Is It Normal to Have Dark Urine During Pregnancy?

Before you got pregnant, you probably didn’t pay too much attention to the contents in your toilet bowl—but now that you’re expecting, you might very well find that the consistency and color of things can change, and it’s understandable to question what’s normal. So when you look down after peeing and see darker or murkier urine, you’ll probably wonder whether that’s a typical pregnancy urine color. Here’s the thing: It’s most likely not. Darker urine during pregnancy is usually related to being dehydrated, although it can also stem from certain medications and medical conditions, and even something you ate. Keep reading to learn what can cause dark urine during pregnancy, how to clear it up and when to see a doctor.

What Causes Dark Urine During Pregnancy?

If your pregnancy urine color is dark these days, you’re most likely just dehydrated. “The color of urine varies among individuals significantly but is highly regulated by the amount of water you drink,” says Temeka Zore, MD, a California-based ob-gyn and reproductive endocrinologist with Spring Fertility in San Francisco. “Urine should usually fall into the yellow spectrum and may vary in terms of ‘how bright’ or ‘yellow’ it appears based on hydration status. Darker yellow urine is common when you’re dehydrated because the urine is more concentrated.” For example, your first pee of the morning tends to be more concentrated and therefore looks darker than it would later on in the day. When you don’t drink enough water, she explains, your body retains more water and excretes less of it into urine, causing your pee to appear darker.

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Staying hydrated is important for everyone, but moms-to-be need to drink even more water than they did pre-pregnancy. That’s because your body needs water to form amniotic fluid, produce extra blood volume, build new tissue, carry nutrients, help indigestion and flush out your wastes and toxins. “Even if you think you’re drinking a lot, you may not be drinking enough,” says Karen Deighan, MD, FACOG, department chairperson of obstetrics and gynecology at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital of Loyola University Health System. Aim to drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water each day.

Making sure to drink enough fluids is particularly important for pregnant women suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, which is characterized by extreme nausea and vomiting and can make you severely dehydrated. About 1 in every 200 pregnant women experience this condition, and it usually occurs in the first trimester.

While dehydration is most likely the cause of dark urine during pregnancy, it can also be caused by certain medications, fruits and vegetables (such as beets or rhubarb) and medical conditions, such as a urinary tract infection, cholestasis of pregnancy, kidney stones, kidney disease and liver disease, among others.

Your pregnancy urine color can turn dark at any point, but you may see dark urine more often in your third trimester, Zore says, due to the fact that as baby grows and presses against your bladder, you tend to have to urinate more. “If you aren’t staying hydrated and you have more frequent bathroom trips, you may notice darker urine more often,” she explains.

How to Clear Up Dark Urine During Pregnancy

Hydration is key! As hard as it may be, make sure you’re drinking at least eight to 10 glasses of water daily. To make this task a little easier, Zore suggests carrying a water bottle around so you always have water handy. If you’re bored by the taste, try adding fresh fruit to give it a slight change in flavor. There are other healthy alternatives to water as well, such as sparkling water, coconut water, milk and pregnancy-friendly herbal tea.

When to See the Doctor About Dark Urine During Pregnancy

While dark urine during pregnancy is usually nothing to worry about, it’s still something you should mention at your next doctor’s visit. Until then, try to drink more water to see if that helps bring your pregnancy urine color back to that sunny yellow. If it doesn’t—or if you see any blood in your urine—you’ll definitely want to let your doctor know, Zore says, and they’ll be able to do additional work-ups to figure out what’s going on.

“Other symptoms that may be suggestive of a more serious issue include severe itching of the palms and soles of your feet in the second or third trimester, a history of kidney or liver disease or burning/pain with urination,” Zore says. If you’re experiencing any burning or pain when you pee, it could be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI), and if left untreated, it can lead to a kidney infection, which is very serious in pregnancy. “Urinary tract infections are common in pregnant women due to the changing anatomy in pregnancy,” Zore says, so it’s important to get treated right away if you suspect you may have one.

Temeka Zore, MD, is an ob-gyn, and reproductive endocrinologist practicing at Spring Fertility in San Francisco. She received her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine.

Karen Deighan, MD, FACOG, is an ob-gyn and the department chairperson of obstetrics and gynecology at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital of Loyola University Health System. She received her medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

Plus, more from The Bump:

How to Stay Hydrated During Pregnancy

The Deal with Frequent Urination During Pregnancy

How to Spot a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) During Pregnancy

How Does Your Urine Change When You’re Pregnant?

Pregnant women are also at a higher risk of urinary tract infections; up to 10 percent of women will develop at least one UTI throughout the course of her pregnancy. (7) UTIs occur when bacteria enter the urethra and infect the bladder, ureters, or the kidneys. Because muscle-relaxing hormones increase during pregnancy, bacteria have an easier time entering the urinary tract. Women who have a history of UTIs, have diabetes, have previously had children, or are overweight may also be at increased risk. (8)

Signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI) often include smelly urine, cloudy urine, and blood in urine. You may also experience UTI symptoms such as back pain, vomiting, nausea, fever, and chills if the infection has spread to the kidneys. (8)

Urinary tract infections should be taken seriously in pregnancy because they can severely affect your health and your baby’s health, and put you at risk for preterm delivery. To diagnose a UTI, your doctor may perform a urinalysis to detect the presence of bacteria, as well as test for white and red blood cells. UTIs are typically treated with a round of antibiotics, and sometimes more serious kidney infections must be treated with intravenous medication at a hospital. (8)

Pregnant women can also prevent UTIs or speed their recovery by drinking plenty of fluids, emptying their bladder before and after sex, keeping the vaginal area clean, and emptying their bladder thoroughly while urinating. Wearing cotton underwear, avoiding tight pants or leggings, avoiding bubble baths, and wiping front to back after bowel movements can also prevent UTIs. (9)

Pregnancy and Group B Strep Disease

Sometimes a urinary tract infection can be a sign that a woman has group B streptococcus (GBS), a bacterium that often lives in the intestines or lower genital tract. Though GBS is less likely to cause infections in adults, it can spread to infants during delivery and cause group B strep disease in newborns.

Sometimes GBS has an early onset, with newborns experiencing symptoms like fever, lethargy, and difficulty feeding within a week after birth. Or the newborn can develop late-onset symptoms of group B strep disease within a few weeks or months after birth. (10)

Pregnant women are tested for GBS in late pregnancy, typically between weeks 35 and 37, via a vaginal and rectal swab. If a woman tests positive, the antibiotic penicillin is given to her during labor to prevent early-onset GBS infection in newborns. (11)

The Importance of Urine Testing During Pregnancy

Your healthcare provider will conduct a urinalysis at your first prenatal appointment and then several times throughout your pregnancy. Testing may be done to monitor for bladder or kidney infections, dehydration, and diabetes. (12)

High protein levels in your urine may indicate that you have a urinary tract infection or more serious kidney disease. Your healthcare provider may also screen for high levels of proteins and sugars in your urine to test for preeclampsia, a condition marked by high blood pressure that can cause damage to the liver and kidneys. Additional signs of preeclampsia might include swelling of the hands and face. (12)

Large amounts of sugar in the urine may indicate gestational diabetes, which typically develops in the second trimester. Additional signs of gestational diabetes may include fatigue, excessive thirst, and weight loss. (13)

The level of ketones in urine may also be evaluated during pregnancy. Ketones are chemicals produced by the liver when the body lacks sufficient energy to convert sugar into energy. If you have a high level of ketones in your urine when pregnant, you may not be getting sufficient nutrition or may be experiencing dehydration. (12)

Pregnancy urine colour: Here’s what it can indicate about your health, Lifestyle News

If you are pregnant, you must have noticed a distinct change in the colour of your urine.

Typically, pregnancy urine colour can change from yellow to a brighter or darker shade of yellow. Such changes not only indicate pregnancy health but also alert you of any complications over the course of nine months.

It is, therefore, very important to monitor the changes in your urine colour and immediately report any abnormality or discomfort to your medical practitioner.

What Your Urine Colour Says About Your Health

The yellow colour in your urine is due to the pigment urochrome, which is also known as urobilin. The appearance of this pigment depends on the consistency of your urine. If your urine is diluted (when you are hydrated), the pigment in your urine will be of a lighter shade. However, if your urine is in concentrated form, the pigment will have a darker shade.

The colour and smell of your urine can also tell you a lot about your health, especially while pregnant. It is very important to monitor the colour and do regular tests that can help you and your baby stay healthy during pregnancy. Let’s look at what the colour of your urine can indicate about your health during pregnancy.

Opaque yellow

Normally healthy pregnant mothers will have pale yellow urine. However, when the colour changes to opaque yellow, it can be a sign that you may not be drinking adequate water. Remember, pregnant women need to drink more water than normal (8-10 glasses minimum), and your urine can tell you whether you’re getting enough fluids.

Cloudy yellow

If the colour of the urine turns to cloudy yellow like tea, and lasts for a while, accompanied by pain and other discomforts, you need to immediately fix an appointment with your doctor. It could indicate an underlying medical condition.

Dark yellow urine

When your urine is dark yellow and is accompanied by symptoms of jaundice, fatigue, and upper stomach pain, then you are likely to be suffering from liver diseases.

Reddish brown

During pregnancy, if there is reddish-brown urine with painful urination, prolonged urination, you may have urinary inflammation. In the case of brown urine, it may be from kidney stones, kidney tumours, polycystic kidneys. Consult your doctor for immediate treatment.

Light green

This is a normal phenomenon because pregnant mothers eat coloured foods such as asparagus and other green vegetables. The colour is likely to return to normal when she doesn’t consume these foods.

Pale blue

If the urine is pale blue with some other symptoms, there is a risk that the mother has urinary tract infection. This can be especially dangerous if you’re in your third trimester and therefore, needs immediate medical attention.

Why does urine change colour during pregnancy

There could be many reasons why your urine looks different during pregnancy. from what you eat, to medications you’re on, to even infections you may have contracted.

Diet

Your pregnancy diet will include a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and other healthy foods. Certain fruits and vegetables can bring about a change in the colour of your urine during pregnancy.

Medicines

Sometimes a pregnant woman’s body cannot break down the vitamins in their entirety. The absorbed vitamins and other supplemented nutrients are discarded from the body through urine, which could cause a darker shade of urine.

