Our site uses cookies to make your experience on this site even better. We hope you think that is sweet.

Yes, I am okay. Know more
Planning for a baby?
Already Pregnant?
Have a Baby?
Have a Toddler?
Positive Parenting
Baby Names
Child Safety
Cord Blood
Life Skills
Premature Baby
Twins

Urine Test And Urine Culture During Pregnancy – What Does It Reveal?

5 min read

Pregnancy is a magical time that brings a new life into this world. As a saying goes “To be pregnant is to be vitally alive, thoroughly woman and undoubtedly inhabited.” To ensure that the woman is at the best of health, we must take various precautions, one of which is urinary hygiene. Continue reading to know all about Urine tests and Urine culture during pregnancy.
Urine test during pregnancy

What Is A Urine Test?

It is a routine test done by your doctor as part of your prenatal care

What Is The Need For Urine Tests During Pregnancy?
  • These tests necessarily provide your doctor the important information about diseases or conditions that could potentially affect you or your growing baby
  • Initially every woman undergoes a human chorionic gonodotropin (hCG) urine test, which is a pregnancy test to detect if the pregnancy hormone hCG is present in her urine about ten days after her missed period. These tests are often referred to as home pregnancy tests
How Is A Urine Test Done During Pregnancy?

A sample of clear midstream urine is placed in a plastic container which is sterile. Test strips containing a chemical are dipped into a sample of urine to screen for certain diseases. A sterile container is used to prevent samples from being contaminated with bacteria or other secretions that may invalidate the results.
If your doctor suspects some kind of infection, he will ask for more detailed analysis by sending the urine sample to the laboratory.

When Is A Urine Test Performed?

During the first prenatal visit, the doctor will perform a urine test and then periodiclally in the future prenatal visits. In some doctor offices, a urine test is a part of each pre natal visit.

What Can Urine Test Results Reveal?
  • Sugar
    • When a woman is pregnant, there is negligible or no sugar present in the urine. But when the levels of blood sugar in the body are very high, surplus sugar can leak in the urine. This is called gestational diabetes. This commonly occurs during the 20th week of pregnancy
    • When pregnancy hormones obstruct the ability of the body to use insulin which is a chemical that converts blood sugar into energy, it leads to gestational diabetes
    • It can also occur if there is a family history of diabetes
  • Protein
    • Protein in the urine indicates a urinary infection or an infection in the kidney. When such a situation occurs at the later stage of pregnancy say after 20 weeks of gestation, it can lead to high blood pressure and can be an early sign of preeclampsia. If left untreating, this can bring about complications for both the mother and the baby
    • On the other hand, if the pregnant woman is haing normal readings of blood pressure but still the levels of protein are high, then the doctors can order for urine culture to know which bacteria is causing an infection. This will help them to start the right mode of treatment
  • Bacteria
    • If bacteria is present in the Urine, then it indicates urinary tract infection. 8% of pregnant woman suffer from urinary tract infection
    • If this condition is not treated at the right time it can lead to kidney damage and can lead to delivering a low birth weight baby or a premature baby
    • This can be treated with antibiotics. There are antibiotics which are safe but it is better to consult a doctor before using them
  • Ketones
    • Instead of carbohydrates, when fats are broken down it results in acidic byproducts which are known as Ketones
    • If the levels of ketones in the urine are high, the doctor will try to evaluate the food habits of the pregnant woman. If the mother ot be is not getting enough to eat or drink, then it can result in high levels of Ketones. Once the food and drinking habits are corrected, the ketone levels will automatically come down
    • However, if the pregnant woman has severe nausea and vomiting along with high levels of ketones, she will need to be hospitalized in order to get the required nutrients intravenously
    • When the pregnant woman is diabetic and there is a large quantity of ketones in the urine, leading to a harmful condition called ketoacidosis which can cause a serious condition called diabetic coma

Urninalysis

What Is Urine Culture?

Urine culture is a test to find the type of bacteria in urine and provide the right type of antibiotic to treat the infection.

When Is A Urine Culture Required?

Doctor will ask a pregnant woman to take a Urine Culture in order to find out:

  • The bacteria that is causing urinary tract infection
  • To decide the correct antibiotic for treating the infection during pregnancy
  • In order to find out if the treatment has helped to completely clear up UTI

Usually a pregnant woman will be required to give her urine sample twice for urine culture. During the first time, urine culture will be done to know the bacteria that is causing an infection and the second time it is done to make sure the infection has cleared up completely so that there is no risk to both the mother and the baby.

