Protein in your pee
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
19 weeks, 3 days preggo
I left a part out of my earlier doctor’s appointment re-cap, because I wanted to research something first. So here goes:
During this appointment (and my previous appointment), I had to pee in a cup and then dip a paper stick into it — then hand the stick to the waiting nurse. I knew it was something to do with sugar levels, but no one ever told me the “results” last time, so I figured all was good.
Today, though, I was curious about what exactly it was testing — and how I did last time. After I handed the stick to the nurse, I mentioned that I’d never heard any results.
She told me that the test measures sugar and protein in your urine, and that this time I was negative for both. She said at my last appointment, I had “trace amounts” of protein, but it wasn’t anything to worry about. She said they only worry if you have higher amounts (like +1, +2, +3).
Friendly Nurse confirmed the same thing when I asked her — basically, don’t even think about it, you’re negative now.
So of course, I was instantly dying to Google it.
Once I got to a computer, I learned that the presence of protein in your urine has to do with how your kidneys are working. Low amounts — like my previous test — are common, and might mean your kidneys are working harder than before pregnancy. It could also mean your body may be fighting a minor infection, like a UTI.
If you have more protein present during your next test, it could mean you are developing pre-eclampsia — yup, the same thing that caused the newest Duggar baby to arrive prematurely.
Pre-eclampsia can be serious for preggos and their babes. It’s important to look for a combination of these symptoms:
- Raised blood pressure
- Increased protein in urine
- Sudden swelling of the hands, feet and face
- Headache
- Blurry vision
- Pain just below your ribs
- Vomiting
It’s really for the best that I didn’t know about those “trace amounts” last time. Pre-eclampsia is scary stuff, and I feel much better knowing I had no protein this time around.
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