Home Remedies for Urinary Tract Infections During Pregnancy

With the joy of being a mother soon followed by certain things that a woman may likely encounter during her happy 9 months of pregnancy.

However, the journey of being a mother can vary from one woman to another, and so on the frequency and intensity of their complications. However, in most of the cases, the following changes are observed in a pregnant lady:

Mood swings
Breast changes
Increased tummy size
Vomiting, abdominal pain, and nausea
Breathlessness and hot flashes
Strange food cravings
UTIs (Urinary tract infections)
Frequent urination

In today’s blog, our main focus will be on the 7th point i.e. Urinary Tract Infections that women may experience during their pregnancy. Not just the common causes, and symptoms but at a glance, we will also share certain wonderful home remedies for urinary tract infection during pregnancy, through which one can effectively manage this concern at home.

Is UTI Common during Pregnancy?

Yes! A lot!

UTIs are so common during pregnancy that around 1 out of 10 pregnant ladies experience them during their first or second trimester.

When left untreated, UTIs can lead to multiple serious problems such as kidney infections, high blood pressure, permanent kidney damage, low birth weight, preterm labor, and sepsis.

The experts at Dr. Sharda Ayurveda have shared certain wonderful home remedies for bladder infection while pregnant, that can be opted for, preventing and curing these serious concerns. They are 100% natural and cause no harm to the baby or the mother.

What causes UTIs?

The risk of Urinary tract infections during pregnancy is highest as compared to a normal duration period due to the following reasons:

The expansion of her Uterus: When a lady is pregnant, then the ureters (tubes that pass the urine from the kidneys to the bladder) get wider. Due to such expansion, infection-causing bacteria may enter the urinary system way more easily.
Bladder Pressure: Yes! UTIs are also possible due to bladder infections. The uterus pushes on the bladder when the baby starts to grow. This creates a favorable condition that often leads to an infection.
Hormonal Changes: As you know how frequent hormonal changes are during pregnancy. This hormonal imbalance and changes to your immune system can contribute to the manifestation of UTIs.
Lack of Hygiene: Poor genital hygiene management practices are strongly associated with Mutrakricchra, commonly called UTIs. Not washing genitals, or washing them from back to front can increase the risk of getting urinary tract infections.

Common Symptoms:

A pregnant woman can experience the below-stated symptoms if detected with a urinary tract infection:

Painful urinating
Frequent urination especially at night
Cloudy and smelly urine
Abdominal cramping
Fever, sometimes

Home Remedies to attain relief:

UTI treatment in Ayurveda is based on natural measures only. It mainly includes herbal remedies, mindful eating, lifestyle changes, and yoga asanas. Besides that Women can opt for the below-mentioned home remedies for urinary tract infection during pregnancy. These will help them for sure:

Sip adequate fluids: Make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day. You can have it either in the form of normal water. Else, you may fulfill this necessity through fresh juices, Coconut Water. Even eating water-content enriched foods such as oranges, tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, or kiwifruit can help.
Drink cranberry juice: Home remedies for bladder infection while pregnant often involve the use of cranberries. You can take it either in the form of juice, extract, or exact. Make sure it is 100% pure and contains no sort of artificially added sugar.
It contains multiple such healthy compounds and substances that firstly restrict the bacteria sticking to your bladder, and secondly, also provide you with adequate strength to fight against such harmful bacteria that have entered your system.
Take coconut water: This is yet a marvelous way of getting rid of urinary tract infections during pregnancy. Sipping coconut water will alleviate the vaginal dryness, itchiness, and burning sensation through its soothing effects.
Additionally, it has an enriched content of vitamins, minerals, fiber, magnesium, calcium, iron, and phosphorus which makes it a wholesome meal for the baby, and the mother-to-be.
Increase Vitamin C intake: Vitamin C contains ascorbic acid that helps to prevent and stop the recurrence of UTIs. Once it gets inside the system, it starts to increase the acidity of urine which eventually kills off bacteria causing Urinary tract infections.
These days many supplements such as gummies, tablets, sprays, etc., are available to fulfill the requirement of vitamin C, but we suggest you grab your vitamin C from natural sources only. Oranges, lemons, cranberries, strawberries, and green leafy vegetables are some of the natural sources that can help you in urinary tract infection treatment.
Give the garlic a try: Garlic has been used for ages for several health-wellness purposes. Starting from reducing to improving digestive health and renal functioning, it always works wonders, when consumed in a limited dosage.
It has antimicrobial traits through which one can restrict, or slow down the growth of bacteria which otherwise can support urinary tract infections.
As you are pregnant, try keeping the consumption of garlic moderate only. Around 1-2 cloves a day is quite enough to reduce the risk of UTI in pregnancy.
Use Cinnamon: Commonly known as “Daalchini” in India, cinnamon can also be an effective option for the treatment of UTIs especially during pregnancy.
It has multiple beneficiary compounds namely trans-cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, trans-cinnamyl acetate, etc that hold huge potential to kill the germs present in the bladder wall.
Apply heat: This is yet one of the wonderful home remedies for bladder infection while pregnant. Using a heating pad on the pelvic region will help you reduce the bladder pressure as well as the other complications associated thereto.

Although, this measure can not cure your problem, yes, it can provide you with relief within a few minutes. Beyond just helping you deal with UTI, this heat will also relax your body muscles, and calm your body.

Additional Tips To Follow:

Don’t suppress the natural urges and make sure to empty your bladder from time to time. Urinating frequently will flush out the bacteria that otherwise support the manifestation of urinary tract infections.
1. Maintain proper hygiene as it is also a vital component in UTI treatment. Avoid using any chemical-based product in your intimate area. Also, make sure to wipe from the front to the back so that bacteria may not enter the urethra.
2. Avoid all types of drinks that possibly may irritate your bladder. For this, you have to say a complete “No” to all carbonated, soda-based drinks, and even tea & coffee.
3. You can even take a bath with lukewarm water. It will nurture your skin on one side, and on the other hand, your mind will be relaxed too. Even taking a bath, or massage with curd can be helpful for you as it helps to maintain ideal pH levels.
4. Lastly, don’t take any kind of stress. Not only for you but it is also not good for your upcoming baby.
These measures are just mere suggestions and substituting them with medical advice, or any kind of medical treatment is never recommended. Also, make sure to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner, or obstetrician/gynaecologist before adding any of the mentioned measures to your routine regime.

Takeaway

Remember lady! That you are carrying two lives in your body. Your actions are responsible for the wellness of both you as well as your baby. Make sure you are following all the necessary precautions and advice suggested by the doctor to stay healthy, and miles away from problems such as UTIs