In the event that the woman’s pregnancy proceeds normally, there are no deviations and reasons for concern, then the expectant mother should visit the gynecologist about 20 times. At each appointment, a urine test is given, which can say a lot about the condition and health of the woman. You need to understand what is the norm of urine analysis during pregnancy, how to pass it correctly, how the analysis is carried out and other subtleties that will help to get a complete and correct result.
General urine analysis
This is the most common and simple analysis that shows the general picture of the health and condition of the expectant mother. We know that the first analysis when contacting a doctor about pregnancy is blood, but in some cases, urine is also taken. It can determine whether a woman is pregnant. From the moment of confirmation of pregnancy and until the very birth, at least once a month, the expectant mother passes an analysis. The results of a general analysis of urine during pregnancy will be ready approximately 30 minutes after the material is delivered to the laboratory.
Why do I need to take a general analysis?
A general urinalysis is important, with which you can determine the work and functionality of the kidneys and the entire urinary system of the mother. The superiority of the study lies in the fact that it is easy to do; no efforts will be required from either the woman or the doctors. Moreover, the results provide complete information about the pregnant woman and her baby. Thanks to the analysis, the pregnancy process can be adjusted and supplemented by supportive measures.
Frequent delivery of the norm of urine analysis during pregnancy is due to the fact that during pregnancy, the kidneys experience a double load. All the baby’s metabolic products enter the mother’s blood through the umbilical cord. It is necessary to constantly remove them so that the body is not poisoned, here the kidneys come to the rescue. Also, the uterus with the growth of the child expands and compresses the abdominal organs, so you need to constantly monitor the work of the urinary system. If the kidneys and other organs are strongly compressed, stagnation of urine is formed, which will lead to swelling of the organs and the development of infections. During pregnancy, the expectant mother’s immunity is weakened, which means that there is a high risk of contracting infections or developing chronic diseases. That is why it is important to regularly take tests and see that the results correspond to the norm of urinalysis during pregnancy.
Urine will also help identify signs of the prenatal period, this is the so-called late toxicosis, which, without proper treatment, can harm the mother and baby.
Urine Collection Rules
How to pass a urine test during pregnancy correctly? In order for the results to be as informative and complete as possible, a number of recommendations must be followed, due to which urine collection and results will be correct.
For research in the laboratory, it is necessary to collect only morning urine, the first after waking up. It is necessary to collect in special plastic containers, which are either issued at the hospital, or they can be purchased at the pharmacy. This is necessary because plastic containers are sterile, disposable and easy to use. For a complete analysis, 50 ml of urine is needed. In this case, only that urine is collected, which is released at the end of the act of urination.
The process of transporting the analysis from home to the hospital (laboratory) is important. It is necessary to transport the container in a warm environment, low temperature (and this is already below 10 degrees) negatively affects urine and sediment appears. It is a sign of kidney failure of the expectant mother, so it will probably be misinterpreted by the laboratory staff. 12 hours before the collection, it is necessary to refuse to take vitamins, drugs and other things, otherwise serious deviations from the norm of urinalysis during pregnancy will be noticeable. Before taking the analysis, you need to wash and clean the genitals, because any microorganisms can get into the analysis and lead to an incorrect result. 10 hours before the delivery of urine, sexual intercourse should be abandoned, which will also affect the results. We determined how to pass a urine test during pregnancy correctly, then we proceed to assess the results.
Assessment criteria for urinalysis
In the laboratory, experts evaluate the state of urine according to several criteria, we list each of them in order to understand the essence of the study.
- The first step is to evaluate the color of the material, it should be yellow, despite the shades (there are many) - all this is the norm of the general analysis of urine during pregnancy. Of course, there may be deviations in color, for example, if a woman on the eve ate beets or cherries. If the expectant mother takes vitamins of yellow color, then the color will be the same - bright. As a result of the analyzes should be indicated at the norm: straw yellow or amber yellow.
- Transparency is an unconditional criterion, if there is turbidity, then this indicates the presence of bacteria or salts, even pus can be detected like this. The norm is full transparency.
- Urine density in comparison with the two previous conditions cannot be determined by external signs. The required rate is from 1010 to 1030 g per liter, an increase already indicates increased sugar, protein. The protein norm in the analysis of urine during pregnancy is zero, even if there are small amounts, for example, 0.033 grams per liter, indicates the presence of kidney disease. This disease is called proteinuria, it has 3 degrees. Mild - up to 0.5 grams per liter, moderate - up to 2 grams and severe - above 2 grams per liter. The main reason for abnormal protein in urinalysis during pregnancy is inflammation of the kidneys (nephritis), intense physical exertion, and poor nutrition.
- Urine acidity is an indicator that is affected by diet. Normal indicators are considered from 4.5 to 8 units, an increase indicates pathologies in the work of the kidneys. On the contrary, a decrease is about dehydration and a small amount of potassium in the body.
- The glucose indicator, like protein, should be reduced to zero. Any deviation indicates diabetes mellitus, disease, or prolonged early toxicosis. Also, bilirubin, urobilinogen and ketone bodies should not be detected.
- The white blood cell count in the analysis of urine during pregnancy ranges from 0 to 5 units. If they do not exist at all, this is an excellent result, but an excess of indicator 3 indicates an inflammatory process that develops in the body. Red blood cells should be a maximum of 2 units in the field of view (visible to the laboratory assistant).
We considered the criteria by which the presence of a number of diseases and developmental abnormalities is determined. In conjunction with the symptoms that a woman experiences, you can determine the presence and stage of the disease.
