a. The kidneys must work extra hard excreting the mother’s own waste products plus those of the fetus. There is an increase in urinary output and a decrease in the specific gravity.

b. The patient may develop urine stasis and pyelonephritis in the right kidney. This is due to pressure on the right ureter resulting from displacement of the uterus slightly to the right by the sigmoid colon.

c. Frequent urination is a complaint during the first through third trimester. As the uterus rises out of the pelvic cavity in early pregnancy, pressure on the bladder decreases and frequency diminishes. When lightening occurs during the final weeks of pregnancy, pressure on the bladder returns to cause frequency.