Can Early Pregnancy Affect Urine Color?

If you’ve been eagerly trying to conceive, you might find yourself closely monitoring your body for any signs of pregnancy, even down to the color of your urine. Maybe even wondering about pregnancy and pooping changes.

Can early pregnancy really affect the color of your pee? Can changes in urine color provide insights into pregnancy symptoms?

Before you start searching for “what color is urine in early pregnancy” on Google, let’s set the record straight: the shade of your urine alone can’t definitively tell you if you’re pregnant. However, it’s essential to understand that urine color can be a valuable indicator of your overall health, and during pregnancy, it may reveal some crucial insights. In this blog, we’ll delve into the various factors that can cause changes in urine color, including the possibility of darker urine, ensuring you can confidently navigate the early stages of your pregnancy journey while staying informed about potential pregnancy symptoms.

What causes urine color changes during pregnancy?

Urine color is primarily related to your kidney activity. Your kidneys are the organs that filter blood, waste, and excess water to dispose of unnecessary substances and maintain your body’s internal balance of fluids.

Healthy urine leans pale yellow. When it doesn’t, there are usually three causes to blame: low hydration levels, prenatal supplements, and diet.

Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when your body doesn’t have sufficient fluids to maintain its normal level of functioning.

Water is the elemental substance of life, and bodies—particularly pregnant ones—are highly sensitive to changes in their moisture levels. For some people, dipping below even 1.5% of normal water levels can result in dehydration symptoms, including changes in urine color.¹If you’re dehydrated, you may notice a deeper yellow hue, as well as²:

• Thirst
• Dry mouth
• Restlessness or fatigue
• Headache
• Constipation
• Lightheadedness

The American Pregnancy Association recommends pregnant women drink at least 8–12 glasses of water per day to meet their daily needs.³If you’re a pregnant woman and experience morning sicknes, drink caffeine, or enjoy following exercise programs for pregnancy, you’ll want to up your water intake even further to make up for those losses and keep your baby safe.

Supplements

Prenatal vitamins are enormously beneficial for your growing baby, but no one mentioned that they can cause neon green urine.

This is because prenatal vitamins are usually loaded with a slew of B vitamins, including folate (vitamin B9) to aid healthy neurological development. So, it’s common for urine to turn highlighter yellow or even bright green if you’ve been on a prenatal vitamin regimen. This is a sign that your body has absorbed the B vitamins both you and your baby need to stay healthy, and flushed the rest out with your urine.

Food

When your urine migrates to different precincts of the color wheel, like pink, it’s usually the result of something you ate— not a personal gender reveal!

Three foods usually lead to changes in urine color:

• Beets (pink or reddish urine)
• Rhubarb (pink or reddish urine)
• Carrots (light orange)

Foods rich in vitamin C may also affect urine color. If you’re a fan of kiwis, strawberries, or bell peppers, you may notice you have bright yellow urine (similar to vitamin B-tinted urine) or orange.

Finally, some foods contain artificial food dyes that can make their way into your urine. If you’re a fan of sweet breakfast cereals, it’s not uncommon to see some of those green or blue colors after you pee. As always, monitor any unusual urine change and make sure to bring it up with your doctor just to be safe.

Abnormal Urine Color Change: When To Seek Treatment

While some changes to urine shade are normal, others may be your cue to consult your OBGYN or physician to rule out an underlying issue.

In pregnant women, there are two main underlying conditions that can cause your urine to look different: UTIs and kidney conditions.

UTIs

Developing a bladder or urinary tract infection is highly common in pregnant women, who have a higher risk of UTIs because of two simultaneous changes in their bodies:

• Urinary Tract Changes: Enlarged tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder can slow urine flow, leading to urinary stasis. This delay increases the risk of bacterial growth, as the urinary system can’t efficiently remove toxins and waste.
• Urine Composition Changes: Hormonal shifts during pregnancy cause urine to become more concentrated, with higher levels of proteins and sugars. This makes it more susceptible to bacterial growth, further increasing the risk of UTIs.

If you experience these symptoms, consult your OBGYN or healthcare provider to treat the UTI promptly.

• Cloudy or murky urine, sometimes with traces of blood
• Frequent urge to urinate with little output
• Burning or painful urination
• Pelvic or lower back pain
• Fever

Kidney Conditions

In some cases, changes in your urine color can indicate a problem with your kidneys. There are two urine colors you may observe with a kidney condition:

• Dark orange or brown urine
• Bloody urine

It’s rare to notice your urine reach these shades when you’re pregnant, as they usually turn up when you’re an older adult or if your family has a history of kidney disease. That said, if you do see this color of dark brown or orange urine, it’s important to call your healthcare provider immediately to protect you and your baby.

