Are there any midwives about? Or anyone who knows about protein in urine?

[NatalieJaneIsPregnantAgain]

Long shot at the weekend I know, but anyone?

TIA.

could be a sign of infection or an early sign of pre-eclampsia if you're over 5 months or so.
I think.

here

Yes, sorry I know it is a sign of PE/infection.

More about the levels of protein I'm interested in.

I was induced with PE last time, I am now 32 weeks, started with signs of PE a few weeks ago, have just got a positive result of protein on a dip stick thingy, the colour was somewhere between trace and +1, I know a trace is OK, but +1 is too much, but not sure about a result that's inbetween.

Hi, I'm a m/w.

No such thing as a trace of protein, though many m/w's will still say "only a trace, nothing to worry about".

Dipping urine for protein isn't a very good way of telling levels. Its just a positive or a negative to be honest. Have they taken blood and have they done a 24 hour urine collection - the 24 hour urine is the only reliable method of assessing levels. HTH.

have you called your midwife? I think I would if had PE before. It could be bulding up.

i had levels of protein in my urine in the later stages of pregnancy but it never came to anything at all so yours may be the same but they did do blood tests to be sure and thats the only sure way of knowing. i too had those dipsticks at home but they where never completly accurate and they told me to call a midwife if i had three or more 1+ in 24 hours. i would give your midwife a call if you are worried thats what they are there for and it will put your mind at rest.

TBH, I have had so many things going on: swollen up beyond all reasonable measures, I can leave finger prints indented in my skin almost anywhere in my body, BP has been creeping up over the last few visits, but not 'high', I couldn't wee for over 48 hours and no one did anything at all to help, though I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting them do....

The last time I had swollen up properly, I rang the MW, she said to make a GP appointment, I went to see him, he did my BP, didn't check my wee, didn't even look at my notes, told me to get my MW to re-do PET bloods next time I see her (which is a week on Tuesday) and if my BP goes above 140 to go and see him so he can refer me to the cons. I have no way at all of knowing if my BP goes over 140, in my last pregnancy it got so high I was rushed to hospital in an ambulance even though DH was there with me and could have driven me, but I felt physically well, I had no idea it was so high until they told me.

So I bought some of these dip stick things to detect protein, I've no idea about 'no such thing as a trace' etc. I am just trying to find some way of keeping an eye on things myself because by all accounts I have just been left to get on with it.

The bottle has a colour grid thing to compare the results on, the result was darker than a trace, but not as dark as a +1. There is no way I am going to ring the MW again and have her bat me away, not until I get something solid that they can't just pat me on the head and send me on my merry way.

I know I probably sound like every MW worst nightmare, self diagnosing, moaning on and on, but I have just had enough of being passed from pillar to post, there has been so much more going on than what I've said here, I'm fed up of being made to feel like I'm time wasting. I am not doing any of this for the fun of it!

Sorry that sounds all shirty and grrrrrr-ish,

NJ, have you spoken to supervisor/head of midwifery about your concerns being dismissed

with your history, you should be being taken really seriously

agree self testing is sometimes more trouble than it's worth, you now have a result you are worried about, and nowhere to turn

my next move would be speaking to someone high up in midwifery and getting them to listen seriously

I would call the midwife and say it is 1+ even if it isn't quite, especially as you are so swollen. Its better to be a nuisance than in a medical emergency.
Your midwife knows your past history I assume and therefore that you are likely to get PE again?
Or go to A&E and exagerate so they at least check your BP.

BTW, i totally sympathise and think it is absolutely rotten you have genuine concerns and worries and feel you are having to fight for any help

is an IM out of your budget?

might be worth contacting local ones and seeing if they can offer sliding scale of fees or reduced fees for later booking, you need someone you can turn to who will lsiten

poor you

Hang on, you have a history of PE and are showing several of the symptoms and they are still telling you to shut up whining and run along?

You are 32 wks Pg which means your LO has a pretty good chance of being OK if he/she has to come out.
I suggest you go to a chemist shop that has one of those DIY test-your-BP machines, and test yours - and maybe just maybe, if you are starting to feel bad, tell the MW that your wee-sample-stick did show a +1.

Can you ring the labour ward and talk to them this morning.

You need your bloods taken today.

Where I work if someone has protein in their wee and their BP is raised they would get admitted. BP doesn't have to be sky high - just high for them. We worry about a reading 20 overtheir booking bp. So if at the start of preg your bp was 110/60 and now is 110/80 we'd be worried. Do you know how raised yours has been?

Pitting oedema like what you described is not good.

sometimes you have to exagerate because by the time they listen you've reached that stage anyjhow.

i had +3 before they admitted me,

my bp was 170/100,

and pitting,

did 24 hour collection and it came back with +1,

call the hospital and ask about 24h and bloods,

Hey NJ, no advice I'm afraid, just offering support.

