Hormonal changes from pregnancy can wreak havoc on your immune system, and you can get an infection anytime from fertilization to birth. Some are easy to diagnose while others are asymptomatic, so your healthcare provider will likely screen you frequently. A few common ones are urinary tract infections, yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and Group B strep. You are also more susceptible to colds, coughs and flu than you were before pregnancy.

What is the reason of this?

Urinary tract infections are caused by pressure on the bladder from your uterus, which does not allow the bladder to empty completely, leaving a stagnant accumulation of urine. High estrogen and progesterone levels make you more susceptible to various vaginal infections. Pregnancy doesn't make you more susceptible to Group B strep than it did before or after, but it is particularly harmful to babies as you can pass it on to others during delivery. In general, when you are pregnant your immune system is inhibited so you are not fighting the newest and biggest addition in your body, your baby!

Tips

If you want to be one step ahead of the game, you can get vaccinated for certain infections before you get pregnant. One of the best defenses against getting sick is to maintain good hygiene and make sure everything you eat is as safe as possible. Most infections have simple treatments and disappear in a few days, and your healthcare provider can give you antibiotics that are safe to take with the baby. However, if infections do occur and return with greater frequency, there may be a bigger problem, so you should definitely let your healthcare provider know if this is the case.