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Dehydration

The intake of water also decides the colour of your urine during pregnancy. Another cause of dehydration is a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition characterised by severe morning sickness, nausea, and weight loss.

Urinary Tract Infection

An infection in the urinary tract can also bring about a change in the colour of your urine. A urinary tract infection (UTI) should be treated seriously, as it can have serious consequences like premature labour or an underweight baby.

Kidney diseases

Any disorder in the kidneys can also result in a change in the colour of urine. You may find it looking darker than usual or even thicker in consistency.

Here’s When To See A Doctor

A woman’s body goes through several changes, not only physically, but emotionally when she becomes pregnant. Sometimes a change in the urine’s colour could result in minor changes in your daily life, like taking vitamin tablets or not drinking sufficient water.

However, the colour needs to be monitored closely as it can sometimes be a cause of a severe condition. A burning sensation while urinating could indicate a UTI. Testing is also required to monitor other complications like bladder or kidney infections, dehydration, and diabetes.

Relax and enjoy your pregnancy. Don’t stress about little things, but monitor your health and watch out for the red flags. And it is very important to keep your medical practitioner in the loop all throughout your pregnancy.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.

Dark urine during pregnancy – Ovia Health

Dark urine is just what it sounds like – urine that is darker than normal. Although dark urine can be scary, it’s very common during pregnancy due to a number of factors.

What causes it?

In a word, dehydration. The better-hydrated a person is, the more clear their urine, and vice versa. However, dehydration during pregnancy can have a number of different causes, including:

• Increased blood volume: blood volume increases by as much as 50% during pregnancy, so your water needs will rise accordingly. If you didn’t drink a ton of water before getting pregnant, chances are you’ll need to up your intake during pregnancy.
• Increased need to pee: because your baby might press squarely against your bladder, it’s very common to notice an increased need to pee. If you are peeing every 15 minutes, but not drinking enough water to replenish your body’s stores, you may notice dark urine.
• Morning sickness or hyperemesis gravidarum: vomiting rids your body of a lot of water, and if you’re feeling nauseated all the time, it can be tough to get down as much water as you need.

Tips

If you notice dark urine, you should increase your water intake. Usually, adequate hydration will solve the issue and help bring your urine back to a more recognizable color.

If you are drinking a lot of water (think over 64 oz each day) and still noticing dark urine, it’s a good idea to mention it to your healthcare provider, as they may recommend an IV to get your fluids, especially if you’re having trouble keeping food or liquids down.

Read more

Sources

• Sir John Dewhurst. Dewhurst’s Textbook of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 8th ed. Keith Edmonds. John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2012. Print.
• Susan Storck et al. “Fetal Development.” U.S National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus, 9/30/2013. Web.
• Mayo Clinic Staff. “First trimester pregnancy: what to expect.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 4/22/2014. Web.

What Is Preeclampsia? Signs, Causes, Complications, Treatment

When your doctor checks your blood pressure and asks for a urine sample at each prenatal visit, he or she is partly checking for signs of preeclampsia. While pregnancy-induced high blood pressure isn’t very common, left untreated, it can lead to potentially dangerous complications for both you and your baby.

Fortunately, the condition is almost invariably caught early on and managed successfully, as long as you’re receiving regular medical care. With appropriate and prompt treatment, women with preeclampsia late in pregnancy have virtually the same excellent chance of having a healthy pregnancy and baby as those with normal blood pressure.

What is preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a disorder that generally develops after week 20 of pregnancy and is characterized by a sudden onset of high blood pressure. You may or may not also experience other symptoms, including protein in the urine and severe swelling of the hands and face. 

When the condition — also known as pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or toxemia — is diagnosed before 32 weeks of pregnancy, it’s referred to as early-onset preeclampsia.

Unmanaged preeclampsia can prevent a developing fetus from getting enough blood and oxygen and damage a mother’s liver and kidneys.

In rare cases, untreated preeclampsia can progress to eclampsia, a much more serious condition involving seizures, or HELLP, another serious syndrome that can lead to liver damage and other complications.

How common is preeclampsia?

An estimated 5 to 8 percent of pregnant women in the U.S. are diagnosed with preeclampsia. The condition tends to be more common in Black and Hispanic women than white women.

Who is most at risk of having preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is more common in first pregnancies, which are generally classified as high-risk once the condition is identified.

If you’ve been diagnosed with preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy, there’s a roughly 1 in 3 chance of developing the condition in a future pregnancy. The risk increases the earlier you’re diagnosed in your pregnancy, or if you’re diagnosed with preeclampsia during your first pregnancy.

The following factors have also been connected with women who are diagnosed with preeclampsia: 

What are the symptoms of preeclampsia?

At each prenatal visit, your practitioner should check you for the following signs of preeclampsia:

• A rise in blood pressure (to 140/90 or more) if you’ve never had high blood pressure before
• Protein in the urine
• Severe swelling of the hands and face
• Severe swelling of the ankles (edema) that doesn’t go away
• Severe headache that doesn’t respond to acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Vision changes, including blurred or double vision
• Sudden excessive weight gain unrelated to eating
• Abdominal pain, particularly in the upper abdomen
• Rapid heartbeat
• Scant or dark urine
• Exaggerated reflex reactions
• Abnormal kidney function
• Lower levels of platelets in your blood (thrombocytopenia)
• Abnormal nausea or vomiting 
• Shortness of breath caused by fluid in the lungs

Many symptoms of preeclampsia, like weight gain and edema, can be normal in a perfectly healthy pregnancy. That’s why it’s so important to regularly see your doctor, who can monitor symptoms and, if necessary, order tests to make a definitive diagnosis.

Also keep in mind that high blood pressure on its own, whether you had it before pregnancy or it developed following conception, is not preeclampsia.  

What causes preeclampsia?

No one knows for sure what causes preeclampsia, although experts believe it begins in the placenta as your body amps up your blood production to support your growing baby. A decreased blood supply to the placenta in some women may lead to preeclampsia. 

There are a number of theories for preeclampsia causes, including:

• A genetic link. The genetic makeup of a fetus could predispose a pregnancy to preeclampsia. That means if your mother or your partner’s mother had preeclampsia during their pregnancies with either of you, you may be somewhat more likely to have it yourself when you’re expecting. Because a family history also increases the risk, your own genetics may play a role as well. 
• A blood vessel defect. During pregnancy your body has to create extra blood vessels to send blood to your baby and placenta. In some women, these cells don’t develop or function properly, leading to preeclampsia. Since having preeclampsia during pregnancy increases the risk of having a cardiovascular condition later in life, faulty blood vessels might indicate a predisposition to high blood pressure in some women.
• Gum disease. Having severe gum disease more than doubles the likelihood of a preeclampsia diagnosis. Experts don’t know if periodontal disease itself causes preeclampsia or if the conditions are simply linked. But they think it may be that the infection causing gum disease migrates to the placenta or produces chemicals that cause preeclampsia. 
• An immune response. The baby and placenta are both foreign objects that seep up nutrients from your body. It’s possible that in women with preeclampsia, the body becomes sensitized to these “invaders” and reacts in a way that can damage blood and blood vessels. Having a partner with more similar genetic markers seems to increase the likelihood of this response.

How is preeclampsia diagnosed?

Regular prenatal care is the best way to catch preeclampsia in its early stages. Being alert to preeclampsia symptoms and alerting your practitioner if you notice them, especially if you have a history of hypertension before pregnancy, helps your doctor diagnose the condition sooner. 

Your doctor is not looking for one symptom but a pattern of symptoms. Protein in the urine, for example, is a symptom — but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have preeclampsia. 

If your practitioner suspects you have preeclampsia, he or she will give you blood and urine tests. Your doctor will also check to see how well your blood clots and may perform an ultrasound and fetal monitoring to ensure the health of your baby.

To make a preeclampsia diagnosis, your health care provider will look for the following symptoms:

• High blood pressure (more than 140/90 mm Hg) 
• Protein in your urine (proteinuria)
• Other signs of kidney problems
• A blood platelet count of less than 100,000 mL
• Abnormally high liver enzymes, suggesting impaired liver function
• Fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
• New headaches or visual disturbances

What are the possible complications of untreated preeclampsia?

If preeclampsia is left untreated, it can:

• Progress to eclampsia, a much more serious pregnancy condition that results in seizures and other more serious consequences for you and your baby
• Cause HELLP syndrome, another more serious condition that can result in complications including liver damage without prompt treatment. HELLP, which can happen on its own during pregnancy or in conjunction with preeclampsia, is characterized by low red blood cell count, elevated liver enzymes and clotting problems.
• Cause preterm delivery
• Cause intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)
• Cause placental abruption, or early separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus
• Damage your liver and kidneys

Having preeclampsia puts you at greater risk later in life of kidney disease and heart disease, including heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure. It also puts you at a higher risk of developing preeclampsia in subsequent pregnancies.

Remember, as long as you’re regularly seeing your doctor, you’ll receive a prompt diagnosis and treatment — which gives you the same great odds of having a healthy pregnancy and birth as women with normal blood pressure.

Can you prevent preeclampsia?

As with most pregnancy-related complications, the best way to prevent preeclampsia is to keep up on all your prenatal appointments, where you can bring up any conditions you’re experiencing and your doctor can do a thorough exam. Other ways to decrease your risk of preeclampsia include:

• Eating healthy. That means watching your caloric intake (most pregnant women only need 300 to 500 extra calories a day staring in the second trimester and if pregnant with twins or multiples 600 extra calories a day), with plenty of high-fiber fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat protein and dairy. Good intake of magnesium, in particular, may reduce preeclampsia risk (a square of dark chocolate is a surprisingly good source). Aim to limit or avoid foods that aren’t healthy for any pregnancy, such as sugary or processed foods.
• Exercising. Talk to your doctor about how much exercise you should be getting; many suggest 30 minutes of moderate activity (such as a walk after lunch and dinner) a day.
• Watching your weight. Gaining the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy has lots of benefits for you and your baby, including reducing your risk of preeclampsia. Keep in mind that while it’s helpful to lose weight before you conceive if you’re overweight or obese, it’s never a good idea to try and lose weight during pregnancy. One study of women with a history of preeclampsia found that weight loss between pregnancies reduced the risk of recurrent preeclampsia in those who were of normal weight, overweight or obese.
• Managing chronic conditions. Chronic hypertension and diabetes are risk factors for preeclampsia, so it’s important to work with your doctor to keep these under control.
• Talking to your doctor about aspirin. For high-risk women — those who’ve had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy, are carrying multiples, have an autoimmune disease, or have high blood pressure or diabetes at the outset of pregnancy — taking a low-dose aspirin (81 mg) a day starting at week 12 of pregnancy may reduce preeclampsia risk. Before you take any medications during pregnancy, check with your doctor.
• Caring for your teeth. Some research has indicated that women with a history of periodontal disease are at increased risk of preeclampsia. So to be on the safe side, maintain good oral hygiene before and during pregnancy, which includes flossing daily and visiting your dentist every six months.
• Taking your prenatal vitamin. One more reason to pop that prenatal vitamin every day: It contains vitamin D, and some research has indicated that being vitamin D deficient increases your risk of preeclampsia, although other studies haven’t made the connection. Ask your doctor whether vitamin D supplements could lower your chances of getting preeclampsia. Calcium defiency has also been linked to a higher risk of the condition, so taking your prenatal every day will also ensure that you’re getting enough of that nutrient. If you don’t have enough calcium in your diet or vitamin, check with your practitioner to see whether a calcium supplement might be in order.

