If the lady often gets the infection after intercourse, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics taken before sex to prevent it during pregnancy.

Urinary tract infection is the entry of bacteria to the urinary tract caused during pregnancy by:
1. Muscle relaxation.
2. Dilatation of the urethra.
3. Pressure on the bladder due to uterus’s increase in size. That may cause difficulty in fully emptying the bladder from urine.

It affects mostly the bladder and urethra, and in some cases it can reach the kidneys.

It is common during pregnancy.

also, it can show no symptoms (asymptomatic bacteriuria)

If left untreated, it may cause:
1. Preterm birth
2. Low birth weight
3. Increased risk of preeclampsia
4. Perinatal mortality
5. Ascending infection in the kidneys

Symptoms:
1. Sudden urge for urination.
2. Pain/burn during urination.
3. Difficulty in urination.
4. Frequent urination.
5. Change in color or smell of the urine.
6. Fever (38° and higher), flank pain and vomiting in case it reached the kidneys.

Diagnosis:
If it was asymptomatic, it could be found out by a routine urine test done early in pregnancy or in the first prenatal visit.

If with symptoms, the infection is confirmed by bacterial growth in urine culture.

Treatment:
With antibiotics for three to seven days. After the course prescribed is finished, the doctor will ask to do another urine test to make sure the bacteria is gone.

In case the infection has reached the kidneys, the treatment is antibiotics into the vein given in the hospital. In this case, the pregnant lady might need a low preventive dose until the end of pregnancy.

Recurrent infection:
If the pregnant lady has three or more episodes of infection during pregnancy, antimicrobial prophylaxis during the whole pregnancy is used for treatment.