During pregnancy, many women complain that their kidneys hurt; To treat such ailments, it is better not to resort to medications, but to use proven recipes of traditional medicine.
The same applies to bladder diseases: during pregnancy, the best therapeutic drugs are teas and infusions from medicinal plants.
Due to the fact that a pregnant woman has an increased load on her kidneys and bladder, as well as a weakened immune system, during this period she often develops various diseases of these organs: gestosis, pyelonephritis, cystitis, and urolithiasis also worsens.
Preeclampsia is observed in pregnant women in the second half of pregnancy. It is characterized by swelling, high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine.
The first signs of pyelonephritis are weakness, headache and pain in the lumbar region, and cystitis is frequent urge and pain when urinating. If these symptoms appear, you must be examined by a urologist.
This disease in a woman can be asymptomatic, so you need to regularly have your urine tested. An accurate diagnosis is made and treatment is prescribed by the attending physician.
How to treat the kidneys and bladder during pregnancy using folk remedies is described in detail in this material.
This is due to two reasons:
decreased tone of the urinary tract and a simultaneous increase in the amount of fluid that needs to be filtered; an increased water content is necessary for the normal development of the baby - it delivers nutrients to him, and the amniotic fluid in which the baby floats is formed from it.
The decrease in tone is associated with increased synthesis of the hormone progesterone. In turn, such a hormonal surge can provoke swelling and infections. That is why the expectant mother faces a lot of inconveniences associated with the excretory system.
Frequent visits to the toilet
Starting from the very first months of pregnancy, you may be bothered by frequent urination. In the first trimester, this is due to sudden hormonal changes in the body, the presence of progesterone and estrogens, which cause oversaturation of the pelvic organs with blood and, as a result, increased fluid secretion. If when visiting the toilet you do not feel a burning sensation and there are no other unpleasant sensations, then there is no need to worry. In the second trimester, everything more or less returns to normal, but in the third you will have to run again - this time due to the fact that the enlarged uterus puts pressure on the bladder. Fortunately, at this time the finish line is just around the corner, so you need to be patient and wait. What can really interfere in recent months is involuntary urination, which occurs when coughing, fast walking or any exertion. This phenomenon is unpleasant, but natural; it is also caused by the pressure of the growing fetus on the internal organs.
What to do?
›› Try to empty your bladder more often - at least once every 2 hours.
›› Use special daily urological pads that absorb small amounts of urine well and neutralize unpleasant odor.
›› Do Kegel exercises regularly, which will not only allow you to learn to control the process of urination, but also prepare the perineal muscles for childbirth. We offer you the simplest option. Sit on a chair, take a comfortable position. Try to squeeze the muscles of the perineum (imagine that you are holding urination), try to pull them up and hold in this position for at least 8-10 seconds. Breathing is calm. Then relax the muscles of the perineum. Repeat 5 times every day. During the day you can do 2-3 approaches. Gradually, you will learn to perform exercises while standing, which will be very useful to you after childbirth.
Lower back pain The growing uterus puts pressure on the kidneys and other organs, which can lead to pain in the lower back from the second trimester.
Diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases during pregnancy
All diseases are much easier to treat in the initial stage. Pregnant women should undergo a thorough and comprehensive examination in order to identify diseases and take immediate action.
You can diagnose kidney problems and determine the name of the disease using the following methods:
- biochemical and general blood test;
- general urine analysis, clinical and according to Nechiporenko;
- bacterial culture of urine;
- Ultrasound of the kidneys;
- CT.
Such patients are treated under strict medical monitoring. A woman must adhere to the diet and all doctor’s recommendations. Basically, a complex of drugs with an antispasmodic effect is prescribed, diuretics in tablets and herbs are offered, as well as antibiotics (if absolutely necessary) and uroseptics.
What to do?
›› Massage the sacrum and lower back with a tennis ball. Roll the ball forcefully with your palm, trying to knead the painful areas, or better yet, ask your husband to do this.
›› Try using a large inflatable ball - a fitball - instead of a chair. Sitting on it allows you to unload the ligaments and relax the lower back.
›› Swimming and yoga are good for relieving lower back pain. You can easily practice one of the cat-cow yoga asanas at home. Get on all fours, hands shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward, knees hip-width apart. As you inhale, bend your spine down and tilt your head up (cat position). As you exhale, round your spine upward, lower your head and look at your navel (cow position). The movement is smooth, the head rises and falls last. You can gradually increase the speed. This exercise is good to perform at any stage of pregnancy.