How preeclampsia is treated

Preeclampsia doesn’t go away on its own until your baby is born. It’s important to get treated for preeclampsia right away to keep it from progressing to a more serious condition like eclampsia or HELLP syndrome. 

While you can keep preeclampsia in check, the only way to cure the condition is by delivering your baby. Otherwise, treatments to manage preeclampsia depend on the severity of the condition.

For mild cases

In 75 percent of cases, preeclampsia is mild, though it can progress to severe preeclampsia or eclampsia quickly if it’s not promptly diagnosed and treated. 

Your doctor will probably recommend the following measures:

• Regular blood and urine tests to check platelet counts, liver enzymes, kidney function and urinary protein levels that indicate whether the condition is progressing
• A daily kick count in the third trimester
• Blood pressure monitoring
• Dietary changes, including eating more protein, veggies, fruits and low-fat dairy and less salt and drinking at least eight glasses of water a day
• Possibly, some form of bed rest, with the goal of prolonging the pregnancy until labor and delivery is safer 
• Possible initial hospitalizations to monitor the progression or stability of the symptoms, along with the possible administration of corticosteroids to help improve fetal development
• Early delivery (with induction or possibly C-section) as close to 37 weeks as possible

How to Count Your Baby’s Kicks

For more severe cases 

In severe preeclampsia, your blood pressure is much higher on a more regular basis. Managing the condition helps reduce the risk of organ damage and other more serious complications.

You’ll usually be treated in the hospital, where your doctor may suggest:

• Careful fetal monitoring, including nonstress tests, ultrasounds, heart rate monitoring, assessment of fetal growth and amniotic fluid assessment
• Medication to lower your blood pressure (antihypertensives)
• The anticonvulsant medication magnesium sulfate, an electrolyte that may help prevent progression to eclampsia
• Early delivery, often once you’ve reached 34 weeks of pregnancy and your condition is stable; your doctor may give you corticosteroids to help mature your baby’s lungs to deliver him right away, regardless of gestational age

Preeclampsia after birth

Most cases of preeclampsia resolve at baby’s birth. Rarely, preeclampsia symptoms appear within 48 hours after delivery, although postpartum preeclampsia can happen up to six weeks following a baby’s arrival. It’s more common in those who had preeclampsia during pregnancy, affecting an estimated 4 to 6 percent of those women.

Postpartum preeclampsia symptoms are similar to those you’d experience during pregnancy (including high blood pressure and vision changes). It’s essential to let your doctor know if you notice these symptoms.

Left untreated, postpartum preeclampsia can cause many of the same complications as prenatal preeclampsia (such as progression to eclampsia and HELLP syndrome). Your doctor will likely treat you with blood pressure medications along with magnesium sulfate to prevent seizures.

Is Bright Yellow Urine a Sign of Pregnancy?

Has your urine changed color, and are wondering, is bright yellow urine a sign of pregnancy?

Apart from blood, urine is a key player when it comes to pregnancy tests.

In fact, the doctor will probably ask for a urine sample to test for pregnancy.

Over the counter testing kits also use urine, allowing you to have a private pregnancy test.

But before taking the test, can your urine color help you determine whether you are pregnant or not?

More specifically, is bright yellow urine a sign of pregnancy?

Normal Urine Color

The normal urine color ranges from deep amber to a pale yellow shade and, sometimes, colorless.

Generally speaking, urine color is a pale yellow color due to the chemical Urobilin. 

Urobilin results from the breaking down of heme from hemoglobin during the destruction of aging blood cells.

It ends up as a waste product in your urine. However, this ‘normal’ color differs depending on your hydration level. 

The more you take, the more hydrated you are and the clearer your urine.

Dehydration, on the other hand, results from taking little to no water. It causes your urine to have an amber color. 

Apart from water, the food you consume and medications might also play a role in your urine color.

The pigmentations in particular foods like berries, beets, or fava beans affect the color of urine.

These can result in a red or pink urine color, which can indicate an underlying medical condition.

Medications can turn your urine into various colors, like red, pink, orange, blue, green, or dark brown.

If you experience this and are not under any medication, we would advise you to seek immediate medical attention for proper examination and diagnosis.

Why Bright Yellow Urine Color?

There are times when your urine is bright yellow. In that case, you can consider the below as the reasons:

Consuming lots of vitamin B foods and supplements

Vitamin B in our bodies helps produce energy and essential molecules in our body cells, which play a big part in your overall body functions.

Surplus vitamin B’s in our body is harmless, so this doesn’t call for you to reduce their intake.

Foods such as beef, salmon, turkey and chicken, eggs, milk, and legumes have amounts of vitamin B.

Vitamin B supplements should be taken only on a doctor’s prescription.

Yout diet is the best source of these vitamins.

Vitamin B is highly soluble in water. They are not stored in the body but are excreted through urine.

The bright yellow comes from excess riboflavin, a vitamin B, whose chemical structure has a flavin-ring structure that impacts a yellow color to the molecules.

When metabolized, the excess flavin impacts a bright yellow color to the pee.

Dehydration

Not drinking a lot of water as needed by your body may change your pee’s color to a bright yellow.

Urine and Pregnancy: Is Bright Yellow Urine a Sign of Pregnancy

Pregnant women tend to pee a lot, and this is usually a great indication of pregnancy.

The amount of blood in the body increases during pregnancy, resulting in the kidney processing extra fluid in the bladder.

But it does not necessarily result in a bright yellow color in the pee.

Excessive vitamins and dehydration can change your pee’s color to a bright yellow, so that does not necessarily presume you’re pregnant.

Having the right information, in this case, will grant you better conclusions to your hope or doubts.

So, is bright yellow urine a sign of pregnancy? 

If you suspect or hope you are pregnant, taking the pregnancy test will prove more useful.

Check for other common signs and symptoms such as missed periods, nausea with or without fatigue, or tender, swollen breasts.

You should also ensure you are hydrated at all times and keep your urine from turning bright yellow.

Related Post: What To Do About Unsupportive Partner During Pregnancy

Frequently Asked Questions

What Color Is Pregnancy Urine?

During pregnancy, the urine color depends on hydration levels, diet, medications, or even overall health.

Typically, pregnancy urine color is usually a brighter or darker shade of yellow.

Constantly monitor the changes in the urine color for any abnormality or discomfort you may experience.

Anything different should alert you of any complications, and you should seek medical advice.

What Urine Test Indicates Pregnancy?

Human chorionic gonadotropin ( hCG ) urine test is a standard test to check if you are pregnant. It scans your pee for the hCG hormone.

The female body creates the hCG hormone after implantation and can be detected 24 hours after missing your period.

The hCG levels increase rapidly up to the second month of pregnancy and then moderately decrease until birth.

You can take the hCG test at home through kits. It’s quick and easy to use, and accurate if you heed the directions.

You can follow up on the results by seeing your doctor.

Why Is My Pee Smelly When Pregnant?

During pregnancy, women have an increase in hCG hormone. hCG hormone can cause urine to have a strong odour.

Alternatively, most women have a sharp sense of smell during pregnancy. The increased sensitivity to smell can make you think that your urine has a strong odour.

Dehydration which is also common during early pregnancy causes uric acid levels in the body to increase. This can also cause a strong odour in your pee.

It’s essential to stay hydrated throughout. Water will dilute the uric acid and reduce the chances of a foul smell. 

How Soon Do Pregnancy Symptoms Start?

It takes about 14 to 21 days after sex for pregnancy to happen.

Every woman is different. Some may notice the signs after a week, and others may not notice until the first few months.

A missed period is typically the first sign of pregnancy.

However, after 2 weeks after conception, even before you miss your period, breasts may feel tender, sore or sensitive.

Cramping, fatigue and morning sickness are typical early pregnancy symptoms.

Pregnancy tests and ultrasounds are the most accurate way to determine if you are pregnant.

Is It Normal To Have Blood In Urine During Pregnancy?

Bleeding is relatively common during specific points along with the pregnancy period.

3/10 women experience bleeding in their first trimester and 1/5 at some point throughout the entire pregnancy period.

Urinary Tract Infections ( UTI ) are common during pregnancies and could cause blood in the urine.

Other causes might be kidney stones, kidney injury from a fall or accident, sickle cell anaemia or, unfortunately, a miscarriage.

If you are pregnant and notice blood in your urine, always consult your doctor or gynaecologist. 

How Long Do You Start Peeing A lot In pregnancy?

Frequency urination is a common symptom in early pregnancy.

Depending on a woman’s body, for some, it’s one of the earliest signs that starts around the first trimester, around the time you would be having your period.

Later during the pregnancy, most women find the urge to urinate even with more frequency. 

It could be a result of an increase in the amount of blood in your body. The kidneys need to produce extra fluids to process this flow.

Also, as your baby gets bigger, the weight puts pressure on your bladder, so you will have to go several times. 

Related Post: Can Cinnamon Cause Miscarriage

Iesha is a loving mother of 2 beautiful children. She’s an active parent who enjoys indoor and outdoor adventures with her family. Her mission is to share practical and realistic parenting advice to help the parenting community becoming stronger.

