Urine testing can tell your doctor a whole host of information, both about your health and the health of your unborn child.
From your first antenatal visit, right up until the birth, your ante natal care will include regular tests of your urine. You will be asked to go to the toilet and provide a sample of urine collected midstream in a sterile container that they will give to you. They will then be able to test this sample.
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These tests will usually be done on the spot using a dipstick. This is a chemically impregnated strip of paper. This is dipped in your urine and if it changes colour, it indicates that an infection or diabetes may be present. Samples won't usually be sent off for laboratory testing unless the dipstick picks up the presence of white blood cells, glucose, blood or protein.
Picking Up Protein Protein in the urine can be a sign of urinary or kidney problems, or more seriously pre-eclampsia. When you're pregnant your body becomes more prone to urinary tract and kidney infections. If these infections aren't detected and seen to, they can cause premature labour, so regular urine tests are very important.
If the protein is found in your urine late in pregnancy it is a strong indication that you have pre-eclampsia. If protein is found, they will do further tests immediately because pre-eclampsia is a dangerous condition that puts you and your baby’s health at risk.
Too Sweet If glucose is found in your urine on consecutive visits, it may mean you have diabetes or, more likely, some sugar has leaked through your kidneys. This happens because when you're pregnant, your kidneys threshold to sugar is lower than usual. If they find sugar, they will do further tests to see if this is the case. If you are found to have gestational diabetes, you will be treated but it does tend to disappear completely following the birth. It can, however return in future pregnancies. Another sign that you may have gestational diabetes is when your baby is very large for its stage of development.
Urine testing can tell your doctor a whole host of information, both about your health and the health of your unborn child.
