Tissue In Urine During Pregnancy - Should I Be Worried?

Standing in the nurse’s office you may have never thought handing over your urine could be so alarming. As you do this time and time again you may begin to notice color changes or particles that look similar to tissue. Tissue in urine during pregnancy is not something to expect but what are these suspect fragments?

Tissue In Urine During Pregnancy – Is This Normal?

Examining your urine is a common procedure throughout pregnancy. Using a dipstick test doctors can monitor your sample for any harmful bacteria that could cause harm during pregnancy.

Seeing white tissue in urine pregnancy can cause embarrassment but it’s commonly known as Leukorrhea. This form of discharge can leak in your urine and form white tissue paper spots.

Tissue in Urine

You never really get to see you pee up close, it’s truly baffling what doctors can tell you from a urine sample. Passing over a vile of your liquid waste isn’t very glamorous and it can be even more embarrassing if you notice floating bits of tissue. Tissue in pee during pregnancy isn’t always as it seems in fact it probably isn’t tissue at all. Read on to find out exactly what those white spots are.

Vaginal Discharge

Ever found a chalky white substance in your underwear? Don’t panic, this is known as Leukorrhea, it is a type of discharge common in women who are pregnant and those who are not.

Discharge in pregnancy increases because of the extra hormones fluctuating around the body and the increased blood volume. Leukorrhea is in fact a good sign that all is well in your vag. Its main role is to shed the dead cells from the vaginal wall and to maintain the correct pH levels to ensure that the good bacteria are present and doing its fundamentals.

Whilst handing over your urine samples you may notice particles within the testing pot, it may look similar to tissue but what it actually could be in discharge.

Leukorrhea can leak into your urine or appear after you have wiped but it is totally harmless but you may feel alarmed if white tissue in urine during pregnancy appears. In this case, note that it is completely normal and can indicate a healthy vag.

However, if you notice an odor to your discharge or if it is a pinkish or brown color make sure to make a doctor’s appointment. It is probably quite innocent but you need to make sure you haven’t got an infection. Discharge through pregnancy can change as your body transitions through gestation. It can become quite heavy at times especially as your due date gets closer.

How Do I Cope With Increased Discharge?

Seeing as this is the most obvious reason you have tissue like particles in your urine I think it’s only fair that we discuss how to cope with your new levels of discharge.

We now know that discharge is prominent throughout pregnancy and you may begin to notice tissue in urine during early pregnancy as the vaginas way of keeping the bad bacteria at bay and with the absence of aunt flo you may be happy to put your sanitary towels and panty liners away for now.

During my pregnancies the level of discharge I had was noticeable. So much I found that going without a panty liner was too uncomfortable and left me feeling less fresh downstairs than I wanted to be. Safe to say using panty liners became my savior.

It’s important not to wash your lady parts more often than usual as douching or using feminine wipes can lead to the removal of the bad bacteria fighting discharge leading to infection. Stick to a liner to protect your underwear and change as often as you wish to allow your body to do what it’s naturally meant to do without ruining your favorite panties.

Urinary Tract Infection

Whilst we have discussed discharge during pregnancy there are times when you may be subjected to a Urinary Tract Infection.

Usually bacterial or fungal you can catch a UTI very easily whilst pregnant because your immunity is vulnerable.

Symptoms may appear consistent to the norms whilst other moms may not know that they have an infection at all.

Discharge increases with a UTI meaning it can look as if you are passing tissue in urine during pregnancy. Safe to say it wouldn’t be tissue but it would be your body’s way of trying to rid you of infection.

Symptoms of a UTI are

Burning whilst weeing
Needing the loo a lot
Passing only small volumes of urine even though you may be desperate
Blood in sample
Smelly wee
Pain in the pelvis or kidneys

If the pain becomes severe and is not showing any signs of getting better you need to seek further help from your doctor. Antibiotics in tablet form may not be enough and you may require a UV drip.

STIs

Catching a sexually transmitted infection is not one to be ashamed about. All that it proves is that you have had unprotected sex with an infected person.

It is so important to practice safe sex through using condoms. STIs like Chlamydia can affect your pregnancy if it is left untreated. Risk of preterm labor, lower birth weights, and rupturing membranes are the risks involved when having unsafe sex.

Symptoms of each STI may be different but you can acknowledge the differences below.

Abnormal discharge – may have a color or nasty odor
Bleeding after sex
Itchy vag
Burning sensation

Obviously if you and your partner have only each other as a sexual companion then it would be your choice whether to use protection in the form of a condom. If you are not sure to communicate and if anything feels off then you would both need testing.

Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial Vaginosis, known as BV is inflammation of the vag when the pH levels are off. Typically you may not notice any symptoms at first but many women report a change in their discharge.

Fishy
Itchy
Burning

These are the three things to look out for when suffering from BV. It’s important to notice that these symptoms are very common among all vaginal issues. It is undeniable how important it is to ask for advice if you notice a difference. BV is treated easily using ointments or topical creams alongside an oral antibiotic.

Thrush

Lastly, the dreaded infection Thrush. Also known as a yeast infection, Thrush is an overgrowth of the Candida Albicans in your vag.

It’s got to be one of the most irritating infections and with pregnancy leaving you vulnerable to these things it’s important to get treatment as soon as you notice the first symptom.

The main telltale symptom of a yeast infection is lumpy, smelly discharge probably enough to put you off cottage cheese for a while.

Other symptoms that can appear are:

itching
swelling
burning during urination or sex
pain during sex
redness
soreness

Again these symptoms have arisen with another possible outcome or infection so it’s likely seeing white tissue fibers in your urine is nothing to be alarmed about.

Why Do Doctors Check Urine in Pregnancy?

Your urine is a powerful liquid for signaling something may be lurking in your body that shouldn’t be. In fact it will becomethe normal procedure for you to give a sample at every antenatal appointment.

Doctors can check your urine for sugar, protein, keystones, bacteria, and blood by completing a quick and effective dip test. Finding any abnormalities in your urine can help diagnose the red flags that would need immediate attention such as pre eclampsia and gestational diabetes.

Seeing tissue in urine during early pregnancy doesn’t signify you have anything that needs addressing so keep in mind that this can be totally normal.

If there is anything suspicious in your urine then you may be required to have vaginal swabs taken to identify the cause of any underlying infection.

When Should I Be Concerned?

In all honesty, you may find that you’re asking a lot of ‘what’ and ‘why’ questions during your pregnancy. It’s important to remember your doctor is there for answers.

If you feel concerned over the amount of white discharge you are losing then seek advice professionally. Each and every pregnancy is different and whilst we have tried to uncover every possibility of why you have tissue in urine during pregnancy are personal to you.

If you suspect a change in odor, color, or sensation then you may require a swab to determine if you have any nasties lurking.

Wrapping Up

To conclude if you notice tissue in urine during pregnancy it is likely to be a form of discharge that doctors are used to seeing.

Providing you have no other symptoms and the urine analysis comes back clear there is no cause for concern. Significant symptoms alongside the white particles like burning, itching, or painful urination can be addressed by taking antibiotics. There is no reason to feel embarrassed or concerned as many of the infections that target your vag are totally common especially whilst you’re growing a little bean.

Tissue In Urine During Pregnancy – Should I Be Worried?