Swelling In the last trimester, you may be bothered by swelling of your feet, hands, and face, especially after sleep. If they are minor, there is no need to worry. The most you will have to deal with is giving up rings and changing shoes. If you have gained significant weight due to edema, protein is found in your urine, and you are concerned about high blood pressure, this is a good reason for medical supervision. All of the above is a sign of gestosis - a severe complication of pregnancy. To avoid this situation, try to keep your kidney function normal.
What to do?
›› Drink enough liquid - at least 1.5 liters per day. Remember that even if edema occurs, you cannot limit your water intake. Otherwise, the body will try to retain it, and the swelling will increase. Accordingly, the load on the kidneys will increase. Stagnation and concentration of urine can lead to infection.
›› Avoid sugary carbonated drinks, spicy and overly salty condiments, which can irritate the urinary tract. Avoid large amounts of coffee and black tea, try to get used to herbal teas with a bit of honey and cranberry juice, which helps restore kidney health.
The risk of infections is due to the fact that during pregnancy, hormonal levels, the microflora of the urinary tract and the density of their membranes change greatly - all this contributes to the penetration of infection. While waiting for the baby, two extremely unpleasant diseases may lie in wait for you.
* Cystitis is infection and inflammation of the mucous membranes of the bladder. The most common sign of a bladder infection is a burning sensation when urinating. The urine has a strong and unpleasant odor, sometimes it can include blood and mucus, the woman is bothered by a feeling of heaviness or spasmodic pain in the lower abdomen, and a false urge to urinate. In acute cases, an increase in temperature is possible.
What to do?
It is much easier to prevent the development of cystitis than to treat it later. To do this: ✓ Use a special foam for intimate hygiene so as not to disturb the microflora of the vagina and urethra. ✓ Do not overcool the kidney and pelvic area. ✓ Drink more fluids so that the mucous membranes of the urinary tract are well washed. At the same time, avoid coffee, citrus juices and carbonated drinks, which have an irritating effect on the mucous membranes.
* Pyelonephritis is an infectious inflammation of the kidneys. If the disease occurs for the first time during pregnancy, it is called “gestational pyelonephritis” or “pyelonephritis of pregnant women.” Women with pyelonephritis are at high risk for pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, gestosis, intrauterine infection and fetal growth retardation. The most dangerous complication is acute renal failure - a condition in which the kidneys completely or partially stop functioning. The risk of encountering this disease increases by the third trimester. During this period, the volume of the kidneys in a pregnant woman increases several times. Up to 150 ml of urine can accumulate in the kidneys instead of the required three to five - this stagnation, in turn, can lead to infection. In addition to physiological predisposition, pyelonephritis in pregnant women can be caused by poor personal hygiene, because one of its pathogens, E. coli, can penetrate the urethra from the anus.
Acute pyelonephritis begins with an increase in temperature to 38–40°C, chills, headache and pain in the extremities. Severe signs of intoxication (nausea, vomiting) are accompanied by lower back pain, aggravated by breathing.
How you can help
If a woman develops kidney disease during pregnancy, she needs to visit a good nephrologist as soon as possible. Usually the doctor recommends an ultrasound examination. Additionally, the woman is prescribed a urine test. After the diagnosis is clarified, the expectant mother is prescribed appropriate treatment.
Features of drug therapy
Treatment primarily involves stopping the infectious process. For this, the patient is prescribed the following medications:
- painkillers;
- antispasmodics;
- antipyretic medications;
- uroantiseptics;
- sedative medications;
- anti-inflammatory drugs;
- diuretics;
- vitamins
Treatment also involves detoxification of the body. This is necessary to remove toxic substances from the body. As a result, the symptoms of intoxication will become less pronounced or disappear.
In some cases, the expectant mother is prescribed antibiotics. Usually, in case of kidney inflammation, a woman is recommended to take Cefazolin and Ceftriaxone. Cefazolin is prescribed only in exceptional cases. It is injected both into a vein and intramuscularly. Injections of the drug are carried out both in the morning and in the evening.
Need for hospitalization
Sometimes kidney inflammation during pregnancy requires immediate hospitalization. Inpatient treatment is carried out only under the supervision of qualified gynecologists and nephrologists. In order for the birth to take place safely, women are prescribed “positional treatment”. It consists in the fact that the patient is prescribed special physical exercises.
