Pain when urinating during pregnancy
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Pain during urination during pregnancy occurs in several cases - from the natural compression of the bladder by the enlarged uterus and the growing fruit, with the development of cystitis, with the release of stones and sand from the kidneys. How to determine what painful urination means and what a pregnant woman should do in this case — we will consider all this below.
Cystitis during pregnancy: causes, treatment, prevention
A bladder that has been squeezed for a long time cannot fully empty. Part of the urine, constantly present in the cavity of the bladder, stagnates and serves as a favorable environment for the development of inflammation. Such stagnant process is one of the causes of cystitis during pregnancy.
In addition to stagnation of urine, hypertension, violation of the rules of personal hygiene, infections of the genital tract, which enter the cavity of the bladder in an upward direction through the urethra, can lead to cystitis.
When pain during urination during pregnancy is especially acutely felt at the end of the process of urine excretion, it can be said with confidence that this is a manifestation of cystitis. In addition to pain, there are also changes in the urine, it acquires a fetid odor, and in its general consistency there is dregs.
Experimenting with means of getting rid of cystitis at home, and this applies not only to pregnant women, is not the best way to solve the problem. It is much easier and safer, both for the woman herself and for her baby, to contact his gynecologist for help as quickly as possible. A doctor who observes a pregnant woman from the first days of registering her, knows everything about her state of health, fully has all the data from previous examinations, and, most importantly, is able to assess the situation from all sides, given the safety for the baby.
This is the only way to find an adequate and safe treatment, and in the case of existing related problems or foci of chronic diseases, prescribe the correct diagnostic methods, of which there are not so many during pregnancy. The most informative, in this case, will be the analysis of urine, where a high content of epithelial cells and leukocytes is detected.
Drug intake is also limited by the “interesting position” of a woman. Therefore, doctors usually prescribe homeopathic remedies. The easiest way, of course, is to prevent such situations and follow no complicated rules, practically from the first days of pregnancy. Drink more water, clean drinking water, and empty your bladder as often as possible.
Abandon synthetic underwear and try to wear underwear and free-form clothing, not tight. Warn yourself against exposure to low temperatures, especially to ensure that your feet are not supercooled. Carefully follow the rules of personal hygiene, conducting the washing of the genitals in the direction from the pubis to the anus, so the pathogenic microflora that has accumulated in a day will not be able to get into the urethra, and therefore the bladder will be safe.
Kidney disease
Painful urination may appear at the very beginning of the urine output or be traced throughout the urination. Such pain syndromes are characteristic of kidney stones. Pain during urination during pregnancy, extending down the abdomen and lower back, is caused by a stone, which either clogs the duct of the ureter and under pressure from the liquid begins to injure its wall, or the stone begins to move independently, again under the influence of urine flow. Any movement of stones in the narrow space of the urinary organs can cause significant pain.
Urolithiasis is a more serious diagnosis than cystitis, although in the first and second cases, letting the problem take its course will have serious consequences. And yet, the movement of stones in the urinary system during pregnancy is dangerously different complications. As mentioned above, the growing fetus and the growing abdomen lead to the process of compression of all organs in the pelvis, including urinary.
The movement of the stone along an unduly squeezed ureter can lead to a cut of the latter, which will inevitably lead to the discovery of bleeding, traces of which will be clearly visible in the urine. If a pregnant woman notes a sharp and sudden pain in the process of urination, no matter what time, at the very beginning, in the middle of the process or at the end, you need to consult a gynecologist as soon as possible for advice. Diagnostic measures will not be superfluous, but they will bring peace of mind and confidence in the safe course of pregnancy.
If the concerns are confirmed diagnostically and the presence of sand and stones in the kidneys or in the bladder is detected, the therapeutic measures will depend on several factors. First, the severity of the disease should be considered, secondly, the duration of pregnancy, and third, the nature of the pain syndrome. If the pain is not significant, there are not many stones and all of them are small, then before the delivery period, getting rid of stones is not advisable. The main treatment will be carried out in the postpartum period.
To alleviate the general condition of the woman, for relieving pain, prescribed spasmolytic agents, homeopathic remedies and heavy drinking are prescribed.
Pregnant on the note!
Pregnancy is often associated with many painful symptoms and how serious and even scrupulous a woman will be about her health, how carefully she will follow every response of her body to new sensations for her, so quickly she will be able to respond to all pathological manifestations. Pain during urination during pregnancy should be stopped as early as possible, this will lead to a quick recovery process without any accompanying complications.
[12],