you think of it. Drink gallons of water and high-acid juice like cranberry (Ocean-Spray has lots of sugar! Avoid that!) and grapefruit. You can get rid of it yourself that way.

I'm not too impressed with your Doctor's office! Making a woman wait for results on something with the potential to be dangerous, and at least very uncomfortable is not great service. I would be pretty ticked if I were you! I've had Docs that could test it themselves in their office.

Hope you feel better soon!

Hi Marina,
I had a urinary tract infection at 34 wks with my son. It did send me into labor early but they were able to stop the contractions and I was put on an antibiotic. Cranberry juice can help to prevent URIs as well as drinking it when you have one can give some relief but it will not cure the infection. I know of no other choice but to take an antibiotic. Good luck.

specifically, use cranberry juice concentrate, not the sugary kinds. Go to the health food store and look for herbal products too. There is one by soloray that i can't remember the name of now. But the people who work at these places should have a recommendation.

What you've heard about cranberry juice is half right. UNSWEETENED cranberry juice is helpful; Ocean Spray is not because you're pumping yourself full of extra sugar, which feeds the bacteria. If you can't stand unsweetened cranberry juice, you can get cranberry capsules.

However, it sounds like you'll be getting the results of the test today. I'm glad your doctor didn't just stick you on antibiotics without test results.

Until then, drink lots of water!

I had a urinary tract infection while I was pregnant. I use to take AZO pills. They are a cranberry extract. I don't like cranberry juice so I used those instead. They make you pee a ton but they work well.

You need to get the plain cranberry juice from your local healthfood store. Don't get anything with sugar or the cranberry juice cocktail. There are also cranberry supplements to take that work well too. I've seen herb capsules that are targeted for UTI's but you need to crosscheck to make sure that none of them are abortifacients like blue kohosh. Good luck.

Definately drink as much cranberry juice as you can get down. It will help. Drinking a lot of water, too will be a good thing. Hopefully you will here something soon. Good Luck!

Drink lots of cranberry juice and water. Go everytime you feel you need to, don't hold it. Rest

Marina,

don't worry about this matter too much. Yes, UTI can be dangerous if not taken the proper care. However, if you take LOTS of fluids, you should be okay. Taking fluids will help you get the toxins out of your body allowing yourself to self heal quickly. If you happen to have any fever, then you should go to the doctor immediately.

I have had problems with urinary tract infections ever since i was an egg Cranberry juice. Drink lote of cransberry juice. It will help more than you could ever imagine. I am not always a big fan of home remedies and things like that, but cranberry juice is the stuff to cure what ails you. Ask your doctor. Im surrised your doctor wouldnt have told you that. Its pretty common knowledge as far as my experiences. Also, if you will forget me getting a little personal, make sure when you are done using the bathroom, that you go fron to back and not back to front. Lots of germs can be carried from toilet paper. That is in fact what causes a lot of urinary tract infections. Make sure if you are intimate, then you use the bathroom as soon as you can afterwords. Its your bodies natural way or getting rid of any germs lingering.......OK well, thats pretty much the biggies. Those infections are no fun. good luck to you!

Hello there!

If in-fact you have a uti (urinary tract infection) you will absolutely need to take an antibiotic. UTIs are caused by bacteria that can only be combated with antibiotics. It is true that cranberry juice is good for the urinary tract system but this is for prevention of UTIs. If you already have an infection brewing (which are common in pregnancy) you will have to take antibiotics being sure you complete the full course prescibed. Once cured it would be wise to drink lots of water as well as cranberry juice with the lowest amount of sugar and additive to prevent a recurrence.

Hope this is helpful!
A.

i had one when i was pregnant...cranberry juice is the best, drink in high quantities....i feel that doctors will advise antibiotics too quickly...if you don't have symptoms, i would suggest the cranberry juice for at least a week...if symptoms come in to play you can apply different pastes (usually folks at new frontiers have ideas) or just get some over the counter cream like vagisil..i would vote against anitbiotics unless the infection becomes noticeable/severe yet i'm only speaking from my story, i'm not a doctor.

Boy do I know what you are going through. I am SAHM of two and have had some experience with UTI. The most popular thing to try is cranberry juice but it didn't really work for me. My best advice is to try this website www.home-remedies-for-you.com. This with help with anything you have the natural way. Please do not try the goldenseal while you are pregnant though. BAD STUFF! Hope this helps.