How Is A Urine Culture Performed?
  • A sample of urine is collected and added to a substance that promotes the growth of bacteria. If there is no bacterial growth, then culture is said to be negative. If there is a growth of any organism, then the culture is positive. It can further reveal the exact bacteria that is growing and causing an infection
  • Results can be obtained in 2 or 3 days
  • An obstetrician may ask a pregnant woman to do a urine culture at several phases during her pregnancy as a precautionary measure
  • The presence of bacteria which leads to urinary tract infections can lead to premature labor
Symptoms Of Urinary Tract Infection During Pregnancy
  • Pain and discomfort usually in the lowerback and the abdominal area during pregnancy
  • Pain while urinating
  • Constant urge to pass urine
  • The urine is cloudy and at times pinkish which is because it is mixed with blood
Prevention Of A Urinary Tract Infection
  • With proper treatment, a urinary tract infection can be resolved within a span of 48 hours
  • The pregnant woman will advised to wear loose fitting undergarments
  • Keeping the vaginal area clean and dry
  • Proper hygiene is the foremost priority of preventing an infection from occurring

Presence of sugar, ketones, protein or bacteria in a woman’s urine during pregnancy can spell trouble for both the mother and her baby but early testing and proper treatment can help prevent any kind of complication. As the saying goes”A stitch in time saves nine”. It is advisable to do the above-mentioned urine tests and urine culture in order to have a safe and healthy pregnancy and a normal delivery of a healthy baby.
Did your doctor perform a urine test during your first prenatal visit? Did he order Urine Culture anytime during your pregnancy? Do share your experiences in the comments section below.

Responses (0)

Please check a captcha
Read this next

Mental Health Tips for New Parents

Becoming a parent is overwhelming. It's often something that we spend a long time looking forward to and preparing for - sometimes, far longer than the 40 weeks of pregnancy. But, no matter how prepared you think you are, when your baby arrives, everything changes. It's never quite what we expect, even when we're welcoming home our second or even third babies. It's more exciting, it's more work, and it's definitely more exhausting. It's just more. New parenthood is like an assault on your emotions, as well as your hormones. You are busy trying to take care of a new life, your hormone levels are off the charts, your whole world is turned upside down, and any hopes of a good night's sleep are long forgotten. It's no surprise that your mental health might take a hit. Here's a look at some of the things that you can do to boost your mental health in those astounding first days of parenthood. Rest When You Can One of the most unsettling elements of being a new parent is the tiredness. You thought you'd been tired before, but not like this. Even if your newborn sleeps well, they'll be up at least a couple of times in the night for feeds and changes, and you are unlikely to get more than....

3 min read

Everybody Look at Your Hands

How to encourage children to wash their hands   Being a parent during the COVID-19 pandemic is incredibly difficult. That’s not exactly a secret: everything from school to social engagements to birthdays has been fundamentally changed in 2020. This year it’s all about keeping our kids safe while at the same time allowing them to have as close to a normal childhood as possible. Other than completely locking down at home, there are few options for keeping them virus-free. Masks are playing a critical role in safety for everyone, adults and children alike. That’s why they’re mandatory at most schools and daycare centers, not to mention on playgrounds and other public areas where large numbers of people gather. The other surefire way to keep kids safe is making sure that they wash their hands whenever they enter our homes, and if they frequently use hand sanitizer in public spaces. This all makes sense on paper, but we all know that kids have minds of their own. It is one thing to tell a child that he or she needs to wash their hands, but that doesn’t always mean that they listen. This sort of limit testing is part of a normal childhood, but in 2020, it can have....

3 min read

Finding Ways to Help Kids Exercise

We all know just how important it is for kids to get their recommended dose of active exercise. It is essential for fundamental development, especially in a child’s early years. Research also has proven that kids who exercise at a young age have a better chance of keeping healthy habits later in their adult life.   Getting enough exercise.   Children have varying degrees of energy. While some have what could almost be called endless energy, others may be more lethargic. This is particularly true today, where there are a range of devices to keep kids sedentary.   From smart phones, tablets, to video games and TV, getting a kid outside can be a challenge. But it’s an important aspect to their wellbeing. Physical activity guidelines outline that children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years should do 1 hour or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily.   Make exercising fun   While these guidelines may seem impossible for some children, you shouldn’t lose hope! There are ways that can help you integrate exercise into your child’s life. One of the best ways of doing this is disguising physical activity as play.   Below....

3 min read

What to Feed the Baby in the First Year

The first year is always critical for the new baby. What will she eat, what will she wear, how to keep her safe, vaccinations… these are common questions all first-time parents ask. Food is, of course, very important because it is directly related to the development and the child’s growth. Babies breastfeeding will take between 8 and 12 feedings in a day. Those on formula foods will need between 6 and 10 feeds a day. Usually, solid foods will be introduced when the baby is around 6 months. Always remember, nutrition is key in the 1st year. Make sure to start a healthy eating habit quickly for your infant. But the feeding must always depend on the readiness of a child because every baby is different.     How Often an Infant Must Feed They are still very small, but they can know when feeling full or hungry. Feed her whenever she feels hungry. Each breastfeeding session is usually between 10-15 minutes. Formula and breastfeedings can be done deep into the night as well if the infant wakes up and cries because she is feeling hungry. Some parents add rice cereals to the bottle to make the baby sleep through the night. This is not recommended because it can easily....

5 min read

Want personalized reading and shopping suggestions for your exact stage of pregnancy?

Come on, sell the idea of signing up with us in two lines so well that they HAVE to sign up.

Sign Up
image

Want curated content sharply tailored for your exact stage of pregnancy?

Sign Up
Load More

165+ Services.

6+ Cities.

60K+ Parents Reviewed.

Explore Local Services.

Get regular updates, great recommendations and other right stuff at the right time.

Begin typing to search