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Signs and Symptoms of Preeclampsia and Why It’s Important to Monitor

Signs of Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia can be scary because its symptoms often aren’t noticed. In fact, if you have preeclampsia, the first time you may have any indicator something’s wrong will be at your regular prenatal appointments when your doctor screens your blood pressure and urine. Because preeclampsia can mimic regular pregnancy symptoms, regular prenatal visits with your doctor are critical.

Signs (changes in measured blood pressure or physical findings) and symptoms of preeclampsia can include:

• High blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure is one of the first signs you’re developing preeclampsia. If your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, it may be time to become concerned. Even if you’re not developing preeclampsia, high blood pressure can indicate another problem may be happening. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may recommend medications and ask you to monitor your blood pressure at home between visits.
• Lower back pain related to impaired liver function.
• Changes in vision, usually in the form of flashing lights or inability to tolerate bright light.
• Sudden weight gain of more than 4 pounds in a week.
• Protein in the urine (proteinuria). Preeclampsia can change the way your kidneys function, which causes proteins to spill into your urine. Your doctor may test your urine at your prenatal visits. If you’re showing signs of preeclampsia, you may also be asked to collect your urine for 12 or 24 hours. This will give your doctor more accurate results for how much protein is in your urine and can help him or her diagnose preeclampsia.
• Shortness of breath.
• Increased reflexes, which your doctor may evaluate.
• Swelling (edema). While some swelling is normal during pregnancy, large amounts of swelling in your face, around your eyes, or in your hands can be a sign of preeclampsia.
• Nausea or vomiting. Some women experience nausea and vomiting throughout their pregnancy. However, for most women, morning sickness will go away after the first trimester. If nausea and vomiting come back after mid-pregnancy, it can be a sign you’re developing preeclampsia.
• Severe headaches that don’t go away with over-the-counter pain medication.
• Abdominal pain, especially in the upper right part of your abdomen or in your stomach.

Who’s at risk?

While it’s impossible to tell which expecting mothers will develop preeclampsia, you may be at risk if the following factors are present:

• A multiple pregnancy (twins or more)
• History of preeclampsia
• A mother or sister who had preeclampsia
• History of obesity
• High blood pressure before pregnancy
• History of lupus, diabetes, kidney disease, or rheumatoid arthritis
• Having in vitro fertilization
• Being younger than 20 or older than 35

Complications of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia can affect both mother and baby. These complications might include:

• Preterm birth. The only way to cure preeclampsia is to deliver your baby, but sometimes delivery can be postponed to give your baby more time to mature. Your doctor will monitor your pregnancy and preeclampsia symptoms to determine the best time for your baby to be delivered in order to preserve your health and the health of your baby.
• Organ damage to your kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, or eyes.
• Fetal growth restriction. Because preeclampsia affects the amount of blood carried to your placenta, your baby may have a low birth weight.
• HELLP syndrome. HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count) syndrome is a severe form of preeclampsia that can be life-threatening for you and your baby. HELLP syndrome damages several organ systems at once.
• Eclampsia. Uncontrolled preeclampsia can turn into eclampsia. It includes all of the same symptoms of preeclampsia, but you’ll also experience seizures. Eclampsia can be dangerous for both mother and baby. If you’re experiencing eclampsia, your doctor will deliver your baby no matter how far along you are.
• Cardiovascular disease in the future. Your risk of cardiovascular disease increases if you have preeclampsia more than once or if you’ve had a preterm delivery.
• Placental abruption happens when the placenta separates from the wall of your uterus before your baby is delivered. It causes bleeding and can be life-threatening for you and your baby.

Treatment options for preeclampsia

Your doctor will treat your preeclampsia based on how severe your symptoms are, how far along you are, and how well your baby is doing. When monitoring your preeclampsia, your doctor may recommend regular blood pressure and urine testing, blood tests, ultrasounds, and non-stress tests. He may also recommend:

• Treatment with betamethasone, a steroid that will help mature your baby prior to delivery if you’re still early (< 37 weeks) in your pregnancy
• Delivery of your baby if your symptoms are severe or if you’re at 37 weeks or more.
• Modified bed rest at home or in the hospital if you’re not yet at 37 weeks, and if your and your baby’s conditions are stable.

Preeclampsia generally worsens as pregnancy goes on, so your doctor’s recommendations may change, depending on your health and the health of your baby.

Seek care right away

To catch the signs of preeclampsia, you should see your doctor for regular prenatal visits. Call your doctor and go straight to the emergency room if you experience severe pain in your abdomen, shortness of breath, severe headaches, or changes in your vision. If you’re concerned about your symptoms, be sure to ask your doctor if what you’re experiencing is normal.

Darkening of the color of urine | Sağlam Aile

Normal urine of a healthy person has a straw-yellow color of varying saturation. A yellowish tint is given to it by urochrome (a dye derived from bilirubin), as well as urinary pigments such as uroerythrin, uromelanin, uroferric acid, urobilin, hematoporphyrin, urohematin, etc. The intensity of urine color depends on its amount and specific gravity (the less excreted by the kidneys liquid, the higher its specific gravity and richer coloring).

However, the color of urine may change due to the presence of blood impurities in it or due to the presence of bile pigments. Also, the color may change after taking certain medications (urine may turn brown, dark brown or black).

Thus, if the color of urine deviates from normal, this is not always a signal that some malfunction is occurring in the body. However, in the case when all possible natural causes are excluded, darkening of the urine can be a sign of serious pathology.That is why, in laboratory research, it is mandatory, first of all, to pay attention to this indicator.

What non-pathogenic factors can affect the color of urine?

1. Urine may become darker due to coloring pigments in some foods (brightly colored berries, legumes, beets, carrot juice, rhubarb, etc.).
2. Components that make up some medicines (antineoplastic, hay-based laxatives, antibiotics), as well as herbal preparations containing chrysophanic acid (sanotonin, Alexandria leaf). Note: , as a rule, possible side effects are always indicated in the instructions for the medicinal product, and after its cancellation, the urine color returns to normal.
3. Not drinking enough liquid.
4. Dehydration of the body.

Diseases causing darkening of urine

Alcaptonuria, or ochronosis. This is a rather rare hereditary pathology in which hemogentisic acid is released along with urine, which quickly turns black in air.Excess of this organic compound is deposited in connective tissues, causing blackening of the skin and cartilage. As a rule, black-blue pigmentation occurs in patients after 30 years of age, and starting from the early period of growing up, patients develop arthritis, heart problems, and stone formation in the kidneys and prostate.

Obstructive or parenchymal jaundice and other disorders of hepatic function. With the development of the pathological process, urine becomes greenish-yellow or dark brown.This is due to the fact that bilirubin and biliverdin (bile pigments) are excreted along with the urine, giving it a dark yellow coloration.

Note: when shaking the urine of a patient with jaundice, the foam also has a similar color.

Renal pathology. Solid, precipitated and crystallized organic and mineral substances formed during urolithiasis injure the tissues of the excretory system, which causes blood to enter the urine, giving it a darker coloration.At the same time, the urine may have a purulent brown tint due to tumors that have developed in the genitourinary system or due to polycystic kidney disease.

Infectious diseases. The appearance of brown urine mixed with mucus and blood is a consequence of cystitis, urethritis and other infectious processes.

Dark urine is typical for patients with skin melanoma, liver cirrhosis, hemochromatosis (excess iron in the body), cancer of the pancreas or bile ducts, malarial cachexia, alkaptonuria, vasculitis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, porphyria.

I would like to emphasize that it is not necessary to make certain conclusions only on the basis of the color of the urine, since a detailed examination is necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

Dark urine during pregnancy

During normal pregnancy, the color of urine remains unchanged. However, sometimes there may be a darkening of the fluid secreted by the kidneys. As a rule, this is a temporary phenomenon that does not pose any danger for the expectant mother, and after a while it goes away on its own, without requiring treatment.In the event that a woman is not worried about anything, to eliminate this condition, she should establish a drinking regimen, and then note whether the color of urine has changed. Also, be aware that certain foods, vitamins, and medications can cause dark urine.

However, if, along with the darkening of urine, its smell changes, as well as such alarming symptoms as abdominal pain, increased urge to urinate, fever, etc., a pregnant woman needs urgent consultation with a specialist.

Factors influencing the change in urine color

1. Pol. Almost every woman can suffer from urinary tract infections from time to time. As a result, blood impurities appear in the urine, making it darker. In men, this condition can be provoked by kidney stones or in the bladder.
2. Age. After 50 years in many men, urine becomes darker due to blood impurities that appear due to prostate adenoma.
3. Postponed infections.After a viral or bacterial infection, inflammatory changes in the kidneys occur. As a result, blood impurities appear in the urine.
4. Complicated heredity.
5. Intensive physical activity.

Symptoms that require mandatory medical advice

1. Pungent offensive odor of urine.
2. Frequent urge to urinate.
3. Increase in body temperature and temperature fluctuations during the day or several days.
4. Painful or difficult urination.
5. Nausea and vomiting.
6. Pain in the abdomen and lower back.

Pregnancy – I trimester

The division of pregnancy into three periods, trimesters, is due to the peculiarities of the changes occurring in each period. The first trimester includes the period from the 1st to the 13th week. Since the beginning of pregnancy is considered the 1st day of the last menstruation, and the maturation of the egg occurs only by the 14-16th day of the cycle, the first trimester includes a two-week period when conception has not yet occurred.

In many ways, the course of the first trimester determines the outcome of pregnancy as a whole, since it is during this period that all organs and systems of the unborn child are laid. This determines the need for the earliest possible start of medical supervision and compliance with all medical recommendations during this period.

English synonyms

Pregnancy, First trimester.

What kind of biomaterial can be used for research?

Venous blood, mid-morning urine.

How to properly prepare for the study?

• Eliminate alcohol from the diet within 24 hours before the study.
• Eliminate fatty foods from the diet within 24 hours before the study.
• Do not eat for 12 hours before the test, you can drink clean non-carbonated water.
• To exclude (in agreement with the doctor) the intake of estrogens, androgens within 48 hours before the study.
• Avoid (by agreement with your doctor) taking diuretics within 48 hours before urine collection.
• Completely exclude (in agreement with the doctor) taking medications within 24 hours before the study.
• It is recommended to collect urine before menstruation or 2-3 days after it ends.
• Eliminate physical and emotional stress for 24 hours before the study.
• HIV testing can be conducted anonymously and confidentially. In case of a confidential examination, it is mandatory to present a passport.
• Do not smoke for 3 hours prior to examination.