Urine sediment
The doctor may see urine sediment as external indicators. There are cases when this is normal, but sometimes it indicates the presence of a disease. The sediment can be seen in the urine, which stood near the windowsill in the cold or on the lower shelf in the refrigerator. Also, the sediment appears after active physical activity, a large amount of consumed plant or animal food. If the material has stood for a long time, for example, in the evening, then sediment may also appear in the morning.
In the case of diseases, the sediment speaks of kidney stones. First of all, it consists of red blood cells, small skin cells or white blood cells. This appears as a result of inflammatory processes, in the presence of bacteria and negative microbes. We examined the decoding and norms of urine analysis during pregnancy, which is investigated in general. There are additional, more detailed, detailed types of analyzes. Let's consider them in more detail.
Other studies
In practice, when conducting pregnancy, a woman regularly submits a general urine test, he does not need to spend a lot of effort, and the results are very indicative. Along with a general analysis, others are also being conducted, this is a Nechiporenko test, according to Sulkovich, according to Zimnitsky. In order to prescribe one of these samples, it is necessary to first pass a general analysis, then, if there are deviations, it is necessary to examine the material further. What tests of urine during pregnancy can still be prescribed to the expectant mother? Let us analyze the purpose and features of each of the above samples.
Sample by Nechiporenko
As we said earlier, in the general analysis of urine with an ideal indicator, red blood cells, white blood cells and cylinders appear only in sediment, together in the epithelium. The level of these elements and their norm is determined by analysis according to Nechiporenko. The content of the sediment that has appeared (namely, the elements) of which it consists is estimated in proportion to 1 ml of urine.
Deviations from the norm in the analysis of urine according to Nechiporenko during pregnancy indicate the presence of infections and inflammatory processes that affect the genitourinary system. The analysis also checks the function of the kidneys and bladder.
This type of test is used during the period of pregnancy when a general clinical analysis showed a deviation from the norm. The purpose of the Nechiporenko test is to obtain a complete clinical picture and processes that occur in the body of the future mother. If there is a suspicion of inflammation of the genitourinary system, this type of study is also prescribed. When evaluating the material received, the specialist focuses on the following indicators:
- White blood cells - their maximum threshold should not exceed 2000 per 1 ml of urine.
- Red blood cells - not more than 1000 in 1 ml.
- Cylinders - 20 or less per 1 ml.
Any deviation from these thresholds indicates violations in the body and requires additional diagnostic research.
Sulkovich test
This type of analysis is no less common than the previous one, but in contrast to it, it focuses not only on pregnant women, but also on any person (regardless of gender, age and other indicators). The most common object of study is the urine of a newborn baby; more adults donate urine for this test less often.
Thanks to the test, you can find out the level of calcium in the urine of a child, any deviation from the norm indicates the development of pathologies. Increasingly, the test allows you to accurately individually calculate the dosage of vitamin D for the newborn. Consider the indicators of the norm of daily urine analysis during pregnancy, which is studied according to Sulkovich.
Reference value from 1 to 2 points. This is the only and main indicator of the study. The normal development and course of pregnancy is expressed in 1 or 2 points. If the indicator is more - 3 or 4, then this suggests that the woman:
- diabetes;
- excess of vitamin D;
- leukemia or high white blood cell count;
- ulcerative colitis;
- neoplasms in the lungs or mammary glands;
- intake of vitamins in which there is trace element D, as well as a number of other diseases that a doctor can talk about.
If there are no points at all, this also indicates the presence of:
- lack of vitamin D;
- taking medications that reduce the amount of this vitamin;
- renal failure and other abnormalities.
Sample Zimnitsky
A very complex type of analysis, the main purpose of which is to obtain data on the throughput and concentration work of the kidneys. In other words, this type of test determines how many liters of urine can pass through a woman’s kidneys during the day. Especially important is the study during pregnancy, when the work of the kidneys is doubled, they have to display the decay products of both mother and baby.
In the urine, a bifurcation phenomenon is observed, when all the fluid is divided into primary and secondary. If during a urinalysis according to Zimnitsky it is determined that there are a lot of useful substances in the secondary urine, this indicates a violation. This means that in primary urine, on the contrary, there are very few such substances, and urine is not divided correctly. Like the previous types of diagnosis, this is necessary in cases where the clinical picture of the diseases of the pregnant woman is specified. What is the normal daily urine test for pregnancy in this study? First of all, glucose and polypeptides should be absent, if any, even a small amount, this indicates an inflammatory process.
Urine for this sample is collected during the day with an interval of 3 hours, a total of 8 servings. In the laboratory, a specialist also studies the density, the indicators of which are described earlier. If there are deviations, additional examinations are carried out.
Bakposev
The abbreviation LHC stands for bacteriological analysis. You can conduct such a study with blood, feces, not an exception, and urine. In the laboratory, experts examine the microscopy of the precipitate. If it contains bacteria, fungi in an amount that exceeds the norm, then this is called bacteriuria. This is an indication for a more detailed and complete study. It should be directed to a separate type of microorganism in the liquid. As a general rule, pregnant women give back sowing at 9-12 weeks, and the second time at 35 weeks. If necessary, analysis can be assigned more often. Consider decoding the result. If in the urine up to 1000 units of microbes per 1 ml of urine are detected, then, most likely, microbes from the genitals got into the material. In this case, treatment is not necessary.
If the number of microbes is 100,000 or more, then there is an infection in the body, which, if possible, is treated with antibiotics or other drugs.
The result from 1,000 to 100,000 is doubtful, in most cases a second one is appointed for verification. If the result is positive, then all types of microorganisms found in the urine are listed. Decryption in any case is performed by the attending physician.