Urine Color Cheat Sheet: 7 Tips For Keeping Your Baby Happy And Hydrated

Changes in urination—either in the timing or the color —are common for pregnant women. Your body is going through a world of change, and you’re likely to see shifts as you carry your baby from trimester to trimester.

With that, it may be helpful to have this little cheat sheet to guide you along the way.

#1. Clear Urine: Go Easy On The Water

It’s a common belief that clear urine is the optimal color, but this isn’t always true. While clear urine isn’t necessarily unhealthy , it can indicate that you’re a little too hydrated, which can imbalance your body’s electrolytes and salt levels.

If your urine is consistently clear and never yellow, consider scaling back your water intake until a pale yellow color becomes your new norm—your baby will still get the hydration needed.

#2. Pale Yellow Urine: You’re Doing Great

Pale yellow is one of the optimal shades of normal urine. It means your urine is in good shape, as are your baby’s hydration levels.

#3. Honey Yellow: Step Up Your Water Intake

Yellow urine is within the normal range, but you could begin drinking slightly more fluids and still be in the safe zone.

#4. Pale Orange: Keep An Eye On It

If urine color crosses from yellow to orange, watch for if this phase shows up consistently. Pale orange urine could have to do with your water levels or be the result of a medication exiting your body. Drop a line to your provider if you spot orange urine to double check.

#5 Dark Urine: Drink More

Your urine color during pregnancy can become darker at any time, but it is more common to notice dark urine in the third trimester. This is because as your baby grows and puts pressure on your bladder, you may experience more frequent urination. With frequent trips to the bathroom, you’ll want to make sure you stay hydrated to avoid dark urine.

#6. White Or Opaque: Head In For A UTI Checkup

Milky or cloudy urine may indicate a UTI. It can also mean you’re overtaxing your kidneys by consuming too much protein, or that excessive levels of calcium or phosphate are making their way into your urine, which may indicate kidney malfunction.

Whatever the reason, whitish urine is a cue to pay a visit to your healthcare provider.

#7. Rose, Green, Or Blue: Switch Up Your Diet

If your urine color ranges far beyond the yellow sector of the color wheel, it may be time to revise your diet.

Beets and asparagus may tint your urine rose and green (respectively), but if their shade shifts from Easter egg hues towards more solid colors, it means you’re consuming too much of a good thing. Blue urine resulting from sugary, dyed snacks may be your cue to scale back your sugar intake.

Embark On A Healthy Pregnancy With the Help of SneakPeek

Being pregnant causes a host of changes to the woman’s body, and it’s normal to be hyper-sensitive to these attunements (pee color included!). This information should also be part of your checklists for what to expect when you’re expecting for dads.

With that, the more you can find out about your baby before and after she’s born, the more at ease you’ll be as you weather this first chapter of motherhood. To learn who exactly is growing in utero, try the SneakPeek At-Home Early Gender Blood Test to discover your baby’s gender as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy—that’s months before your 20-week anatomy ultrasound!

In fact, ours is the only gender blood test capable of delivering gender results this early in pregnancy and with clinically-proven over 99% accuracy1, making SneakPeek Test the #1 OBGYN-recommended at-home gender test, trusted by over 1 million new moms.

Common Questions & Answers

Can pregnancy cause my urine to have a foul odor?

Yes, pregnancy can sometimes lead to changes in urine odor. This can be attributed to hormonal shifts and changes in your diet. However, if you notice a strong, unusual odor or other concerning symptoms, it’s advisable to consult your healthcare provider.

Is it normal to experience changes in urine color during pregnancy?

Yes, it’s relatively common to experience changes in urine color during pregnancy due to various factors like hormonal fluctuations, diet, and hydration levels. However, if you notice unusual or persistent changes, it’s a good idea to consult your healthcare provider for reassurance.

Does the time of day affect the color of my urine during pregnancy?

Yes, the time of day can impact urine color. Urine is usually more concentrated in the morning, which can result in a darker shade.  As the day progresses and you drink more fluids, it may become lighter in color.

Editorial Policy

At SneakPeek, our commitment is to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information to empower our readers. Our content is thoroughly researched, reviewed by medical experts, and fact-checked to ensure its credibility. We prioritize the well-being and education of our readers, and our editorial policy adheres to the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in all our articles.

This post has been reviewed for accuracy by the following medical professional:

Katie Smith, MSN, APRN, CNM

Katie Smith is a seasoned Certified Nurse Midwife and a nurturing mother to six children, offering a unique blend of professional expertise and personal experience. She is the founder of Birth Your Way Midwifery and Women’s Wellness Center in Bay County, Florida. Katie's comprehensive approach to care is informed by her hands-on experience in motherhood and her passion for empowering women through their birthing journey. Her dedication extends beyond her center as she actively engages in community wellness and family health education.

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