General information about the study

The first trimester is very rich in the number of studies and medical consultations, which is determined by the need to obtain the most complete information about the health status of a woman and a developing baby.

• A complete blood count is a mandatory primary test that provides information about the mother’s health.In the absence of pathological changes, it is performed once in the middle or end of the first trimester. Investigated:
  • Indicators of “red blood”: hemoglobin, erythrocytes, hematocrit. With a normal pregnancy, they remain within the normal range. Their slight relative decrease due to an increase in the volume of the liquid part of the blood (plasma) is also permissible. A more pronounced decrease in the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells may be a sign of latent blood loss or true anemia of pregnant women caused by a deficiency of iron, folic acid and vitamin B ₁₂ .If one of these disorders is suspected, an additional study of erythrocyte indices may be prescribed, which makes it possible to assess the size of erythrocytes and the content of hemoglobin (oxygen carrier protein) in them.
  • Leukocyte formula reflects the number of white blood cells – leukocytes – and the ratio of their main types. As a rule, there are no significant changes in the leukocyte count in the first trimester. A noticeable increase in the number of leukocytes with a predominance of young forms (shift to the left) may indicate an infection, and an increase in the number of eosinophilic leukocytes is observed with early toxicosis.A decrease in the number of leukocytes can accompany folate deficiency anemia.
  • Platelets are blood cells involved in the process of blood clotting. An increase in platelet count can be observed in women with varicose veins and indicate the risk of developing thrombotic complications.
  • The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). A moderate increase in ESR is characteristic of pregnancy and can be observed already in the first trimester.
• A general urinalysis is the main one in assessing kidney function.Includes the study of the following parameters:
  • Urine color. Normally assessed as straw yellow. Red-brown staining may indicate the presence of erythrocytes in the urine and in the first trimester may be due to trace bleeding during embryo implantation, as well as inflammation of the kidneys or bladder.
  • Transparency. Normal urine remains clear throughout pregnancy. Cloudy urine can be a sign of infection.
  • Acidity (pH).Normal urine reaction is acidic. Excessive acidity of urine may indicate dehydration, which often occurs with toxicosis of the first trimester.
  • The specific gravity of urine is an indicator of the efficiency of the kidneys. A decrease in the specific gravity of urine, especially in the presence of protein in it, may indicate developing renal failure.
  • Protein in urine analysis is normal absent. A positive test in the first trimester is most often associated with errors in the delivery of the test or with cystitis of pregnant women, however, it may indicate impaired renal function.
  • Glucose in urine is normal absent. It can be detected in diabetes mellitus.
• Study of urine sediment includes:
  • determination of blood cells (erythrocytes, leukocytes) and epithelium (elements of the inner lining of the urinary tract), which can normally be found in urine as single units;
  • definition of casts – protein or cellular “casts” of renal tubules; in the normal analysis of urine, cylinders are absent, their appearance is a sign of renal pathology.

• Blood group and Rh factor are determined once when registering for pregnancy. This is extremely important, as complications requiring blood transfusions may occur already in the first trimester. It is very important to identify women with a negative Rh factor and a risk of Rh-conflict pregnancy.
• Anti-Rh antibodies are tested in Rh-negative women once a month for up to 20 weeks, and then every 2 weeks.The study is aimed at determining in the blood specific proteins produced by the immune system against the red blood cells of the Rh-positive fetus.
• Study of the blood coagulation system (hemostasiogram). It is no less important than the definition of the group and the Rh factor. Pregnancy is accompanied by activation of the blood coagulation system (hypercoagulability), so the risk of intravascular blood clots and related complications in pregnant women is increased. In the first trimester, it is performed upon registration.The standard includes the following parameters:
  • Activated partial (partial) thromboplastin time (APTT, APTT). The analysis simulates the process of blood coagulation and allows you to assess the total activity of all factors involved. A decrease in APTT may indicate an increased risk of thrombotic complications. With an increase in APTT, we can talk about delayed coagulation and the risk of bleeding.
  • Prothrombin is a blood plasma protein that converts into thrombin during clotting (the first phase of clotting).It is determined to assess the risk of thrombotic complications. Usually, the relative indicators of its activity are determined:
    • Prothrombin time (PT) – the period of time required for the formation of a blood clot after adding a special activator to it;
    • Prothrombin index (PTI) – the ratio of the standard indicator of a healthy person to the prothrombin time of the patient. In the last months of pregnancy, an increase in PTI can be considered a normal variant. High rates of PTI in the early stages indicate the risk of thrombosis;
    • Platelet thromboplastin (ATIII antithrombin III, factor 3) is one of the main factors of blood coagulation, located on the surface of platelets.Participates in the process of converting prothrombin to thrombin. A decrease in ATIII is considered one of the risk factors for thrombotic complications;
    • Fibrinogen (factor I) is a protein of the blood system synthesized in the liver. During the formation of a clot, it turns into fibrin. In the first trimester, it usually does not change.
• A biochemical blood test includes the study of the main indicators of protein, fat, carbohydrate and mineral metabolism, which makes it possible to judge the work of the liver and kidneys, as well as the general state of health of a woman.The first trimester standard includes:
  • Serum iron is the main marker of iron deficiency anemia. A drop in its level can be observed already at the end of the first trimester;
  • Sodium, potassium, chlorine are the main ions of blood serum. Their level can be significantly impaired in diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver, kidneys, as well as in early toxicosis of pregnant women;
  • Serum phosphorus may be elevated in renal impairment, especially in diabetes.Decrease – with metabolic disorders associated with vitamin D deficiency;
  • Transaminases (ALT, AST) are enzymes found in almost all tissues of the body. An increase in their level can be observed with toxicosis of pregnancy, accompanied by impaired liver function, as well as with hepatitis;
  • Alkaline phosphatase is one of the main liver enzymes. An increase in alkaline phosphatase simultaneously with the level of transaminases in the first trimester may indicate the severity of toxicosis;
  • Protein and protein fractions in the blood can be reduced in severe toxicosis of the first trimester, accompanied by nutritional deficiencies;
  • Total bilirubin and fractions.Bilirubin is a pigment that is formed in the liver and increases when its function is impaired. In the first trimester, it rarely changes;
  • Urea and serum creatinine are indicators of kidney function. If their functions are insufficient, they can be increased;
  • Glucose. Pregnancy blood glucose levels are usually below normal, which is associated with increased nutrient consumption, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. Normal or elevated blood glucose levels are alarming for latent forms of diabetes mellitus and the threat of pregnancy diabetes.In this case, a mandatory addition is a glucose tolerance test and an endocrinologist’s consultation;
  • A glucose tolerance test can be prescribed for pregnant women whose blood glucose levels are at the upper limit of normal and above, to detect latent diabetes mellitus. Its essence lies in measuring blood sugar on an empty stomach, then within 5 minutes it is suggested to drink a glass of warm water in which glucose is dissolved. Subsequently, after half an hour, 1 hour and after 2 hours, the blood sugar level is measured again;
  • Total cholesterol and high and low density lipoproteins in serum.Some increase in cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels is due to the production of steroid hormones and is normal. A significant increase in cholesterol levels can be observed with liver pathology;
  • Triglycerides are compounds of glycerol and fatty acids that are the main source of energy in the body. A decrease in triglyceride levels in the first trimester can be observed with insufficient intake of carbohydrates and fats from food due to changes in food habits, especially against the background of toxicosis.A significant increase in triglyceride levels may indicate an increased risk of gestational diabetes.
• Blood test for major infections. Some infectious diseases of the mother pose a serious danger to the fetus, as they can lead to the development of congenital anomalies or the birth of a child suffering from a chronic form of infection. A blood test for infectious hepatitis, HIV, syphilis, herpes and rubella viruses, cytomegalovirus infection and toxoplasmosis is carried out upon registration without fail.
• Diagnosis of fetal genetic abnormalities:
  • Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a protein produced by the ovaries of a pregnant woman, and then by the liver of the fetus. High levels of AFP can be observed in multiple pregnancies, but most often indicate gross malformations of the fetus. Chromosomal (genetic) fetal abnormalities are often accompanied by low levels of AFP. These include Down and Edwards syndromes;
  • Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A).Low PAPP-A levels at 8-12 weeks gestation are one of the markers of Down syndrome.
• Thyroid hormones are involved in almost all metabolic processes, and their production increases during pregnancy. To assess the basic function of the thyroid gland during registration, a blood thyroxine (T4) test is usually prescribed. Low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism) increase the risk of miscarriage. A hyperthyroid state (excess of thyroid hormones) can be observed in severe forms of early toxicosis and in pathology of the formation of the ovum;
• Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is a hormone that controls the functioning of the thyroid gland.Usually it is investigated simultaneously with the determination of thyroid hormones. During normal pregnancy, the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone does not change.

What is the research used for?

• For preventive examination of pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy.
• For the diagnosis of complications of the first trimester of pregnancy.

When is the study scheduled?

• In the first trimester of pregnancy.

What do the results mean?

Reference values ​​

Indicated for each indicator under the corresponding link:

• [02-005] Clinical blood test (with leukocyte count)
• [02-006] General urine analysis with microscopy
• [02-007] Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
• [03-001] D-dimer
• [03-003] Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)
• [03-007] Coagulogram No. 1 (prothrombin (according to Quick), INR)
• [03-011] Fibrinogen
• [06-003] Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
• [06-010] Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
• [06-015] Plasma glucose
• [06-021] Serum creatinine (with determination of GFR)
• [06-034] Urea in whey
• [06-035] Total whey protein
• [06-036] Total bilirubin
• [06-037] Bilirubin straight
• [07-009] anti-HCV, antibodies
• [07-017] Cytomegalovirus, IgG
• [07-018] Cytomegalovirus, IgM
• [07-025] HBsAg
• [07-030] Herpes Simplex Virus 1/2, IgG
• [07-031] Herpes Simplex Virus 1/2, IgM
• [07-032] HIV 1,2 Ag / Ab Combo (determination of antibodies to HIV types 1 and 2 and antigen p24)
• [07-040] Rubella Virus, IgG (quantitative)
• [07-042] Rubella Virus, IgM
• [07-044] Toxoplasma gondii, IgG (quantitative)
• [07-046] Toxoplasma gondii, IgM
• [07-049] Treponema pallidum, antibodies
• [08-118] Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

Important Notes

• Comprehensive testing of indicators is necessary, the correct implementation of measures to prepare for the delivery of analyzes.

