26 weeks... and protein in urine and some swelling... any advice?

[lucy101]

Hi - just hoping someone might be able to give me a bit of advice.

I just had an ante-natal appointment and they found protein in the urine and I could see that my fingers had slightly swollen. My BP is good though 100/60.

Basically they told me (this isn't in the UK) that I shouldn't be doing anything stressful as I needed to take it easy to try and avoid pre-eclampsia.

Just wondering if any of you have had the same experience, how much should I worry, is there anything I have to do apart from take it slightly easier?

Have been working incredibly hard, the hardest in my life on a very challenging project since March so am pretty exhausted... but not done yet and am trying to decide whether I need to walk away from it right now.

It is complicated in that I am abroad working and really want to be home now! I also don't really like the hospital here (want to get back to my UK hospital) which makes the idea of having a prem baby or anything like that even more scary.

I was hoping to work until 34 weeks and then head back to the UK but feel that I may be pushing it (not the kind of work you can do gently or part time - it is pretty mentally gruelling).

Be great to hear some thoughts... advice... even if they are telling me what I think I know...

Hi,

I am 32 weeks and for a few weeks have been having slightly raised BP but without other symptoms. I do get swollen hands and feet though. They never mentioned what I can do to control it and suggested bi-weekly visits to DAU for monitoring. Did they do CTG in your hospital? They also do here a blood panel for preeclamsia (liver function etc). A friend of mine who had to have her baby delivered in emergency because of BP said that her blood results were fine but growth scans showed that her baby was not thriving. There are too many decisions that can be done by clinicians only and you need to have faith that yours are good enough. As to the project and finishing earlier you probably know already the answer you just might not like it.

Hi I had my dd by emer section at 36 weeks cos of preeclampsia in my last pregnancy. In this pregnancy at 28 weeks i had protein in my urine and have had swelling since 26 weeks, however my bp is fine so they are not concerned, even though i have had pre-eclampsia before. I am now 34 weeks and still have swelling but protein has gone, they put it down to me recovering from a chest infection. Have you had an infection or virus? Did they send your urine away to see if there was a urine infection, cos infections cause protein in urine as well.

Do be aware of the other symptoms of pre-eclampsia but the consultants werent overly concerned with the protein and swelling as bp was fine.

I would try and take it easy just in case but dont worry about it cos this makes bp go high

Hi i am 35 weeks and have slight protein in my water every time i go. Its normal for my body. I know this as had jaundice as a child and when they did all the test they established i had a higher protein count than most people but it was how my body functioned.

If i had not had jaundice i would never have known. But both pregnancies have been the same and for me its totally normal. You never know it could be normal for you!

But keep your eye on it and if your worried ring them and ask if you should be worried, how much protein was in your water, and what other signs should you look for?

i would jsut make sure you get your BP checked weekly and go in if you get any head aches at all or visual distrubances/flashing lights etc.

I had this at 23 weeks with DD1 and BP was fine for another 2 weeks then suddenly shot up over night, really bad headache etc - they could not control my bp with meds and I was induced due to 'severe rapid onset pre-elampsia' at 26 weeks (my organs were failing and I ended up in intensive care), sadly DD died shortly after birth as the preeclampia effected the function of the placenta and she was very small 1lb 1oz and poorly due to te PET and just not strong enough.

Don't want to worry you as it may just be swelling and poss slight urine infection etc but it can just come on over night and make you very ill very quick - so just keep an eye on that BP and read up on the symptoms just so you know what to be aware of!

Thanks everyone - for the reassuring posts and fairmum, I am so sorry for your horrible experience but thank you for sharing, but I am going to take it easy and take your advice.

I don't think it is a urine infection though as the bacteria tests came up clear...

Very sorry to hear about your sad loss fairimum.

This is funny; I was thinking of starting a thread asking about this, as yesterday I was diagnosed w/ slightly raised BP and slight protein in urine, as well as some swelling...however, I'm 35 weeks. I've been fine up till now.

My M/W assured me nothing- diet, stress- has any effect on whether you get pre-eclampsia-"it just happens".

Interested to hear the protein can go away,mummytopebs; I just read something in Miriam Stoppard's book suggesting that pre-eclampsia is kind of irreversible until the birth.

I've got to go in again tomorrow for checks; TBH I'm feeling a bit lip-trembly at the possibility that it might get bad, and I'll have to be induced in hospital rather than have the nice water birth I was hoping for....the M/W was a bit coy about the probability of this....