Hello Marina!
I am reading a lot of suggestions of using Cranberry Juice as a remedy for UTI's... which is true!
Just please make sure you are drinking a pure Cranberry Juice from a Health Food Store (e.g. Whole Foods / Trader Joe's) and NOT Cranberry Juice Cocktail.
Cranberry Juice Cocktail is loaded with Sugar and will only exacerbate the problem since the bacteria causing UTI's will just feed off of it.
A little warning though...it is VERY sour.
Just thought I would let you know.
*smile*
~D. G.

I used to get these all the time and cranberry juice is what everybody recommends! It's better if it's straight cranberry, not crangrape, cranraspb., etc. When I got them when I was little my mom made me drink so much that I was in the bathroom all day, but it's good because it can flush out the infection. Since your pregnant you should be used to going to the bathroom all the time anyways! I can't believe it's taking them so long to get you the results! When I got them I would have the results and the Rx before I left the office! Good luck and congrats on the baby!

Hi Marina: Here is some info I got off the web. I know some in my family used to get them often and were told to drink plenty of water and cranberry juice.

UTIs are more rare in boys and young men. In adult women, though, the rate of UTIs gradually increases with age. Scientists are not sure why women have more urinary infections than men. One factor may be that a woman's urethra is short, allowing bacteria quick access to the bladder. Also, a woman's urethral opening is near sources of bacteria from the anus and vagina. For many women, sexual intercourse seems to trigger an infection, although the reasons for this linkage are unclear.

According to several studies, women who use a diaphragm are more likely to develop a UTI than women who use other forms of birth control. Recently, researchers found that women whose partners use a condom with spermicidal foam also tend to have growth of E. coli bacteria in the vagina.

People with diabetes have a higher risk of a UTI because of changes in the immune system. Any other disorder that suppresses the immune system raises the risk of a urinary infection.

Doctors suggest some additional steps that a woman can take on her own to avoid an infection:

Drink plenty of water every day.

Urinate when you feel the need; don't resist the urge to urinate.

Wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria around the anus from entering the vagina or urethra.

Take showers instead of tub baths.

Cleanse the genital area before sexual intercourse.

Avoid using feminine hygiene sprays and scented douches, which may irritate the urethra.

Some doctors suggest drinking cranberry juice.

Hope this helps!
K.

I had UTI's during pregnancy without any real symptoms. They were found in my urine tests. While waiting for one result, I started feeling achy in my kidney area (but pretty much my whole back). Take note of how you feel cuz that was the UTI & it gets painful fast. So, if you start feeling achy at all, call the DR. ASAP & tell them you're waiting for results for a UTI. And yes - they just give you antibiotics & it's very important to finish the whole thing - especially since you don't really have symptoms other than your urine test. Good Luck!

When I was PG in my 1st trimester with my last baby (who was born in January 2008), I had a VERY stubborn UTI. I'd only had a UTI maybe 2-3 times in my 37 years of life, and those ones were bad, painful, and very obvious. The one I had during pregnancy was much like yours where I just felt like I had to pee all the time, and I figured it was just because of my uterus starting to grow and put pressure on my bladder, but my test results showed otherwise. I think I had to go through about 3 rounds of antibiotics to get rid of the darn thing.
Anyway, I took a cranberry suppliment during my pregnancy to prevent any further urinary tract issues, and it seemed to help because I never got it back after it FINALLY cleared up. I got mine from Walgreens, they sell it where they sell vitamins and herbal suppliments. You can probably get it from pretty much any drug store, or Walmart/Target. They also sell a suppliment treatment in the feminine products section of many stores. (where they sell yeast infection meds, PG tests, hygeine products, etc.) I drank a lot of cranberry juice too.

- E.
37, mom to 3 girls ages 9,5,and 11 weeks

Hi M.I. If cranberry juice doesn't help I found this while researching. I'm copying and pasting the ad I found. It's informative and the websites may be helpful. Plus, I was worried about taking antibiotics while pregnant but I've heard this antibiotic is a-ok! Hope it helps :)

"If you have experienced a urinary tract infection (UTI) in your lifetime, treat yourself to a $25 Amazon gift card. [http://almatica.com/macro/macrodantin.html] You deserve it!