Who orders the study?

Obstetrician-gynecologist, general practitioner, endocrinologist, therapist, infectious disease specialist.

Literature

• V.V. Dolgov, V.V. Menshikov Clinical laboratory diagnostics: national guidelines. – T. I. – M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2012 .– 928 p.
• Michels TC, Tiu AY. Second trimester pregnancy loss / Am Fam Physician. 2007 Nov 1; 76 (9): 1341-6.
• Moon HW, Chung HJ, Park CM, Hur M, Yun YM1.Establishment of trimester-specific reference intervals for thyroid hormones in Korean pregnant women / Ann Lab Med. 2015 Mar; 35 (2): 198-204.

Brown urine: causes

When something unusual happens to our body, most often it causes fear. However, you shouldn’t worry ahead of time. If the urine suddenly becomes dark in color, this can have a variety of reasons, many of them have nothing to do with diseases.

However, it is also impossible not to attach importance to this symptom, since it is a sign of many serious diseases, primarily all acute viral hepatitis (A, B, C) and liver cirrhosis. Therefore, in order not to worry in vain, it is better to get tested right away, and not “wind up” yourself, thinking about what fatal disease caused the appearance of an unpleasant symptom. (Dark urine in hepatitis) We advise you to consult a hepatologist at a specialized medical center in order to immediately receive competent assistance, from diagnosis to treatment if necessary.

Natural causes of brown urine

To answer the question of why urine is brown, let’s look at what affects its overall color. The color of urine depends on the amount of urochrome contained in it. It is this pigment that colors it either light yellow, then orange, then brown. Sometimes urine can change its color several times during the day. For example, in the morning it is more concentrated (after the night) and darker, and if a person drinks a lot of water, it becomes completely pale, since the concentration of pigment in it decreases significantly.The color of food (for example, legumes or carrots, carbonated drinks containing chemical dyes, beets), heat outside, the use of certain types of drugs (when using laxatives much less than usual, the liquid passes through the kidneys) and much more affect the color. Even with great physical exertion, when sweating increases and urine excretion through the kidneys decreases, the urine darkens. These are natural causes of darkening of body fluids. Therefore, even if the urine suddenly turns brown, you should not think that this is a cause for serious concern.

Dark urine after alcohol, especially for several days in a row, is also not uncommon. For the body, alcohol is a toxin, causing many diseases, including the genitourinary system. In case of alcohol poisoning, blood may appear in the urine, which stains it brown.

In the event that you have never paid attention to the color of urine before and now you doubt whether the urine is really dark, the photos posted on the Internet will help to dispel all doubts.

Pathological causes of brown urine

If the urine remains brown for a long time, despite the change in diet and the suspension of taking medications that affect its color, this is a reason to see a doctor so as not to miss the onset of the disease. Dark urine is a manifestation of the following pathologies:

• hepatitis of various origins;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• gallstone disease;
• pancreatic cancer;
• liver cancer;

90,013 various kidney diseases, including cancer, etc.

• dehydration of the body.

Everyone has dark brown urine, but the causes of urine are often different in men and women. So, in women, it can be a natural consequence of the “aging” of intrauterine tissues (this phenomenon has nothing to do with the woman’s age) or a symptom of infectious diseases, including sexually transmitted diseases, as well as various diseases of the internal genital organs. In men, this symptom often accompanies prostate disease, kidney stones and bladder stones.

If brown urine is a sign of a serious illness, other symptoms are likely to accompany its appearance. For example, if the liver is sick, the brown color is due to the high content of bilirubin, which stains not only urine, but also the skin, sclera of the eyes and mucous membranes yellow. In this case, a person begins to have a fever, appetite disappears, pains appear in the right hypochondrium. That is, there will be all the symptoms of jaundice.

If you notice signs that indicate problems with the functional state of the liver, make an appointment with an experienced hepatologist and get tested.

Registration for consultation by phone: +7 495 255 10 60

Pain and discomfort when urinating are common signs that accompany dark urine. This usually indicates problems with the kidneys, bladder, urinary tract.

Dark urine in a pregnant woman can be a serious cause for concern. Of course, it is better to pass tests and exclude all diseases that are accompanied by this symptom.But if this is a one-time phenomenon, then, quite possibly, it is caused by the intake of vitamins, the use of certain products (especially, beef is often recommended for pregnant women), dehydration of the body due to toxicosis in the early stages.

Darkening of urine in children causes overheating, being in a stuffy room, high body temperature with various diseases. Drinking plenty of fluids most often helps to cope with this problem.

When the urine is brown, “What to do?” – a question that worries a lot of people.First, you need to see if there are other signs of the disease: fever, pain, yellowing of the skin. If they are found, you must immediately consult a doctor, undergo an examination and start treatment. Secondly, if there are no dangerous symptoms, then within one or two days it is worth observing whether the normal color will return if products that stain urine are excluded from the diet. If the urine becomes light again, then there is nothing to worry about, but if the brown color persists, pay closer attention to your health and do not postpone a visit to a specialist, hoping that everything will go away somehow.

90,000 7 unusual signs that will tell the sex of the unborn child

Although the parents-to-be will find out the sex of the child at the first ultrasound, there are still many ancient signs, which used to predict who will be born – a boy or a girl.

During pregnancy, any expectant mother heard at least one of them from her parents or girlfriends. Maybe these are grandmother’s tales, but they will definitely distract your attention from waiting for the first visit to the doctor.

Leather change

Many pregnant women experience noticeable skin changes due to hormonal changes in the body. It is believed that if the skin becomes oily, then a girl will be born, if dry – a boy.

Dark line of the abdomen (negro)

The vertical line appearing on the belly of a pregnant woman, it turns out, can also predict the sex of the child. If the line does not go beyond the navel, then a girl will be born, if it continues, then there will be a boy.

Soda test

An unusual sign says that if you pour two tablespoons of baking soda into a pregnant woman’s urine and she hisses, a boy will be born. If nothing happens, there will be a girl.

Body hair

If the hair begins to grow faster and thicker than usual, then this indicates that there will be a boy. If there is no change, then the girl.

The same goes for the hair on the head: thick and shiny is a sign that you are expecting a boy, and if it weakens and dulls, then a girl will appear.

How weight is distributed

A boy is expected in women whose weight is concentrated only in the abdomen during pregnancy. If it is evenly distributed all over the body – the girl.

Belly height

One of the most common signs: if the belly of a pregnant woman is located more to the bottom, then a boy will be born. If the belly is high – a girl.

Sleep position

It is believed that if a pregnant woman sleeps on her left side, then she will have a boy, and if on her right side, she will have a girl.

norm, changes in different trimesters. Dark urine in pregnant women. What to do

The health status of girls in position must be constantly monitored. For this, routine medical examinations and systematic urine collection are provided for clinical analysis throughout the entire period of pregnancy. This diagnostic method is effective due to the fact that urine immediately reflects in its composition all the changes occurring in the body of a pregnant woman, and therefore makes it possible to timely determine the presence of pathological processes.

Normal urine composition

In a pregnant woman, the color of urine, contrary to popular belief, does not change at all. As with ordinary completely healthy people, this physiological fluid should have a light yellow tint and a faint characteristic odor. In the morning, natural darkening of urine is possible, but this is due to the fact that at night the kidneys work in an enhanced mode, and the density (and, accordingly, the concentration of coloring pigments) of urine increases. But in other cases, the expectant mother should not ignore the appearance of a darker shade in the fluid secreted during emptying, as this can be considered a sign of serious pathologies occurring in the body.But during pregnancy, she should make the girl think seriously about her health.

Changes in urine color during pregnancy

The most common reason for a change in the shade of urine in a young pregnant girl is a change in her diet. If a girl increases the number of fried and spicy foods eaten, as well as beets, legumes, red grapes, chocolate, coffee, rhubarb and many other products containing coloring pigments, then the natural effect will be a change in the color of her urine.In this case, it becomes possible to get rid of such a symptom by correcting the daily menu, for which it is better to consult a nutritionist.

Sometimes endocrine diseases, which also affect the amount of hormones produced in the body, lead to excessive activity of the thyroid gland, due to which the processing of hemoglobin is greatly increased, as a result of which darkening of urine occurs.

More dangerous are cases when a girl does not suffer from dehydration and adheres to the correct diet, and the color and smell of her urine is still different from the norm.In such a situation, you should immediately consult a doctor for diagnostic measures and establish the exact cause of the development of such a condition. It is important to monitor these processes due to the fact that the color of waste products is influenced by diseases that can secretly flow in the body, but then lead to serious health problems in both the expectant mother and the baby.

Early

In the first trimester of pregnancy, darkening of urine in the predominant number of cases is due to intoxication of the body, causing frequent vomiting, which leads to dehydration of the body of the expectant mother.Due to the constant feeling of nausea, the girl loses the desire to drink or eat anything, which negatively affects the amount of water in her body. In this case, darkening of urine at a fairly early (literally the first few weeks) periods is associated with a decrease in the amount of fluid in which metabolic products intended for removal from the body are dissolved, and therefore it is not worth talking about any disease.

Later

In the third trimester of pregnancy, from about 28 to 32 weeks, the size of the fetus and, accordingly, the uterus
reaches its maximum.Due to the limited amount of space in the womb, the future baby literally puts pressure on the surrounding organs – including the liver, gallbladder and its ducts, the clamping of which causes the development of obstructive jaundice. The disease is considered especially dangerous in cases where the expectant mother has a predisposition to disorders of the urinary system. During the diagnosis of a woman’s condition at a very late (or even after pregnancy) period, attention should be paid to the color of solid waste products, the discoloration of which may indicate the excretion of bile pigments.

Pathological discoloration

The most dangerous cases are considered when a change in the color of urine is associated with the course of serious pathological processes in the body of a pregnant girl.

If the dark or even black shade of urine excreted during emptying becomes persistent, and at the same time it is accompanied by pain in the lower abdominal cavity, itching and burning during urination, too strong smell of urine excreted, as well as sweating, you should immediately contact for the advice of a doctor.Dark yellow urine in the expectant mother is often caused by the development of cystitis, hepatitis (in which case the color of feces also changes, acquiring a lighter shade), anemia (lack of iron in the body).

