Why do we do urine tests during pregnancy?

Throughout your pregnancy, you will have several urine tests, and it is natural to wonder why, especially if you feel well.

During pregnancy, your body undergoes changes that help your baby grow, but also increase the likelihood of developing a urinary tract infection. Progesterone, one of the main pregnancy hormones, relaxes the muscles of the urinary tract, causing urine to flow more slowly. At the same time, your growing uterus can make it harder to empty your bladder completely, and pregnancy itself causes changes to your immune system, making it easier for some infections to develop.

An important point to note is that, during pregnancy, many urinary infections do not cause any symptoms. This means you might not feel pain, burning, or a frequent need to urinate, and yet still have an infection. This is precisely why urine tests are part of pregnancy monitoring: they allow these situations to be identified and treated before they can cause complications for the mother or the baby.