Meet Dr. Sherry Ross

UTIs during pregnancy happen in approximately 5-10% of women. Hormonal changes and the enlarging uterus put additional pressure on the bladder increasing your risk of a UTI. An untreated UTI can lead to a kidney infection, sepsis, preterm labor or a low birth weight baby. A UTI in pregnancy should be treated with antibiotics.

Urine can have a more pungent smell from the hormones produced during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. Yeast infections can change the smell of your pee even though the infection is in your vagina, because your urethra is so close that pee can pick up the scent as well. It’s important to monitor any changes in your urine, detect if there is any pain or burning during urination to ensure you do not in fact have a UTI.

For UTI prevention, during pregnancy or otherwise, you can do the following:

• Drink 8 glasses of water a day
• Urinate before and after sex
• Avoid using fragrant soaps, bubble baths, douching and feminine hygiene products that are not vagina friendly
• Avoid wearing tight fitting pants or work out clothing
• Wear all-cotton underwear and pantyhose
• Always wipe front to back after having a bowel movement
• After exercising change your work-out clothing
• Avoid wearing tight fitting work-out clothing or pants
• Take Uqora to help promote better urinary health

Thongs may look and feel sexier compared to everyday underwear but their anatomically-unfriendly design makes it easier for harmful bacteria of the colon to find their way into the vagina and bladder increasing the risk of infection. Comfortably fitting cotton underwear that properly covers your female anatomy well, including the vagina and rectum, tends to be the best bet for the vagina in the long run. Finding the most comfortable underwear should be every woman’s mission and priority for vaginal health and wellness.

Since sexually active women are most at risk for UTIs, it's always important to take precautions during sex. Anything going near your genital area should be as clean as possible, and that includes penises, hands, mouths, and toys. We're anatomically more prone to bladder infections because of the way the bladder sits right above the vagina. Since the urethra — the tube that drains urine from the body — is right near the vagina, it's easier for unwelcome bacteria to get into the urinary system, leading to a possible infection in the urethra, bladder, or kidneys.

While good hygiene is important, be careful not to "overdo" it by douching. Anything that disrupts the balance of the vagina — feminine products with fragrance, or even douching — you don't want to do because it gets rid of the good bacteria.