Cloudy Urine During Pregnancy – Causes – When to Worry?

What Does Cloudy Urine Mean?

Cloudy urine can mean a number of different things. It can be the result of a number of possible causes – a change in diet, for example, can change the appearance of urine. In medicine, it can also be a symptom of an underlying condition. It may also be associated with conditions that affect the kidneys, bladder, or it could simply be due to a sexually transmitted disease.


If it’s diet related, it will disappear within a day or two after removing the cause of change in the diet. Dark colored food are among the common culprits in the changes in urine’s color as well as strong food dyes and colorings. Not drinking enough water can also be attributed to dark, cloudy, and sometimes painful urination. So on average, a person should drink as much as eight glasses of water per day to lessen his urine concentration.

Causes Of Cloudy Urine:

In women, vaginal secretions can cause cloudy urine. This could be normal or abnormal. If it’s abnormal, it is usually accompanied by itchiness or unusual bleeding. Urinary Tract Infection or UTI can also cause cloudy urine. Other symptoms include persistent urge to urinate, frequent urination in small volumes, and burning or painful urination. UTI can be treated with antibiotics and it usually goes away after a few days. If it’s a byproduct of a sexually transmitted disease like Gonorrhea, it can be treated with antibiotics since it’s not viral. Kidney stones can also cause cloudy urine. Its other symptoms include severe pain in the lower back, nausea and vomiting, fever, and painful urination. If you’re not sure of the cause, it’s best to consult a physician right away. Remember that any change in its appearance can be an indicator of something serious or benign.

Cloudy Urine During Pregnancy:

It is relatively common for a pregnant woman to experience cloudy urine. It could be due to a number of causes, either serious or benign. It is, therefore, important to make the correct diagnosis to ensure the health of the expectant mother. Pregnancy brings about hormonal and dietary changes in women. Often, these changes account for alterations in the appearance of urine. Eating a lot of dairy products and having large meals before going to bed can cause cloudy urine. This is due to the build up of phosphate crystals that are relatively harmless and it goes away after urinating in the morning. Allergic reactions can also be another cause of cloudy urine during pregnancy. Commonly, a pregnant woman has vaginal discharges that could account for cloudy urine, and it is often harmless. However, if it’s foul smelling, it should be checked by a doctor right away in order to be safe. Proteinuria, a condition during pregnancy wherein there is a passing of excess protein in the urine that could represent a large range of different problems also causes cloudy urine. And due to the effect of pregnancy to the urinary system, more women are prone to having a Urinary Tract Infection. This infection is treatable and as previously stated, it is characterized by cloudy urine, disruption to the normal urinary pattern, and burning or painful urination. Though the diagnosis of UTI could be a little difficult to make considering that sometimes, no pain during urination is noted. Add the fact that pregnancy brings about changes in hormones and dietary intake. And pregnancy itself disrupts usual urinary pattern so it’s difficult to tell and Diagnosis of cloudy urine can become inaccurate.
As a rule of thumb, if a change in urine is only experienced once or just for a day, then it’s only benign and you have absolutely nothing to worry about. If it persisted for more than a couple of days and it’s accompanied by other symptoms, then a medical diagnosis is already needed. In order to diagnose, usually a urinalysis is conducted. A pregnant woman is instructed to collect a mid stream urine sample for analysis. This is done to determine the type of infection. In most people, there’s no need for urinalysis. UTI can be easily treated. For a pregnant woman, however, it usually takes a longer time to treat that’s why urinalysis is most commonly performed.

Cloudy Urine: When To Worry?

Regardless of the cause, if you see any changes in the color or appearance of your urine, you should never hesitate to consult your doctor. It’s always better to be sure than to regret later on.