Cloudy urine pregnancy: What does it mean and what to do?

Cloudy urine is pee that has a milky color and is not clear. It’s a rather common phenomenon that can appear occasionally both during pregnancy and outside of it.

Cloudy urine pregnancy is often harmless and shouldn’t be a cause for concern. In most cases, it’s caused by:

• Dehydration (especially in early pregnancy)
• Increased vaginal discharge
• A diet rich in fruits and vegetables

 However, in some cases, cloudy urine pregnancy might also signal a more serious problem, such as UTI or preeclampsia. To rule out any problems, it’s important to monitor your symptoms and communicate them with your healthcare provider.

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When you’re pregnant, it’s absolutely normal to keep a close eye on your feelings and symptoms. This is an important part of ensuring that your pregnancy journey is healthy and uncomplicated. And it’s also normal to become alert if you notice anything unusual and seek answers about what it means.

Cloudy urine pregnancy is one of the symptoms that mothers-to-be tend to find somewhat disturbing. To help you understand your body better and gain peace of mind, we prepared a detailed guide that explains what can cause cloudy urine in pregnancy, what it could mean, and what you should do about it.

What Is Cloudy Urine?

Cloudy urine is a term used to describe pee that’s not clear and has a milky color (from whitish to yellow). In many cases, it’s not a cause for concern. However, sometimes, it could indicate an underlying problem.

Can Pregnancy Cause Cloudy Urine?

It’s possible to have light yellow cloudy urine during pregnancy. However, it’s not exactly a pregnancy-specific thing.

The truth is that cloudy urine is a rather common occurrence both in and outside of pregnancy. That is, we can’t say that it’s pregnancy that causes it. But it’s possible and quite common to experience it while you’re pregnant. It can be white or light yellow in color and appear murky.

What Causes Cloudy Urine in Pregnancy?

Cloudy urine pregnancy isn’t as uncommon as you may think. In fact, it’s a common phenomenon that can appear at different stages of pregnancy due to one of the following reasons:

Dehydration

Dehydration is a rather common occurrence, especially in early pregnancy. When you’re in your first trimester, your body needs to adapt to rapidly changing hormone levels. It also develops an increased need for fluids to support your and your baby’s health. On top of that, you might be losing fluid more quickly than normal in early pregnancy due to morning sickness. And it can appear just because of the season, for example, due to increased sweating in summer.

If you are dehydrated, your pee can naturally become murky. This is because your body doesn’t have enough water to excrete together with waste products and minerals.

Vaginal Discharge

Sometimes, you may think that your urine is cloudy because of discharge that falls into the toilet while you pee. In this case, a normal, whitish discharge will make urine look different in color and consistency. This can become especially prominent when the volume of your vaginal discharge increases, such as when you’re pregnant.

In pregnancy, increased discharge is a normal thing. This is a protective mechanism your body uses to keep infections away from the womb.

Diet

The food and drinks you consume often affect the color and consistency of your urine. Some foods can even affect the smell of pee. Respectively, in some cases, cloudy urine pregnancy might just be a result of your diet.

In particular, a diet that’s very high in fruits and vegetables can have this effect. This can happen because such products may make your urine more alkaline, which can make it look more cloudy. The same effect might be received if you don’t consume much grain, meat, and cheese.

What Does Cloudy Urine Mean in Pregnancy?

Now that you know what causes cloudy urine in pregnancy, you might also be wondering what it means. The good news is that it doesn’t mean much in many cases, especially if it’s due to increased vaginal discharge or your diet.

If it’s due to dehydration, you should be able to tell this by noticing other dehydration symptoms, such as:

• Dry mouth
• Thirst
• Dizziness
• Confusion, etc.

If that’s the case, you need to increase your daily liquid consumption and monitor if your pee gets back to normal.

Cases When Cloudy Urine Pregnancy Indicates a Problem

While cloudy urine pregnancy is often harmless, sometimes it can indicate a more serious problem. In particular, it could mean two things:

• Urinary tract infection (UTI) – UTI is incredibly common, and many women face it at different stages in their lives, including pregnancy. If this happens, an infection might increase the amount of red blood cells and bacteria in your pee, thus changing its color and making it look cloudy. You can identify UTI based on accompanying symptoms, such as bad odor, pain during urination, pelvic pressure, fever, etc.
• Preeclampsia – It is a rarer cause of cloudy urine, but it’s also possible. Preeclampsia is a condition in which pregnant women develop high blood pressure. This can increase protein levels in your pee and make it look murky. However, this condition only affects 5-8% of all pregnancies in the US, so it’s quite uncommon. You can tell if you have this condition if you notice the following symptoms:

• High blood pressure
• Severe headaches
• Vision changes
• Shortness of breath
• Upper right belly pain
• Sudden swelling
• Rapid weight gain, etc.

How to Treat Cloudy Urine at Home

The treatment approach that will work for cloudy urine pregnancy depends mostly on the reason why it appears in the first place. Often, it can be hard to tell this on your own. But there are a few things you can do first if you notice cloudy urine without experiencing any other disturbing symptoms:

• Hydrate your body well. Make sure you drink at least 8 to 12 cups of water every day. Following this general recommendation should help you avoid (or eliminate) dehydration.
• Diversify your diet. It’s generally great if you consume plenty of fruits and vegetables. However, in pregnancy, it’s recommended to add sufficient whole grains and meats too, so that your daily diet is well-balanced. Follow the general nutrition recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure optimal health for you and your baby.

In addition to these general tips, don’t hesitate to see your healthcare provider and leave a urine sample. Your doctor will analyze the sample for color, protein levels, and bacteria to be able to determine the cause of cloudy urine.

FAQ

Why is my urine cloudy during pregnancy?

Milky-colored and cloudy urine is often caused by dehydration, increased vaginal discharge, and diet specs. However, it might also indicate a more serious problem, such as UTI or (less frequently) preeclampsia.

How common is light yellow cloudy urine during pregnancy?

There is no official research or statistics that would indicate the real number of women who experience cloudy urine in pregnancy. However, most experts say that it’s a very common phenomenon both in pregnancy and outside of it. So, it’s absolutely not unnatural to face it.

When should I see a doctor with cloudy urine pregnancy?

In many cases, cloudy urine shouldn’t be a cause for concern, especially if it’s not accompanied by any disturbing symptoms. It’s recommended that you tell your doctor about cloudy urine events during your next visit to rule out any problems. On the other hand, if you also experience pain, fever, foul odor, and other symptoms that might indicate a more serious problem, it’s recommended to see your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Conclusion

If you notice light yellow cloudy urine during pregnancy, first of all, don’t panic. As you now know, this is a fairly common thing that’s often harmless and doesn’t mean anything bad. In many cases, it’s caused by normal things, such as the specifics of your diet, dehydration in early pregnancy, or an increased volume of vaginal discharge.

On the other hand, cloudy urine pregnancy could also signal a problem. And although UTI and preeclampsia often come with a set of accompanying symptoms, they also can run symptom-free for some time. Due to this reason, it’s generally recommended to tell your doctor about cloudy urine when you notice it in pregnancy. A healthcare provider will help you identify the cause and find an effective treatment approach if necessary.

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