The accompanying appearance of a dark shade of turbidity is usually considered a sign of pyelonephritis, and salts (urates, oxalates, phosphates) or proteins are usually observed as a cloudy or pronounced sediment. In addition, the development of hematuria (discharge of blood into the urine) is possible. Therefore, if at least one or more of these symptoms are observed, you should immediately seek the advice of a doctor.

Symptoms

If an increase in the intensity of the color of the urine or its darkening are not the only symptoms, you should not postpone the visit to the clinic. Among the symptoms that accompany darkening of urine, there may be signs of rather dangerous diseases. The list of factors that can indicate the development of serious diseases in the body of a girl in a position is as follows:

• increasing weakness and fatigue;
• feces of light shades;
• pain on the right under the ribs;
• chills;
• fever;
• increase in body temperature;
• yellowish tint of mucous membranes, skin, whites of the eyes;
• vomiting, diarrhea;
• polyuria;
• itching, burning during urination.

In this case, special attention should be paid to various foreign elements (threads, flakes and particles), uncharacteristic of urine produced by a healthy body. In some cases, such impurities may indicate the development of cancer. If no other symptoms, except for persistent darkening of urine for a long time, are observed, then it is still necessary to make an appointment with a doctor – this condition is caused by a disorder of homeostasis, which is accompanied by the onset of urolithiasis.

What to do with dark urine

First of all, do not panic at the manifestation of such a state of this waste product. Of course, you should not ignore this fact, however, in the majority of cases, a change in the shade of urine is associated with dehydration or recent changes in the diet, which does not mean a serious danger to the body. To correct this situation, it is enough to normalize the drinking regimen and wisely make up the daily menu.

But in cases where a change in the shade of urine is accompanied by other symptoms, you must immediately make an appointment with a doctor for additional diagnostics in order to identify diseases that can secretly occur in the body of a pregnant girl. The health of the expectant mother and her child depends on this, because there may not be a second chance for a happy life.

Diagnostics

Carrying out additional diagnostic measures is considered necessary due to the fact that the child in the womb significantly increases the load on all her organs.First of all, the doctor must study the patient’s anamnesis, and then, on the basis of these data, write out the necessary directions for the expectant mother. Only after establishment, it becomes possible to start treatment. Among the most popular diagnostic methods are clinical and biochemical blood tests, stool analysis, urine sample according to Nechiporenko or Zimnitsky, urine culture for bacteria, ultrasound of the abdominal organs, CT and MRI.

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Urine is one of the main products of human life. Urine is formed as a result of filtration of the liquid part of the blood – plasma, together with multiple metabolites, and then it concentrates and accumulates in the bladder, and is subsequently evacuated through urination.

During pregnancy, the female body is significantly rebuilt not only anatomically, through the growth of the fetus, but also the hormonal background, metabolic processes, including changes in the properties of urine, undergo significant changes. Dark urine during pregnancy may indicate some disorders of the woman’s urinary system.

Use only sterile disposable container

as urine collection container.

Normal urine composition

To understand why the color of urine changes and why this happens, you need to know the required minimum of the normal composition of urine.In a healthy body, urine has a color from deep yellow to straw yellow, the color depends on its concentration and the amount of fluid consumed.

Despite the fact that urine is 97% water, a huge amount of metabolites are excreted along with it – metabolic products of other organs and cells, the main of which are urea, creatinine, ketone bodies, uric acid, amino acids, glucose, and sodium ions , potassium, calcium, magnesium. The color of urine depends on the concentration and composition of the above substances.

In some cases, at the norm of the composition of urine, a color change is determined, most often this is due to the intake of certain food products or medicinal substances that have a coloring effect. So, the use of a significant amount of beets can lead to redness, which should not be scared.

Discoloration of urine during pregnancy

During pregnancy, regardless of the trimester, the urine of pregnant women should remain the usual straw color or close to it, provided that the woman does not take specific medications and does not eat vegetables that can stain urine.

In order not to set yourself up for panic, you need to know that in pathological conditions, urine remains dark yellow for a long period of time.

Do not be afraid of a single darkening of urine, especially during the first morning urination. During the night, the urine becomes very concentrated and due to this it becomes darker, but such urine is observed only under certain circumstances. As it was said, either in the morning hours, or with insufficient use of water and any other liquid.

To determine the cause of darkening of urine during pregnancy, it is important not only to study the biomaterial, but also a detailed examination of the woman

Pathological discoloration

Under certain circumstances, darkening of urine can indicate pathological conditions occurring in a woman’s body. In the early stages, darkening of urine is often associated with the manifestation of toxicosis in the form of repeated vomiting and a lack of desire to drink or eat anything due to constant nausea.In this case, the woman’s body undergoes severe dehydration, due to which the amount of secreted urine decreases, and its concentration increases, therefore, the color darkens. So in early pregnancy, dark yellow urine is a sign of dehydration.

In late pregnancy, in the third trimester, the uterus and the growing baby become very voluminous and occupy almost the entire abdominal cavity, especially during the 28th – 32nd weeks of pregnancy. As a result, there is significant pressure on the liver and gallbladder with excretory ducts, which can lead to squeezing of the common bile duct – common bile duct – and obstructive jaundice.The situation is complicated if the pregnant woman has any diseases of the hepatobiliary system. Darkening of urine is the first sign. It is worth noting that, along with darkening of urine, due to the excretion of bile pigments, feces become discolored, it becomes white – this is important for diagnostic purposes.

And the last typical case is darkening of urine during pregnancy with endocrine diseases, for example, with increased activity of thyroid hormones, an increased breakdown of hemoglobin occurs, which also leads to darkening of urine.

Often the cause of darkening of urine is hematuria

What to do if urine darkens

If the color of urine has changed and persists for several days, and you cannot associate the darkening with the intake of certain foods and medications, then you should not self-medicate. The best solution is to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

A specialist obstetrician-gynecologist will conduct an examination, differential diagnosis, as well as consultation with urologists and hepatologists.That will help to confirm the clinical diagnosis and prescribe an effective treatment. It is important to note that untimely access to qualified help, especially during pregnancy, can lead to significant progression of the disease and the development of serious complications. It is very important to confirm or exclude liver diseases, in particular hepatitis, the absence of treatment for which can cause serious harm to the body of the expectant mother.

Diagnostics

When contacting a specialist for darkening urine, the patient must undergo a general urine test, which is highly informative and can confirm the preliminary diagnosis.Most often, with darkening of urine in the general analysis, an increased amount of bile pigments is found, which compensatory begin to be excreted in the urine with a significant accumulation of the latter in the blood. With a significant amount of pigment in the urine, its color may acquire a brown tint. In some cases, an additional ultrasound examination of the organs of the urinary system may be required to exclude pathology from the kidneys.

In conclusion, it is imperative to mention the importance of caring for your own body and the body of the baby.Part of this attitude lies in the constant monitoring of well-being, a sensitive attitude to any changes in the body. Take good care of yourself and be healthy!

The analysis of urine while carrying a baby is probably one of the most frequent, in the last weeks it has to be taken with enviable regularity. At the same time, the color of urine during pregnancy is one of those characteristics that you can evaluate on your own. It is imperative to pay attention to this, because a change in the color of urine can indicate serious health problems that require an immediate solution.

Does urine color change during early pregnancy?

The color of urine in a healthy woman is due to the constant renewal of blood, young erythrocytes appear, old spent ones are destroyed with the release of hemoglobin. The body uses iron again, but everything else is processed in the liver, while the hemoglobin pigments are converted to urobilin, urochromes and other dyes that are excreted in the urine and at the same time color it in all shades of yellow.

Normal color of urine during pregnancy from light straw to dark yellow.At the onset of pregnancy, if you develop early toxicosis and you are dehydrated due to vomiting, drink little, urine may become dark, if a lot of fluid enters the body or if you have taken diuretic fees – the urine becomes light, almost colorless.

These changes are normal and are associated with the concentration function of the kidneys. Your kidneys will still remove excess and harmful from the body, regardless of how much urine is separated, just in cases where there is little urine, these pigments and salts are diluted in a small amount and urine becomes more concentrated and dark in color.

The sign that the color of urine during pregnancy with a girl becomes bright, and during pregnancy with a boy, the urine is dark does not mean anything, because it all depends only on how much you drink.

Normally, the yellow color of urine during pregnancy can change both due to physiological reasons and due to diseases. But even if the urine is of a normal color, this is not a guarantee that you are healthy.

Sometimes the color of urine during pregnancy changes due to nutrition.

Pink urine occurs when eating beets, carrots, blackberries, cherries.

Greenish-yellow – when using rhubarb, Alexandrian leaf.

Taking medication also changes the color of urine:

Red color – amidopyrine.

Pink – aspirin.

Bright yellow – many vitamins, riboflavin, drugs for the treatment of kidney diseases (furagin, furadonin, 5-NOK).

Greenish blue – methylene blue.

For a doctor, a change in the color of urine during pregnancy, in combination with other symptoms, often helps to make a correct diagnosis of many diseases.

If a woman has edema, heart failure, dehydration due to diarrhea and vomiting, the urine becomes saturated, dark yellow.

In diabetes mellitus, thirst makes you drink a lot, and, accordingly, the amount of urine increases, it becomes diluted, very pale in color.

In case of liver damage, hepatitis, jaundice, urine takes on the color of beer.

In case of urolithiasis with renal colic, blood appears in the urine, staining it red.

Pink color of urine due to a small admixture of blood can be with cystitis.

Urine turns almost black in severe hemolytic anemia.

The color of meat slops (dirty pink) occurs with nephritis (inflammation of the kidney).

Turbid color of urine during pregnancy, precipitation in it is often associated with the presence of kidney inflammation. An admixture of pus, leukocytes and salts, as a rule, is evidence of a disease. Already the color of the urine sediment during pregnancy can tell a lot.A brownish-red sediment occurs if a lot of salts – urates are excreted in the urine, phosphates give a whitish color, yellow – uric acid.

If you notice that the color of urine has changed, and you cannot determine the exact reasons, consult a doctor, do not decide on your own what to do about it. During pregnancy, the kidneys are under great stress, and their function must be treated with particular care and attention.

The female body undergoes various changes during the period of bearing a child.One of them is the changed color of urine during early pregnancy. In addition to natural processes and harmless substances, serious pathological changes can also provoke a change in the appearance of urine. Most of the problems are caused by diseases of the urinary system. In any case, any changes are a serious signal for a pregnant woman that cannot be ignored.