UTIs account for nearly 10 million doctor visits annually, and one in five women will have at least one UTI in her lifetime, according to the National Kidney Foundation. A UTI occurs when bacteria enter the urinary tract and multiply.

Antibiotics can treat most UTIs successfully, but the type of antibiotics prescribed will depend on several factors, such as the cause of the infection, the type of antibiotic and other medical conditions.
If you experience any of the following symptoms that typically indicate a UTI, you should consider seeing your doctor.
• An urgent need to urinate, often with very little urinate passed
• A burning feeling while urinating
• Cloudy or blood-tinged urine
• Urine with a strong odor
Learn more about Almatica pharma at www.almatica.com"

You have to drink a lot of cranberry juice to help with the infection but there are cranberry captules at the health food store that are concentrated cranberries and would be much more effective. You have to drink lots and lots of water, at least 80 oz to flush the bacteria out. Hope this helps.

Boy I really feel for you. I'm 52 yrs old and thru both of my pregnancies I had many urinary tract infections and even more kidney stones. So I kinda feel like a pro here. Not that I wanted to be. Thru all of that none of it put me into labor. Cranberry juice is the best thing to drink but I suggest lots of soaking in hot tub water to relieve some of the pain. I think these thing come with the territory and I hope you feel better soon. M. H

Be sure they are checking all. If it hurts to urinate, there's an orange pill at the pharmacy OTC, (ask the pharmacist - Cepastat is in my head, but I'm pretty sure that's the wrong name), that helps with the pain and is safe. It does turn your urine red/orange.

However, your message didn't say how far along you are. Protein in urine could be a sign of preeclampsia, something that struck me with both children. They need to be sure you aren't showing early signs of it.

I had so many UTI's when I was preggo and when I was 32 weeks I did go into early labor but we were able to keep him in...lol Cranberry juice is great for UTI's but I was told that most of the juice has lots of sugar so I was told to drink water with lemon juice in it. I would just buy the little green bottles of lemon juice and stir it into my water and I was told to drink at least one 8oz glass for every hour that you are awake during the day. Hope thats helps...

Hi Marina!
I've read articles and heard from nurses that the best way to flush out your system to free it of bacteria is to drink lots of water- stop after 8 pm so you won't be getting up all night~ and drinking at least one cup of cranberry juice (at least 27% cranberry juice if it's a 'cocktail' juice). One cup three times a day is even better! You can also buy the pure cranberry juice at some stores like Albertson's although I don't know how good it tastes. Drink with food if it upsets your stomach at all. I've heard that the cranberry juice helps keep the bacteria from sticking in your urinary tract. Hope this helps!

i responded to this, but i dont think it went through. if not, let me know and i will send something again!

Yes, straight cranberry juice is a great natural remedy. But depending on the type of bacteria causing the infection you may need to take goldenseal, a natural antibiotic of sorts, along with it. It is an herb that won't harm you or the baby. There is one brand of cranberry supplement that already has it in it otherwise you can buy it a a store like Sprouts or Whole Foods. Also, drink lots of water and cut sugar out of your diet. It will feed the UTI.

Hi Marina
Yes cranberry juice helps (make sure it is sugar free.) LOTS of purified water, at least a cup an hour. Also Shaklee has all natural whole food supplements and here are the ones that help urinary tract infections. At www.shaklee.net/greenplanet there is a little search window you can put the names of any of these in and read about them. If you put stuff in your cart at check out you can be a member for $19.95 (that is a lifetime membership) and get 15% off, like a cosco card or you can just buy retail. Here are some of the natural things I have found great for urinary tract infections. Optiflora, especially the little capsules, alfalfa, B-Complex, Protein, Garlic, DTX, Herblax.
All of these things are good for you whether or not you have this infection. In fact the Vitalizer you can read about there is doctor approved for pregnancy supplements.
Good Luck and all the best with your pregnancy, CONGRATS!
J.

I had a uti while pregnant and the doctor recommended cranberry. The natural one from the health food store. I don't remember the dosage but it worked.

Drink a lot of cranberry juice. They also have tablets that are equal to cranberry juice(I could never stomach cranberry juice) Now they have really good juices that are part cranberry juice and part other juices. They have pomegranate/cranberry and (my favorite)grape/cranberry. I'm sure they have more than that but that's all I remember. They are sold at your local grocery store and trust me they work!