Protien In Urine

[Nicoled1112]

Hi all,

I was wondering if you ladies can give me some input. I had my 18 week
standard/routine appointment last Friday and they said I had a very
slight amount of protien in my urine. I asked about pre-enclempsia(sp)
and she said not to worry, that it was perfectly normal to have a trace
of protien in the urine. My BP was normal but I also gained 8lbs since
my prior appointment. She also said that was normal becuase I "popped"
and had a growth spurt. I am a little concerned. Do any of you have
any input for me? Should I worry?

Thanks,
Nicole

[Ericka Kammerer]

Nicoled1112 wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I was wondering if you ladies can give me some input. I had my 18 week
> standard/routine appointment last Friday and they said I had a very
> slight amount of protien in my urine. I asked about pre-enclempsia(sp)
> and she said not to worry, that it was perfectly normal to have a trace
> of protien in the urine. My BP was normal but I also gained 8lbs since
> my prior appointment. She also said that was normal becuase I "popped"
> and had a growth spurt. I am a little concerned. Do any of you have
> any input for me? Should I worry?

It is very normal for some women to spill a little
protein. I typically did in the last half of pregnancy,
and everything was just fine. It's also typical to have
growth spurts. Pre-eclampsia is more associated with
sudden weight gain *due to edema*. If your blood pressure
is normal and you just have trace protein in your urine,
I wouldn't be worried at all. You'll keep an eye on things
at future appointments, and you'll go in if you have
other symptoms (severe headaches, abdominal pain, visual
disturbances, etc.), but odds are this is just normal
for you. I'm not one to downplay the seriousness of
pre-eclampsia, but what you've got just isn't anything
to be terribly worried about, and lots and lots of women
with perfectly normal, healthy pregnancies experience this.

Best wishes,
Ericka

[Nicoled1112]

Thanks Ericka,

I feel better about it now, I will just wait until the next
appointment.

Nicole

[Jamie Clark]

Nicoled1112 wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I was wondering if you ladies can give me some input. I had my 18
> week standard/routine appointment last Friday and they said I had a
> very slight amount of protien in my urine. I asked about
> pre-enclempsia(sp) and she said not to worry, that it was perfectly
> normal to have a trace of protien in the urine. My BP was normal but
> I also gained 8lbs since my prior appointment. She also said that
> was normal becuase I "popped" and had a growth spurt. I am a little
> concerned. Do any of you have any input for me? Should I worry?
>
> Thanks,
> Nicole

If your doctor isn't worried, I wouldn't be either. As you said, you had a
growth spurt, you popped, and a trace amount of protein is normal. All
good.

Of course it's something that they will keep their eye on, but it's likely
nothing. No use worrying about it until you have to.
--

Jamie
Earth Angels:
Taylor Marlys, 1/3/03
Addison Grace, 9/30/04

Check out the family! -- www.MyFamily.com, User ID: Clarkguest1,
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Nicoled1112 wrote:

> I was wondering if you ladies can give me some input. I had my 18 week
> standard/routine appointment last Friday and they said I had a very
> slight amount of protien in my urine. I asked about pre-enclempsia(sp)
> and she said not to worry, that it was perfectly normal to have a trace
> of protien in the urine. My BP was normal but I also gained 8lbs since
> my prior appointment. She also said that was normal becuase I "popped"
> and had a growth spurt. I am a little concerned. Do any of you have
> any input for me? Should I worry?

Trace protein on a dipstick is common, and can be caused by
dehydration, infection, etc. It's also not unusual for people with
some underlying kidney disorder to have it "unmasked" by pregnancy and
to find that they start spilling a little protein, with normal blood
pressures, just as it is not unusual for people with some underlying
tendency towards chronic hypertension to have it unmasked by pregnancy
and start presenting with higher blood pressure readings, with normal
protein.

If your blood pressure were to start to show a rise and your dips were
to continue to reflect a degree of protein, the standard test at that
point is a 24-hour urine catch. They do a blood draw to get creatinine
levels and correct the urine sample to get a quantitative number for
the protein spill. 24-hour levels above 300 mg (which generally
correlates to a +1 on a dipstick) *plus* two bp readings of either of
140/90 a few hours apart are required for a diagnosis of mild
preeclampsia.

I think all pregnant women should be familiar with the signs and
symptoms of PE, but I am a fanatic. And in your shoes, I wouldn't be
particularly worried either; these are standard screens, they'll repeat
them at the next visit, and your doctor probably sees trace protein
pretty often in the summer. :-)

Here's a link to the Preeclampsia Foundation's Signs and Symptoms page:
http://www.preeclampsia.org/symptoms.asp

Take care,
--
C, mama to three year old nursling

[Nicoled1112]

Thanks C,

That link was really helpful. I know my BP was normal. I did start to
swell a little in my ankles on Friday but it's gone now. The nurse
specifically said "trace" protien so I am not going to worry about it.

Hop you are doing well.
Nicole