Pee Sticks

[annettemarie]

What is the technical name of the sticks you pee on at the midwife's and it tells you if you're throwing sugar, protein, etc? Can a "lay person" learn to use them?

[pamamidwife]

they're called urinalysis sticks.

I don't use them at all in my practice because I think they're pretty useless.

but, yes, anyone can use them. the trick is in interpreting the results, which rarely mean anything.

[annettemarie]

Really? I had a little protein in my urine this morning. No one seemed all that concerned, but I wondered if it was something I should keep an eye on. Thanks for the answer!

[Skrimpy]

Originally Posted by pamamidwife

they're called urinalysis sticks.

I don't use them at all in my practice because I think they're pretty useless.

but, yes, anyone can use them. the trick is in interpreting the results, which rarely mean anything.

Could you explain why you think they're pretty useless?

[pamamidwife]

because the findings on most are totally irrelevant and not of any significant value, in my opinion. examples:

protein: a very LATE sign of pre-eclampsia (RARE), but mostly found when women are dehydrated. if I suspect pre-e, I'm not going to waste time by doing a urine dip...I'm going to do a 24 hour urine collection and liver panel (blood work) instead.

glucose: glucose in the urine during pregnancy is not indicative of high blood glucose. the increased filtration of the kidneys sometimes causes glucose to spill in pregnant women. this is an example of using non-pregnant values for pregnant women - the physiology is different and it results in panic where there should be none

leukocytes: white blood cells normally found in vaginal discharge. pregnant women have increased discharge and many women have leukocytes in their urine during pregnancy. it is not a good indicator of infection at all.

nitrites: if a woman is spilling nitrites, then she has a bladder infection of some sort. nitrites are the by product of bacteria, but I'd rather do a clean catch than rely on a dipstick to confirm an infection. by doing a clean catch if we suspect an infection, the lab tells us not only which bacteria is present but also to what amount and what antibiotics would be effective against it if other remedies do not clear it up.

pH: every woman's pH is different. pH doesn't really matter in a dipstick.

ketones: women who are not eating enough for the amoutn of energy that they are putting out will spill ketones. sometimes non-pregnant diabetics will, too, along with high levels of glucose. however, a diabetic diagnosis during pregnancy requires BLOOD levels to be accurate, not urine levels of either ketones or glucose.



I often found that when doing urine dips, things would show up out of the range of normal and we'd end up discounting them every time. Many other countries have stopped doing urine dips during pregnancy, though it is customary practice to do a clean catch initally in pregnancy to rule out any overgrowth of bacteria that could result in asymptomatic urinary tract infections.

Hope that explains it. For me, it was just one more thing that I kept holding on to despite my gut because of the ritual of doing it (the old belief that the more I do, the more helpful I am to my clients). I carry sticks, but I haven't had any woman miss doing them.

[Emilie]

hmm. interesting!

[DreamsInDigital]

I've always had the same feeling about the urinalysis. I think as a pregnant woman you should be aware of what's normal for your body and discuss anything abnormal with a care provider. A dipstick doesn't provide nearly as much info as just speaking with your provider. Every time I've had glucose, it's been because I indulged in a little too much sugar. Every time I've had protein, my blood pressure was normal. Every time I've had ketones, I had skipped a meal to make it to my appointment on time.
All of these things are totally okay, and are among the many reasons that I decided to UP/UC. I know way more about what my body is doing than any test could possibly reveal, and I trust that I will be the first to know if anything is wrong.

[sea_joy]

not necissarily useful, not harmful

My midwife has me do them myself when I come in for appointments. More than anything they're just a way for me to confirm that I am really healthy. I suppose if something were a little off we'd chat and find out (like the lady above) that maybe I'd had too much sugar, or was dehydrated or whatever and she'd tell me to drink more water/eat less sugar. All in all she told me they aren't good detectors for problems, but they are a nice assurance if your healthy.......and I like reassurance!
Crystal

[Skrimpy]

Thanks for your thoughts on them Pam! (as I reply weeks late )

[Pandora114]

wow I can test for nitrites in my urine?

*grabs her little aquarium test kit*

Durr???