Urinary tract infections are rather widespread among pregnant women. The urinary tract goes through several changes when a woman is pregnant. The uterus enlarges in size, and also increases in weight, and sometimes it blocks the urine from passing from the bladder and this leads to an infection.

Urinary tract infection causes some common symptoms, such as frequent desire to urinate and causes pain and burning feeling while urinating. This is also called cystitis and is common in women who are sexually active. However, this does not alone constitute to urinary tract infection. The infection may originate at any point in the bladder starting from the kidneys to the end of the tube which is the urethra.

UTIs are caused by the bacteria that are found on the skin, rectum or vagina. They enter the urethra and travel upwards and cause infections. Sometimes the bacteria remain in the urethras where they multiply and get passed out through urine. However, some bacteria can travel even higher up and enter the kidneys. A kidney infection is considered more serious and is a medical complication during pregnancy. Sometimes it can become life threatening for the unborn child and you. A kidney infection enhances the chances of having a preterm labor and the baby may end up being born with low weight. These are responsible for high infant mortality.

Sometimes the bacteria may be present in the urinary tract, but does not show any symptoms. When you are pregnant this condition does not cause any complications. The bacteria will eventually clear on their own. During pregnancy urine is examined during every check up for bacterial infections.

However, there is no clear indication that pregnancy enhances the risks of urinary tract infection. But, it does increase the chances of kidney infections. The enlargement of uterus is a precursor for several infections. Moreover, there are different kinds of urinary tract infections like cystitis and so on. The increased levels of progesterone during pregnancy decrease and relax the muscles in the uterus. The walls and tubes of the uterus are dilated and they slow down the passing of urine. Also, the enlargement of uterus further compresses the urethra and makes it difficult for the urine to pass through. When a woman is pregnant, the bladder loses tone and it is always hard to fully empty out the bladder. Some amount of urine is always residual, and this can cause the bacteria to breed in the bladder.

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