BLADDER WOES

I’ve been plagued by regular bladder infections my whole life, and now that I’m pregnant it seems even worse. What am I doing wrong? And what can I safely take during pregnancy for prevention and cure? I’m scared these infections are harming my baby. I’ve even read they can lead to early labour.

DR KOLL ANSWERS: Bladder infections are quite common in pregnancy and can cause problems such as premature labour. For this reason, they need to be managed appropriately. There are many causes for recurrent bladder infections, and each case needs to be evaluated systematically and individually. There is no “one size fits all” quick fix.

The starting point is with your healthcare provider, who will do the initial examination and tests. The vast majority of these infections will be dealt with at this level, and you may be instructed to follow specific measures to prevent recurrence. Following this, you may need to seek specialist help.