Vaginal infections are very common when pregnant because of hormonal imbalance.
Kenyan women and ‘wajuaji’ will always share in social media pages different reasons and myths. The actual reason is that you are carrying a whole other human being and your body keeps fighting you.
These are some of the infections that might affect you when pregnant:
1.Urinary Tract Infection (UTI):
This is the most common infection and it’s no doubt that every pregnant woman must have experienced a UTI.
This usually happens because your uterus is growing bigger in size. It blocks the drainage of urine in the bladder, therefore, causing an infection. Treatment requires antibiotics prescribed by your gynecologist.
2. Group B Streptococcus(GBS):
This is an infection that may come and go in the body but often frequents the vagina and rectum. They do not typically cause symptoms or even an infection. However, pregnant women who have GBS in their bodies when they give birth may pass it to their babies. It may be fatal and it is a bit risky. Testing late in pregnancy can detect GBS.
Treatment requires antibiotics through a needle in a vein (IV antibiotics)
3.Yeast Infection:
Caused by yeast that lives in your vagina, when pregnant a hormone called estrogen usually increases and creates an environment that is needed for this bacteria to thrive.
4.Bacterial Vaginosis:
When pregnant, there is always an imbalance in your vagina. The color of your discharge might have turned gray and not the normal one. This might also come with a fishy smell. Visit the doctor immediately and don’t worry much because it is not sexually transmitted.
