Why Are UTIs More Common During Pregnancy?
Hormones are one reason. In pregnancy, they cause changes in the urinary tract, and that makes women more likely to get infections. Changes in hormones can also lead to vesicoureteral reflux, a condition in which your pee flows back up from your bladder to your kidneys. This can cause UTIs.
When you’re pregnant, your pee has more sugar, protein, and hormones in it. These changes also put you at higher risk for a UTI.
Because you’re pregnant, your growing uterus presses on your bladder. That makes it hard for you to let out all the urine in your bladder. Leftover urine can be a source of infection.
Other causes of UTIs include:
Escherichia coli and other bacteria from your poop. E. Coli is the most common cause of UTIs and can move from your rectum to your urethra if you don’t wipe from front to back.
Sexual activity. Fingers, your partner’s penis, or devices can move bacteria near your vagina into your urethra.
Group B streptococcus. Many women have these bacteria in their colon and vagina. It can cause UTIs and women can pass it to their newborns. Your doctor will test you for this bacteria around weeks 36 to 37 of pregnancy. If you’re positive for group B strep, your doctor will give you IV antibiotics during labor.
