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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

UTI/ Big Fat Wimp or Incompetent Cervix?

3 replies

CluelessFirstTimePregnancy · 13/10/2025 12:42

Last Monday, everything was normal. I'd been at work all day, got home, cooked dinner, walked the dog, and went to sleep about 10pm after watching our favourite show. I was almost 31 weeks pregnant at the time, no issues so far, despite being classed as a high risk pregnancy due to my autoimmune disease, psoriasis.
At 1am, I woke up in lots of pain. All on my right side, low back, and it was unbearable. I tried paracetamol, a hot water bottle and a bath, and it didn't feel like it was getting any better. At 3pm my husband woke up, saw the pain I was in, and we called the maternity triage team. They said it sounds like a water infection, and to go to the Dr's when they open to do a urine sample.
The pain didn't get any better, and I managed to get a Dr's appointment for 10am. The pain was constant but I had a couple waves of intense pain, where my belly went rock solid and very lopsided. I had also thrown up during these waves of pain, and felt the need to get onto all fours, the bath was the only thing that gave me any relief. Once I got to the Dr's, they tested the urine and confirmed an infection, and asked me to go to hospital to check for kidney stones.
Spent all Tuesday at the hospital, still hadn't slept, eaten or managed to drink anything and keep it down. They couldn't ultrasound me until Wednesday so sent me home with pain relief and antibiotics. Overnight the pain worsened, and I still wasn't able to keep anything down.
Wednesday comes, no stones were seen on the ultrasound, more urine and blood was taken, and I was admitted to hospital, so I could have anti-sickness, fluids, pain relief and antibiotics put in me via a drip. Over the next two days,I felt better, less pain and was able to start eating.
Discharged Friday afternoon, and told to continue antibiotics and pain relief at home for five days. Friday was fine, Saturday the pain came back. Same as before, intense waves, only a bath would help, and took some of the codine they prescribed and managed to fall asleep in the bath with my husband watching. When I woken up, the pain had subsided and I felt okay to get back into bed and eat something. Sunday, absolutely fine, meds continued and no problems.
Monday morning, I wake a few times during the night and then pain is back, not as bad as before. I was able to go back to sleep with a hot water bottle. Come 6am, the pain is so bad, it wakes me. Spent hours in the bath, same as before, tight bump and very lopsided. Taken paracetamol and codine and still no better. Called the Dr's, and I have an appointment later to do another urine sample.
This is now day 5 of being on the antibiotics out of a 7 day course, so if then pain was just from a UTI/ Kidney Infection, shouldn't it be getting better by now? I've still been able to eat and keep hydrated so should have the strength to flush it out and fight it.
This is my first pregnancy, so I've got no idea what is normal and what isn't. He's moving around in there as normal, so I'm not concerned for him at the moment. I'm worried that there might be something else going on, besides a UTI, and as I've got a UTI, it's not being picked up on. They've done no checks down there, only monitored his heart rate on Wednesday. I've been in a&e, urgent care, my Dr's and Maternity Triage so I've seen lots of experts. I've just never had this much pain before, never been admitted to hospital, or even had a canula fitted, it's just very scary. I'm now 31 weeks and 3 days, and I'm scared I'm not improving as I should be/ we're missing something?

OP posts:
TenThousandSpoons00 · 13/10/2025 13:58

Sorry you’re going through this!
this all could fit with kidney stones still - you’re right if it’s just an infection it should have settled by now. Stones aren’t always seen in USS esp in pregnancy. They can cause infection, and pain doesn’t always resolve super quick.
however, it’s crazy to me that they haven’t checked your cervix. It sounds like you’re having contractions on and off, which can go along with urine infection/stones and may or may not mean your cervix is changing. On the plus side if it was proper preterm labour you’d have a baby now so most likely it’s your uterus being irritated by the rest of what’s going on.
where I am part of your standard assessment would be a CTG, and a speculum
check to rule out any cervical change.
bottom line, severe abdominal pain in pregnancy should be checked esp given its ongoing, and I’d be heading back into triage. At minimum you need better pain relief.

TenThousandSpoons00 · 13/10/2025 13:59

Also, 100% NOT a big fat wimp!!

Pennyroses · 13/10/2025 14:00

Sorry you're going through this. I had kidney stones at 33 weeks pregnant and what you describe is similar. I was in absolute agony, throwing up etc and the pain was all down my left side. Went to hospital where they gave me strong pain relief and scanned me. They saw no sign of stones so they sent me home, by this time the pain had subsided a little. This was on the Tuesday, the following Friday night I was going for a wee when I heard about 5 solid things drop into the toilet! Picked them out and they were in fact kidney stones. With stones, the agonizing pain is them moving from the kidney to the bladder. Once there they can stay for a while before being peed out! When the hospital had scanned me the stones must have already left my kidney, hence why they didn't see anything. I'm not saying it definitely is that but if it's been the worst agony ever, especially one sided around your back then I'd highly suspect kidney stones. On the plus side labour was an absolute breeze after that!!! Really hope this resolves soon for you and you can look forward to the birth of your baby boy 🩵

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