Nightmare that you have had such a battle with the MW and GP's. I'm so for you, grrr!!

I know transport is a nightmare for you in terms of getting to the surgery, but can you ring and ask if there is a district nurse/MW/GP out on call or a pharmacist nearby that can do your BP?

Is DH around, or working?

Sorry have been sorting lunch out for the boys.

Stripeyknickers, BP was booked in at 13+4 at 100/70, on Tuesday (just gone) it was 130/80, I have no idea what that means, just what the MW said about it creeping up, and then the GP saying about it going over 140 (I take it he meant the top number going over 140?)

Lulu, I must have spoken to at least 5 different MW's (including ones from my 'team' and ones from the hospital) over the last 3 or 4 weeks, they are all absolutely rushed off their feet and just don't have the time to listen, really listen, everytime I have listed why I'm ringing, they will be cutting me off half way through, and I never get the bottom of the list of what's wrong! LOL I am starting to sound like one of those people who are never out of the GP's, and I am really nothing like that, perhaps if I'd have had more practice at being a PITA I'd have gotten somewhere by now?!

Teuch DH is working but should be home any minute, then we are off to get the pram and other bits, well, that was the plan, not sure now with this result on the protein stick. I don't know what to do with it?

Thanks to everyone else

Should I wait and do another stick?

I am so cross over this, last night I had a really bad headache and felt really sick, and was getting palpatations, and I didn't even dare ring to tell anyone about it because they just don't listen, as it was, it seems like it was just a one off because I am fine again this morning, but I shouldn't have to be worrying about it, should I? There I go again, moan moan moan.

Hi NatalieJane, I've seen a few of your posts before and can't believe how you're bring brushed off. I had PE in first pg (ds born at 34 weeks) and hope to god I would be taken more seriously in a second pg. Have you seen a consultant at all in this pg?

I would suggest you ring your mw, tell her the protein is +1 and ask her to redo your PET bloods. I was admitted with +1 and bp of 140/90. If you're getting nowhere with her maybe you could go straight to hospital, do you have a day assessment unit?

Lots of luck!

Forgot to say, automatic bp machines can give falsely low readings for pre-eclamptic women. So ideally if you have other symptoms you just get your bp checked by proper thing with stethoscope (don't know what they're called!).

You are not moan moan moaning! Keep at it until someone listens to you!

Nope, no consultant, they were going to put me under one at the begining of the pregnancy but I talked them out of it (I have real trouble being able to get to appt's.) wish I had have gone now though!

Thing is, I don't want to tell them something untrue (the +1 bit) because if this is just how this pregnancy is going and it isn't PE, then the last thing I want is either being admitted, or worse, being induced at 32 weeks etc. I can't win, if I leave it I could be putting the baby's life at risk, if I try and do something they ignore me, even if they listened and kept me in and there isn't anything wrong then it is just a waste of everyone's time, if they admit me and then decide to induce then that isn't exactly what I'm hoping for either!

I would laugh if I wasn't so bloody confused and pissed off!

I did ask one of the MW's about one the home BP monitor things and she said they were a waste of time. It wouldn't do me any good even if they did do a good job, I've no idea what the results mean!

The other side of course is that I know the BP doesn't have to be sky high, they only caught my BP up high once last time, by the time I'd got to the hospital it had gone back down, but they still induced me because of the other signs.

Swings and roundabouts - seem to be saying that a lot recently!

you must call and ask to speak to the head of midwifery or supervisor , if she is not available, ask the her secretary.. you have to pushy sometimes.

if there is an MSLC then contact the chair, they can help you

you are not going to be induced today if you go in, but you hsould have and must have more monitoring

I suppose they might admit you (although seems unlikely given mw's reaction so far...) but they definitely won't induce you on the basis of one urine stick you did yourself at home. They will want to double check with 24hr urine or at least a stick of their own!

What's MSCL?

I don't know what more monitoring they could offer, they always say "if this that or the other happens, or if you're worried ring/come back and we'll put your mind at rest" but like I said, when something happens and I ring I either get the brush off, or made to feel like I am just wasting their time (which evidently if they have done BP and wee and it is OK, then I am, but I am doing as they say, going back if somethings happens)

maternity services liasion committee

the chair has to be someone independent and not employed by the PCT or NHS, i was chairing th one at my local hospital

i have helped people make complaints or make sure their requirements reach the right ears

Oh I see. I don't really want to complain though, I know they aren't exactly falling over theirselves to help me out, but I do appreciate how busy they are, and I don't want to add more pressure to that.

I know that doesn't help me though.

Anyway, have gone wayyyyyy off topic, what do I about the result from the protein stick? Is a bit more than a trace, but not quite a +1, anything to worry about or not?