UTIs (or urinary tract infections) can be a real pain, especially if they keep coming back, but how do they impact breastfeeding? As a breastfeeding parent, you’ll naturally be concerned about anything that might impact your baby’s health. We’ve gathered all the information on breastfeeding and UTIs.

What is a UTI?

A urinary tract infection is an infection that affects your urinary tract, including your bladder, urethra and kidneys.¹ They are fairly common, with 50-60% of women experiencing one within their lifetime.² Some symptoms to watch out for are: a strong need to go for a wee; a burning sensation while urinating; cloudy pee; and strong-smelling wee.³ If you have any concerns about your symptoms, this is the first time you’ve had a UTI, your child has a UTI or your symptoms get worse or don’t go away after two days, iD would recommend you speak to a doctor.⁴

Can you breastfeed when you have a UTI?

Urinary tract infections are common in pregnancy⁵ and after birth, happening in 2-4% of all deliveries⁶. They are often caused by a catheter, which can introduce bacteria into the bladder.⁷

Birth can also cause other urinary issues, suchas urinary incontinence⁸. If you’re experiencing bladder issues, try iD’s range of pads and pants, specially designed for the female anatomy.

Effects of UTIs on breastfeeding parents

UTIs, while a nuisance, have relatively few effects on breastfeeding parents. However, as with any illness, getting a urinary tract infection can impact your milk supply.⁹ Plus, if you need antibiotics to treat your infection, you may find that it affects your digestion. To counter this, take a probiotic to keep your gut flora happy.¹⁰

Treating a UTI while breastfeeding

Most of the time, UTIs can be treated at home with paracetamol, fluids¹¹and natural remedies, such as cranberry juice. While there are no controlled studies, it’d appear that it’s safe while breastfeeding to use over-the-counter (sodium nitrate) sachets and cranberry juice to manage your symptoms.¹² Moreover, without antibiotics, most cases will clear up within four to nine days.¹³

However, if your doctor does prescribe antibiotics, there are some things to bear in mind. Most antibiotics used to treat UTIs are safe to take while breastfeeding¹⁴, but you need to let your doctor know if you’re nursing so they can choose the right medication¹⁵. There are some minor risks to taking antibiotics when breastfeeding, so always talk over your concerns with a healthcare provider. These include:

• a very minimal chance that the baby can experience digestive issues or oral thrush.¹⁶ If this happens, talk to your doctor about giving your child a probiotic¹⁷
• exposure to antibiotics can be dangerous if your baby is premature or a newborn, so let your healthcare provider know if this is the case¹⁸

Effects of breastfeeding on your child’s bladder

As we all know, breastfeeding has many health benefits for your baby, including a lower chance of developing infections and obesity.¹⁹ There’s also some evidence that breastfeeding for at least seven months decreases your child’s chances of getting a urinary tract infection themselves.²⁰

Furthermore, if you breastfeed while you have a UTI, you’ll actually pass on antibodies to your baby²¹ that help prevent them from getting similar infections.

Preventing a UTI while breastfeeding

After birth and while breastfeeding, you can take these steps to avoid getting a UTI:

• make sure you drink plenty of fluids
• walk around as much as you can as soon as you can after birth²²
• maintain good personal hygiene, including changing sanitary towels and tampons regularly
• eat plenty of Vitamin C rich foods
• avoid using scented products around your genitals
• wear loose clothing on your bottom half
• wee as soon as possible after sexual intercourse²³

Are you a new parent looking for the perfect nappies for your baby? Check out the Baby & Junior range on iD Direct for comfortable and secure nappies and pants.

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Sources

¹ “Urinary tract infections (UTIs)”, NHS, 18 November 2020, Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-tract-infections-utis/
² “Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Management in Women”, Ahmed Al-Badr and Ghadeer Al-Shaikh, 25 June 2013, Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3749018/
³ “Urinary tract infection (UTI)”, Mayo Clinic Staff, n.d., Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353447
⁴ “Urinary tract infections (UTIs)”, NHS, 18 November 2020, Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-tract-infections-utis/
⁵ “UTIs During Pregnancy”, Hansa D. Bhargava, 14 September 2020, Source: https://www.webmd.com/women/guide/pregnancy-urinary-tract-infection
⁶ “Postpartum urinary tract infection by mode of delivery: a Danish nationwide cohort study”, Tina Djernis Gundersen, Lone Krebs, Ellen Christine Leth Loekkegaard, Steen Christian Rasmussen, Julie Glavind and Tine Dalsgaard Clausen, 14 March 2018, Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5857667/
⁷ “Postpartum Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)”, Marygrace Taylor, 8 June 2021, Source: https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/postpartum-health-and-care/bladder-urination-difficulties-postpartum/
⁸ “10 truths: leaking urine in pregnancy and after birth”, NCT, n.d., Source: https://www.nct.org.uk/life-parent/your-body-after-birth/10-truths-leaking-urine-pregnancy-and-after-birth
⁹ “4 factors that can decrease breast milk supply – and how to replenish it”, Shivani Patel, 21 August 2018, Source: https://utswmed.org/medblog/decrease-breast-milk-supply/
¹⁰ “Breastfeeding and Antibiotics: What You Need to Know”, Wendy Wisner, 17 June 2020, Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-and-antibiotics
¹¹ “Urinary tract infections in adults”, NHS, 12 December 2017, Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-tract-infection-adults/pages/introduction.aspx/amp/
¹² “Cystitis in the Breastfeeding Mother”, Dr Wendy Jones, September 2019, Source: https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/cystitis/
¹³ Ibid
¹⁴ Ibid
¹⁵ “Breastfeeding and Antibiotics: What You Need to Know”, Wendy Wisner, 17 June 2020, Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-and-antibiotics
 ¹⁶ “Safety in Lactation: Urinary-tract infections”, Sarah Fenner, 21 October 2020, Source: https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/safety-in-lactation-urinary-tract-infections/
¹⁷ “Breastfeeding and Antibiotics: What You Need to Know”, Wendy Wisner, 17 June 2020, Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-and-antibiotics
¹⁸ Ibid
¹⁹ “Benefits of breastfeeding”, NHS, 11 March 2020, Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/breastfeeding/benefits/
²⁰ “Protective effect of breastfeeding against urinary tract infection”, S Mårild, S Hansson, U Jodal, A Odén and K Svedberg, February 2004, Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15046267/
²¹ “Is it safe to breastfeed when I have an infection?”, Laura R. Viehmann, n.d., Source: https://www.babycenter.com/baby/breastfeeding/is-it-safe-to-breastfeed-when-i-have-an-infection_10370326
²² “Postpartum Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)”, Marygrace Taylor, 8 June 2021, Source: https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/postpartum-health-and-care/bladder-urination-difficulties-postpartum/
²³ “Postpartum UTI — causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention”, Dr Anitha Anchan, 30 June 2017, Source: https://www.thehealthsite.com/pregnancy/postpartum-uti-causes-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention-333948/