Cloudy Urine During Pregnancy: Should I Be Worried?
One of the indicators of our body’s health is the condition (smell and consistency) or appearance of our urine. In general, clear urine is healthy urine. However, pregnant women may sometimes experience cloudy urine but they could be due to various reasons.
Sometimes, this condition can be easily treated at home but at times, it may require medication or further follow up checks throughout your pregnancy. It is most likely to experience cloudy urine in the early mornings after it has remained in the bladder throughout the evenings.
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What Does Cloudy Urine Mean?
Cloudy urine is very common both during pregnancy and not. While cloudy urine can happen due to many reasons, some are fairly simple and some are a little more serious.
One common reason that causes cloudy urine is not staying hydrated enough. Usually if you drink more water during the day then this cloudy urine should disappear on its own. Other possible causes of cloudy urine are diet related and fairly simple to sort out by making a few simple changes to your diet.
Pregnancy Tips: Drink 6 - 8 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated and to avoid cloudy urine. #PregnancyTips
The next time you use the toilet, check your urine and if it looks dark/cloudy (darker brown color), you are likely suffering from this.
If you keep yourself sufficiently hydrated, you should not have any cloudy urine issue. However, cloudy urine during pregnancy can be a really common thing as other pregnancy symptoms can cause you to have cloudy urine and dehydration is just one of the reasons. So carry on reading to discover all about it.
Causes Of Cloudy Urine During Pregnancy
Although cloudy urine during pregnancy is not known to harm baby, it's important that you sort it out as soon as possible for your own peace of mind. Let's take a quick look at the possible causes of this, so that you can better help to treat the condition.
- A urinary tract infection (UTI) is why many people get cloudy urine; around 2-4% of pregnant women get a UTI during pregnancy. If it turns out to be an infection, you will typically experience other symptoms such as pain while urinating, mucus in urine, abdominal discomfort and slight pain in the pelvic region. To get rid of the infection, see your doctor and they will point you in the right direction, which will usually be medication. For more information about UTI, watch this short video:
- Another possible cause of this is something known as "proteinuria", a condition which means that you have an increased amount of protein in your urine. This is more likely for women who are facing their second and third trimesters of pregnancy and again is easily treated. In some cases, proteinuria can be an early warning sign of preeclampsia when accompanied by high blood pressure. Preeclampsia is a very serious prenatal condition that will require close monitoring for the duration of your pregnancy.
- A simple side effect of pregnancy hormones is that it can cause cloudy urine and in this case, you can just wait for it to pass on its own. After the placenta forms, your body begin producing (hCG) Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (pregnancy hormone) and this hormone’s levels double every 2-3 days until approximately the 11th week before leveling off. Some of these hormones will find their way into your urine, causing it to become cloudy. If hormones are the cause of your urinary change, then it should resolve itself toward the end of the first trimester.
- Vaginal discharge - Discharge from the vagina is obviously normal for all women but if this is an abnormal amount and results in cloudy urine, it's definitely time to seek medical support because it could be due to a underlying condition.
- If you suddenly change your diet (which many people do during pregnancy, in an attempt to be healthier) this can cause cloudy urine.
- Phosphate crystals - If your cloudy urine is particularly smelly, this could be down to Phosphate crystals and is usually because of the food you have been eating. Either you have been drinking milk that is high in phosphate or you have been eating a meal comprised of beets or asparagus.
- Dehydration - Many health conditions can be caused by dehydration including cloudy urine during pregnancy.
- Gonorrhea - This is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cloudy urine in men and women, so please get yourself checked out if you feel like you could have this.
- Too many vitamins - If you have been taking an excessive amount of vitamins (particularly B and C) these can often pass through the body and result in cloudy urine.
- Side effects from certain medications that you may be taking. Certain medication (antibiotics) can cause cloudy urine and it will go away once you stop the medication.
Symptoms
If you have cloudy urine during pregnancy, the obvious symptom is dark brownish urine that just doesn't look "right" but you might have other symptoms, which go along with this, including the following:
- If you have cloudy urine during pregnancy, the obvious symptom is dark brownish urine that just doesn't look "right" but you might have other symptoms, which go along with this, including the following:
- Being unable to control your urine stream.
- More/different vaginal discharge than usual.
- Cramps.
- Pain or a burning sensation when urinating.
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When Should You Start to Worry?
No matter the cause, if you notice any changes in the appearance or color of your urine, it is better to err on the side of caution and consult your doctor than to have any regrets later on.
If you are suffering from cloudy urine during pregnancy, first is to determine what cause the cloudy urine. A simple visit to the doctor will easily find out what are the actual cause and the treatment best for you.
Antibiotics are the usual course of action but this is not always the case as certain antibiotics are not safe to take during pregnancy. Try not to panic too much if you do get cloudy urine; it's common and should not harm your baby in any way.
Getting it sorted however is important simply for your own health and happiness. Most of the time it will cure itself but if it persists for several days, then it may be best for you to get it checked by the doctor.
Drink More Water
Meanwhile, ensure that you are drinking sufficient water (6 to 8 or more glasses per day) to help flush out your kidneys and to stay hydrated. You should be drinking that much water daily anyway whether you are pregnant or not.
Alternatively, you can also consider taking cranberry supplements or drinking cranberry juice. Cranberry juice is am old home remedy well known to prevent a bladder infection.
If you are experiencing cloudy urine during pregnancy as a result of other more serious conditions such as infections, you are likely to experience other symptoms as well. If your cloudy urine is accompanied by cramps, any foul odor, incontinence, burning sensations, or abdominal or back pain, you should contact your doctor immediately.