In order for childbirth to be successful, a woman must regularly perform the following action: lie on her healthy side, pull her knees towards her and bend her elbows. After this, the uterus moves forward, which helps reduce pressure on the ureters. If this does not help, then the expectant mother is prescribed ureteral catheterization. After this, the woman usually recovers quickly.
If suppuration is detected, the expectant mother needs urgent surgical care. Surgery is also prescribed when a wandering kidney is diagnosed. This helps make labor a little easier. The surgeon carefully opens the abscesses and stops the progression of the pathological process. If a patient is diagnosed with a wandering kidney, the doctor makes several punctures and fixes the organ.
What is important to remember
To ensure a safe birth, the expectant mother is prescribed a special diet. It involves following a diet and drinking regime. A woman must avoid eating salty, spicy and sweet foods. In addition, it is necessary to exclude seasonings and smoked foods.
You need to lie on the healthy side. If the patient is diagnosed with right-sided inflammation, then you should sleep only on your left side or back. Great attention is paid to normalizing the functioning of the intestines.
To ensure a safe birth, a woman is recommended to drink more high-quality boiled water. But if kidney disease is accompanied by severe swelling, then the daily amount of fluid consumed should be reduced. Sometimes, to relieve symptoms, a woman is prescribed physical therapy and medications that have an antiseptic effect.
What to do?
Treatment of pyelonephritis is prescribed by a doctor depending on the tests and the course of the disease, is carried out inpatiently in the department of pathology of pregnant women in the maternity hospital and lasts 4–6 weeks. A urine culture is required to identify microflora and determine its sensitivity to antibiotics, a general and biochemical blood test, as well as an ultrasound of the kidneys. It is worth noting that with a favorable course of pregnancy and successful treatment of the disease, natural childbirth is indicated (in the absence of medical indications for cesarean section) - with a cesarean section there is a high probability of infection.
Why are urine tests needed? The expectant mother receives a referral for them every month. This frequency is by no means reinsurance, because based on the color, presence of sediment, and biochemistry of urine, the doctor can draw a conclusion about the state of the excretory system. Based on the results of the analysis, inflammation and various dysfunctions of the kidneys and bladder are diagnosed. ✿ The relative density of urine, or its specific gravity, normally ranges from 1010 to 1025 g/l. An increase in this figure may depend on the presence of protein in the urine - this is one of the signs that the kidneys are not coping with the load. This phenomenon is called “nephropathy”; it is most often accompanied by edema and high blood pressure and requires increased attention from a doctor. ✿ The acidity of urine usually depends on the nature of the diet: for example, vegetarians have a reaction closer to alkaline. The norm ranges from 4.5 to 8. An increase in pH may indicate kidney pathology, a decrease - a violation of potassium metabolism or early toxicosis. ✿ An increased number of leukocytes may indicate an inflammatory process in the kidneys, in particular pyelonephritis in pregnant women.
General principles of treatment
At the first warning signs of kidney disease, it is important not to delay visiting a doctor. The sooner a woman turns to specialists, the greater the chance of a good prognosis and continued pregnancy. Only a doctor can prescribe treatment individually for each patient in accordance with the diagnosis, stage of pregnancy, and general condition of the patient.
In mild forms, the doctor may prescribe herbal medicines (Phytolysin, Canephron), which will have an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial effect, as well as a strict diet. If infectious diseases are diagnosed, there is a need to take antibiotics, as well as hospital treatment.
Antibacterial drugs occupy an important part in medical therapy. They have an effect on the source of infection, relieve inflammation, and reduce the risk of exacerbations. Antibiotics for pregnant women are selected individually. In practice, they most often use:
Treatment with antibiotics may take 7 to 14 days. While taking them, the pregnant woman should be under the supervision of a doctor.
Therapy for any kidney disease includes taking other medications, but only the attending physician can prescribe them. Nutrition plays an important role in treatment. A woman needs to limit or completely eliminate the consumption of salt, fatty and spicy foods. For such pathologies, table No. 7 is recommended - it consists of eating high-quality, fortified and healthy food.
Treating such diseases on your own is extremely dangerous not only for the woman, but also for the unborn child. A timely visit to a specialist will help eliminate symptoms, reduce the risk of complications, and carry and give birth to a healthy baby.
