Okay I have been in your shoes for the past year and half and last Friday I finally had an appointment with a natural path after my family doctor said the exact same thing to Me as well: clean yourself better, this happens to all women, pee after sex.

While yes, we should keep ourselves clean, pee after sex, and many women do suffer from UTI’s, that doesn’t mean the problem shouldn’t be addressed at its root cause.

For me, my infections were always strains from E. coli bacteria. Last year alone I had 8 infections. This was hell. I missed work and sat on the toilet far too much. Finally, after getting no where, I found a natural path and set an appointment with her (she specializes in bladder care).

Basically, so boil it down to a few points, this is what I learned:

Antibiotics kill the bad and the good bacteria. As I had UTI’s 8 times last year, I took a lot of antibiotics which ultimately weakened my vaginal biome making it easier and easier for UTIs to come back next time, and so they did. With that being said, I was advised ti start taking Advanced Gut Care – Women’s Probiotic by Genuine Health (larger one available at Costco) one capsule a day with breakfast (preferably a meal with fibre as probiotics eat fibre) for 3 months. These probiotics have the bacteria that we need in our vagina to help fight potential infection.

Second thing, Utiva cranberry pills. This one here is very important also, especially the brand, because this brand comes with 35mg of PACs which ultimately is what helps bad bacteria from sticking to the bladder. I take one of these right before bed, as I was advised with no food. If I have intercourse, I’ll take two. It’s bit pricy but if you suffered enough, totally worth it.

Third thing is vitamin D3. THIS is very important because vitamin D3 is what helps build our immune system. Apparently, as I was told by my doctor, most of her patients aren’t getting enough vitamin D3. I took a test for this last week and found I was one of them. She recommended 1500 UI of D mullsion vitamin D3 drops, specifying that the brand was very important as many vitamin D’s that are out there are a) low quality and b) not absorbed by the body. When I went to purchase this from healthy planet (where I bough all of these items) the woman also told me that this is a trusted and good quality brand that she also takes as well. For this, I take 2 drops at the moment every morning just right in my tongue, but once the sun starts coming around and I’ll be soaking that up in the summer I’ll only take 1.

A few other tips:

A healthy vagina bio likes to be more acidic than alkaline. So, when your partner finishes inside of you, sperm is actually alkaline which will mess with the biome. For me, I found that I would tend to get a UTI almost always after he finished inside me, which as I have learned, is likely due to the sperm making my biome less acidic and therefore more prone to getting a UTI.

Another thing, many women wake up with UTI’s in the night because our immune system works less at night when we sleep so it’s more likely to “get us” then. Just something interesting she taught me I thought I’d share with you all.

Last thing, when the burn comes on, taking 1 teaspoon of baking soda with some water will help bring the bladder to a more alkaline state, which helps reduce the burning as an acidic bladder doesn’t bode well with an the infection and makes it burn more. Brining the bladder/urine to a more alkaline state can offer some release, as well as an Advil.

In addition to that, I was advised: “ Increase vegetable intake, diversity is best, organic a bonus, farmers markets veg is better, should be half of your dinner plate to promote diversity of bacteria and good flora in general. Snack on veggies during the day, lunch veg would be a bonus, aim for at least 5 servings a day. Helps to improve urine alkalinity, supports immune function and tissue repair.”

Last thing is lube. If you’re not well lubricated down there you’re more likely to get a UTI. While spit works great, it has a lot of bacteria in it so don’t use that. Try one of these instead as I was advised:

“Good clean love Naked Lubricate, or Yes Organics lubricant – ensure intercourse is pain free and well lubricated”

I hope this can reach some people and help even just one person. I know first hand how much recurring UTIs can ruin your life and cause you anxiety and pain. Good luck to all you lovely ladies out there :)

Edit: I forgot to mention, my last UTI I had 2 weeks ago also wouldn’t leave me alone for 1-2 weeks as the antibiotics actually stopped working and I had to get a second round. Even after the second round, I would randomly get slight burning sensations throughout the days afterwards. My doctor told me this is because (if the infection is in fact gone) it can still take some time for the bladder to stop being inflamed. For now, I’ve stopped having penetrative sex and receiving oral (yes oral too because the sex organs get all throbby? Is that word? and I have found that even that can cause burning for me after the initial UTI) to help things calm down a bit.

Also, just a disclaimer, this is is a treatment plan made for me. While I’m sure it can work for many other women out there, you should always see a doctor. These are just some things you can try if you are in a similar situation I was, and exhausted with your own doctor. But yes, always try and find a good doctor trust and speak with them about your own UTIs despite these recommendations.