delicate & slightly yukky q - worried about infection

[berolina]

Hi there all and sorry for the nature of the question I want to ask - but I'd be very very grateful for any opinions from those more experienced at this pregnancy lark than I am!

I'm 16 weeks and have got some glove things with which you test the pH of your vagina - you put a finger with a test strip attached inside you and when the test strip goes green or blue the pH is too high and it could be a sign of an infection or vulnerability to one. Anyway, I tested yesterday and it went bright blue immediately - I panicked cos I thought I might be leaking amniotic fluid or something. Lay down for the evening and worried. Anyway, repeated the test this morning and pH was back to normal (phew), and a sneaking suspicion as to what had gone wrong made me test again after I'd been to the loo - went bright blue - yes, the strip had been contaminated with wee... Now I'm worried because I've now managed to introduce wee into my vagina twice - could that give me a nasty infection or even lead to rupturing of membranes? Pretty worried that if something goes wrong it'll be my fault...

Sorry again and thank you! From a and inexperienced 1st-time mum!

It'll be fine. Wee is sterile.

I think that that is perfectly normal. Urine wont cause an infection so dont worry about that. Do you need to test with these things everyday? Sounds to me as though they might be adding to your worries.

Gosh never heard of these things before! Why do you need to test? Aren't you worrying yourself? Try to relax. You should be past the danger stages and you will soon be feeling the baby move - that is fun and reassuring!

Yes, why are you testing yourself with these odd glove thingys that I've never heard of either! I'd bin them personally, and have a nice big bar of chocolate instead. And your womb is nice and sealed anyway, otherwise the contents would fall out!

Thanks everyone

The glove things are supposed to give you early warning if your pH changes because it can signal infection or vulnerability thereto. There have been trials here (in Germany) suggesting they reduce the number of prem births because they help you spot potentially problematic infections early. A friend of mine used and recommended them and several big health insurers are running trials. I think they're pretty confined to Germany at the moment and also pretty new here. You're supposed to test twice a week (I'm doing once a week though because they're expensive!) and only test the next morning if you get an abnormal result, because pH changes can be temporary. However - aloha, you're certainly right in that a big bar of choccie is more fun than poking around with a plastic glove !

sounds like another glorious money-making opportunity for somebody and also another way of making pregnant women unneccessarily anxious. doesn't your doctor do routine urine tests?
i'd chuck 'em quicksticks.
they don't seem to be putting your mind at rest, exactly...

Trouble is, they are making you feel anxious, which can't be good. I really would get rid of them personally. Totally up to you but...

snap!

we must stop agreeing like this aloha

well they certainly didn't put my mind at rest yesterday but it was my own silly fault for not using the d**n things properly. Mind you, the instructions could be clearer on not using after weeing...
You might be right, I'll see how I feel. Thanks again - off back to work now...