trace of blood and protein in urine + head fully engaged.... waiting for results..

[susiesheep2]

I am 39 weeks now, and was told yesterday babys head well engaged... great :D but thn they found blood and protein in my urine. I did another test at the doctors, which found nothing, but ive had to go back today to do another to be sure. So im sat here waiting for the results wondering what on earth it would be... (i have no temp, and feel absolutly fine!)

Anyone else had traces of blood & protein that turned out to be nothing?..

It could be nothing, could be a mild infection (I've never had a temp with a uti for example), could be your body starting to struggle with the very end bit of pregnancy and protein leaking slightly into your urine. Vaginal discharge can also contaminate samples at this stage. I had traces of blood and sugar at the end with dd. A course of antibiotics and some careful diet monitoring and it was gone. I felt fine.

How's your bp?

My blood pressure was up actually, it was up from always around 100/55 to 120/80.

My bp did go up in the last fee days with dd1 though, do you think they could be related, midwife said not to worry about bp just yet, but need to make sure it doesnt go higher, how ever i am meant to do that!

Do you think trying to drink more plain water would help? i tend to drink mostly coridal..

The baseline is what's important. So how much it goes up for you. 120/80 is an average bp but the fact that your bottom figure is usually around 55 and is now 80 is what they'll look at. They tend to start taking notice if it goes up by 20 from your booking in appointment and over 90 is a bit of a red flag. BUT it's not panic stations by any means. Your mw should have asked you back for another appointment soon to check it out? Even if you have the beginnings of preeclampsia (the two key signs being raised bp and protein in urine), it's not necessarily a problem. Firstly because they will monitor you in the first instance and it's possible to rumble on with it being controlled- sometimes with medication -until delivery. Secondly, because at 39 weeks you're at term so even if the decision was taken that you did have preeclampsia and delivery was important you're far enough along that the baby is well developed and ready to be born anyway.

It's normal for your bp to go up a bit at the end and it could just be that. And in terms of making sure it doesn't go up any further, that's something your midwife should be doing. By closely monitoring you and taking appropriate action. Resting might help, keeping calm and doing as little as possible but if it was something like preeclampsia, the onus is on the medical professionals to manage it and tell you what to do.

And water/cordial, it doesn't matter, as long as you're hydrated.

Have they done a blood test? This would give a better picture of what's happening.

And hopefully your mw told you this but if you have any visual disturbances, headaches, epigastric pain (top of bump) or swelling or you just don't feel well, phone your delivery suite and go in for immediate monitoring.

My mw wife told me to go to take a urine sample to the doctors yesterdat to have it sent off (nothing found) so ive had to go back to the doctors today to do another one, which is what results im waiting for now.

My next mw appointment is in a week, but i think they where hoping baby would be born by then, I am anyway! I didnt even think about preeclampsia, I thought that was something to do with sugar levels

They have not done or asked for a blood test. Perhaps they will depending on what this next urine test shows.. just a bit worried what this means for baby as not much time to 'fix' anything..

thank you show of hands, she did ask about head aches and swellings, but i do feel totally fine, too well considering at this same point with last pregnancies I felt like my body was falling apart with aches and pains. None this time though thankfully :)

It's probably nothing at all you know.

Preeclampsia info here. It can have implications for the baby in terms of growth but at 39 weeks, this isn't a problem I suspect! The cure for it is to deliver the baby. As I said, the two key things that happen are raised bp and protein in your urine but a slightly raised bp and a tiny amount of protein in your urine, doesn't mean you have preeclampsia.

You can feel well with it too. Most women don't know they have it until a routine antenatal appointment finds a raised bp and detects protein in your urine. That's why the appointments are so important. MIL for example went to her 32wk appointment, feeling fine. Her bp was sky high, her urine +++ for protein and 6 short hours she was having an emcs under GA and had severe oedema (swelling) and headaches. It can take hold v quickly which is why you see somebody at the first sign of symptoms taking hold. Otherwise, they'll keep a very good eye on you. MIL is fine btw. As is the baby (hulking great 29yo dh).

Seeing you again in a week is the right course of action for now and meanwhile the gp is keeping an eye on you.

Try not to worry too much, rest and any change in your situation, give your delivery suite a ring.