Prevent Cystitis- Tips to Help UTI’s When You’re Pregnant

Tips to Prevent Cystitis Naturally When You’re Pregnant

Recurring Cystitis (also known as Urinary Tract Infections- UTI’s) when you’re pregnant can become a big problem for some women.  My clients are also usually trying to be as healthy as they can because they are pregnant and they don’t want to have to end up frequently taking lots of antibiotics. We frequently get enquiries for help with cystitis and everyone always ask if there is anything they can do in addition to the acupuncture to help prevent cystitis. If you suffer regularly from Cystitis and you’d like some things you can do on your own to help prevent it from happening, then read on for a list of effective measures you can take. In addition to doing your best to keep the area clean (ie: always wiping front to back) there are dietary changes you can implement.

Actions you can take to help prevent Cystitis when you’re pregnant:

-Make sure your fluid intake is the proper amount for you. Your urine should be clear, have a yellow hue, but not dark yellow or cloudy and murky.  It should not have a strong smell either. Visit here for an infographic showing healthy and unhealthy urine colours.  Plenty of fluids going through your urinary tract system will help prevent cystitis by flushing out any lingering bacteria.

-Drink barley water regularly. This can be considered part of the daily fluid intake mentioned above. Barley water has long been used to prevent  cystitis and it’s quick and simple to make yourself. Just boil one litre of water with one handful of pearl barley. Let it gently simmer and reduce down to about half the liquid. Strain and then drink the liquid. You can drink it warm or when it has cooled down, it’s your preference. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. It’s pretty bland tasting, but you can also sweeten it with a little touch honey of you like.

-Drink cranberry juice. This is the most commonly known natural way to prevent Cystitis / Urinary Tract Infections. Studies have shown that cranberry juice inhibits the ability of bacteria to adhere to the lining of the bladder. Two glasses of unsweetened cranberry juice a day is the recommended dose.

-Add Blueberries to your diet, they have a similar action to that of cranberries. Eat them fresh with some plain natural yoghurt or put some blueberries in your cereal or even in your salad.

-Avoid coffee (both decaffeinated and with caffeine) as coffee is a bladder irritant.

-Avoid sugar because it lowers the immune response and you are trying to combat bacteria to prevent cystitis.

-Eat garlic and onions. They are both naturally antibiotic.

-Drink a juice combination of cranberry, pineapple and apple as recommended by Jason Vale, popularly known as the juice master.   Check out his recipe for Cystitis / UTI’s here.  Or drink a green juice daily consisting of celery, parsley, spinach and green apple. This will help reduce acidity and calm an irritated bladder.