You’ll be asked for a sample of urine at each clinic visit.

It’s tested for:

Protein

If there is protein in your sample, it may just be from vaginal discharge which got mixed into your urine when you had a wee; this happens a lot in pregnancy.

However, protein can also be a sign that you have a urinary infection such as cystitis or a kidney problem, which you have been unaware of.

In later pregnancy, if there is protein in your urine and you also have high blood pressure, this could be a first sign of pre-eclampsia, a condition which can cause premature labour.

You will be asked to provide another urine sample, this time from the middle of a wee (a mid-stream specimen of urine, MSU or MSSU). If there is still protein in this urine, then the sample will be sent to a laboratory for further tests.

Some hospitals may also check for:

Sugar

If there is a significant amount of sugar, you may be developing pregnancy diabetes and will be asked to have a glucose tolerance test to check.