Normal human urine color

During pregnancy, especially in the early stages, the color of urine should not differ from the usual color observed before pregnancy, that is, the normal color should remain.What is the normal color of urine in humans? The liquid takes on different shades of yellowish at different times of the day, in the morning – light, straw, and in the evening – darker, urine is hot, as always. The main sign of pregnancy directly affects the color – toxicosis, accompanied by vomiting, since the woman’s body is dehydrated
… But this effect can be easily avoided if you monitor the water balance and drink enough fluids.

Reasons for changing the color of urine

Why can the shade of urine change in the early and late stages? In addition to dehydration, change can be triggered by:

• medicines and multivitamin complexes;
• woman’s diet;
• changes in kidney function;
• concentration of metabolites.

Bright yellow urine

Bright yellow urine should not be a concern for a pregnant woman.

Bright yellow urine during pregnancy, which has a lemon color, is due to medications and vitamins. Since the gynecologist prescribes folic acid therapy for a woman and the use of multivitamin complexes so that the fetus develops normally, this situation is quite common for women. Medicines are not completely absorbed by the tissues of the body and some of them are excreted by the kidneys.Therefore, the urine becomes bright yellow. In addition, this shade is caused by antibacterial agents based on nitrofuran. From foodstuffs, a bright yellow, slightly orange and deep yellow color of urine during pregnancy is produced by carrots and juice from them, as well as pigment substances added to food.

Acquisition of a dark, dark yellow shade of urine

Urine changes its color from yellow, orange to deep-dark if the body is dehydrated. Dark urine during early pregnancy is observed if a girl does not drink enough liquid, her sweat increases during a hot period.Depletion of the body is aggravated during toxicosis and vomiting provoked by it. In the event that the urine of pregnant women appears dark in the morning, this may not be a problem.
At night, during sleep, urine accumulates and the content in it increases, this is the physiological structure of the human urinary system. Slightly dark urine during pregnancy can also occur when the patient is healthy.

Urine pink or red

The color of urine pink or red may indicate pathological processes in the body.

Shades of red and pink appear in urinary fluid if blood is excreted with it. This problem is typical for glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis – kidney diseases. During the period of childbearing in women, infectious inflammation occurs in the calyx and renal tubules. Glomerulonephritis is a less common disease. It is manifested by facial swelling and increased blood pressure in the arteries.

The appearance of blood in the fluid and subsequently – red urine – is possible with trauma to the walls of the ureters with stones stuck in them.Cystitis is the reason that the urine is reddish. Pink urine during pregnancy or urine of red hues, except for diseases, is caused by food. In particular, red urine during pregnancy appears due to the consumption of beets. This root vegetable stains the liquid secreted by a person pink for several hours.

Brown urine or green liquid

Dark, brown or green urine appears in a pregnant woman if there is a disease of the gallbladder.The negative effect on the urine is caused by viral hepatitis or cholecystitis. In addition, the female body feels a strong overstrain, since it is responsible for the elimination of fetal blood metabolites. In addition to distorting the shade of the liquid, other manifestations are added:

• yellowing of eyes and skin;
• the occurrence of skin irritation;
• discoloration of feces;
• sleep problems;
• Constant desire to cry.

Clouding of urine

Cloudy urine is a cause for concern.

Clouding of urine, the appearance of small particles, similar to flakes, indicates that a woman has cystitis or urethritis. Then the changes in urine are associated with an increased accumulation of salts. The reason for this is poor nutrition. Because of this, oxalates, phosphates, urates accumulate in urine, which are formed after food processing, and it is they who change its appearance. But remember that appearance is a secondary phenomenon that deserves less attention compared to the fact that a woman is already developing an inflammatory process in the urinary system.Therefore, the first thing a pregnant woman should take is to change the diet, visit a doctor and have a urine test.

Since a large number of factors affect the bearing of a fetus, many expectant mothers are afraid of dark urine during pregnancy. In order to understand the danger of this symptom, you need to know the main reasons for its occurrence, the relationship between it and pregnancy, as well as the necessary preventive methods that can reduce the risk of developing this pathological process.

All the reasons for the appearance of dark urine in the expectant mother can be divided into pathological and natural components.

Experts usually refer to the first as:

• the presence of diseases of the urinary system;
• acute renal failure;
• liver pathology;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Dysfunctions of the endocrine glands.

Natural or physiological factors associated with the darkening of urine are not harmful to a pregnant woman. However, they may indicate the presence of minor disorders or deficiency of any substance in the body.

The main natural factors for the appearance of a dark tinge of urine include:

• eating foods that have strong coloring properties;
• a course of drug therapy in the treatment of diseases of the urinary system;
• not drinking enough water;
• Development of dehydration as a result of severe diarrhea, frequent vomiting or toxicosis;
• edema of the lower extremities;
• heavy loads;
• high ambient temperature.

Despite the reason for the darkening of the urine, it is worth contacting a specialist as soon as possible. In most cases, this will help keep the mother and baby healthy.

Seeing a doctor in the presence of dark urine

If the darkening of urine in a pregnant woman is not caused by any natural causes, and the situation is not stabilized, you should consult a specialist as soon as possible. This will make it possible in the shortest possible time to determine the root cause of the development of this condition, as well as to begin to eliminate it as soon as possible.

Special attention should be paid to the following signs:

• light stool;
• Dermatological manifestations around the genitals;
• Frequent fatigue;
• the presence of pain in the right epigastric region;
• Detection of various impurities in feces.

To exclude the possibility of darkening of urine in a pregnant woman, it is necessary to observe a normal drinking regime. In this case, you should consume at least 2 liters of water per day.You also need to follow the correct diet, especially in the early stages, when toxicosis develops. This implies the elimination of fatty, fried and salty foods.

Prescribing any medications to a pregnant woman should also be taken with extreme caution. This should be done only in consultation with a supervising specialist who will take into account all the individual characteristics of the organism.

In women, even during the period of gestation, urine should be of a healthy color, that is, yellow.When its color changes, many of them begin to panic prematurely.

This is not necessary, since unnecessary worries can negatively affect pregnancy:

1. First, it is worth visiting specialized specialists who can analyze the general condition of a woman.
2. After that, it is worthwhile to carry out certain instrumental and laboratory diagnostic methods.
3. When the cause has been identified, the physician proceeds to select a treatment strategy.It is based on not harming the health of the unborn child, and should also contain exclusively conservative therapeutic methods.

The appearance of dark yellow urine may result from the advice of the supervising physician to drink less fluids, since toxicosis at any stage of pregnancy is accompanied by vomiting.

In this case, complexes of special vitamins are prescribed and the amount of water consumed is normalized. This must be done as early as possible, because in the later stages it will be very difficult to make the urine yellow and transparent again.

It should be understood that self-treatment of this pathology at home can lead to the development of severe complications. Therefore, do not be shy about contacting specialists, because the health of the mother and baby is at stake.

90,000 Dark urine during pregnancy

In every person – a child, an adult, an elderly person and a pregnant woman, urine normally has a light yellow or straw-yellow color, a transparent consistency. The pigment urochrome contained in it is responsible for this color.

And, despite the fact that various changes occur in a woman’s body during pregnancy, the color of urine should not change dramatically, much less darken. Because a change in the color of urine in pregnant women is not the most favorable sign and may indicate a developing pathology of the kidneys and urinary system. It is during this period that women are in the first place at risk for inflammatory kidney diseases. Since the uterus, which is increasing every day, exerts strong pressure on the pelvic and abdominal organs and, above all, on the kidneys.

When urine can change its color

1. Food

Taste preferences, as well as the use of certain foods can cause discoloration of the physiological fluid. Beets contained in lettuce, juice, makes urine reddish or brown, gives it a dark shade. A few hours after taking it, the urine gradually brightens and acquires the usual yellow color. And eating legumes, beef will change its hue to light brown.A similar brown color comes from black tea and aloe. Food colors in confectionery and beverages can darken the urine.

2. Medicines

Urine of various shades of brown from light to dark brown occurs when taking medications: metronidazole and nitrofuran, as well as laxatives and antibiotics.

3. Complex multivitamin preparations

Multivitamins that are prescribed for pregnant women also cause darkening.The instructions always say about this property of the medicinal product, and in addition, you can always consult a doctor.

4. Dewatering

In case of early toxicosis in the first three months in pregnant women, when there is frequent vomiting, the body loses a lot of fluid, useful mineral salts, dehydration occurs, and the urine darkens. In this state, it is imperative to drink clean water often so that the consumed volume of fluid is at least 2.5 liters per day.If you do everything correctly, then the urine gradually brightens and its color approaches the norm.

5. After sleep

The appearance of dark urine only in the morning after a night’s sleep should not be a cause for concern. It is usually light brown in color. Since this is due to its accumulation overnight in the bladder due to a rare visit to the toilet. It contains salts and urochrome pigment in a higher concentration, it looks darker than during daytime urination.

Diseases in which the urine becomes dark and discolored

Dark urine during pregnancy can be one of the symptoms of serious diseases that lead to dangerous complications, both in the body of the pregnant woman and in the tissues of the developing fetus. That is why it is so important to get tested on time and in case of problems that arise, immediately contact a specialist.

1. Hepatitis (The urine has the color of dark beer, if you shake it, a yellow foam appears.This shade arises due to the content of liver pigments in it – bilirubin and biliverdin, which are converted into urobilin in the urine. In addition to darkening of urine, liver disease is accompanied by lightening of feces, fever, pain in the right hypochondrium, dyspeptic disorders – nausea, vomiting).
2. Glomerulonephritis (Urine turns dark red with a brown tint).
3. Pyelonephritis (Darkening of urine is accompanied by fever, symptoms of intoxication, swelling, headache.)
4. Cystitis (Urine has a brownish tint and an unpleasant odor, there is soreness and burning sensation when urinating, frequent urge).
5. Hemolytic hereditary anemia (Darkening of the urine is one of the main symptoms, the color turns dark brown due to the high level of urobilinogen).
6. Edema (Urine is dark in color if a woman suffers from heart or kidney disease during pregnancy, accompanied by edema).
7. Pathology of the gallbladder, obstruction of the bile ducts (Brown urine is very similar to tea leaves, the patient is worried about severe pain, colic in the right hypochondrium, fever).

If, nevertheless, the urine has not cleared, despite the fact that you drink a lot of pure water, and you have other unpleasant symptoms, you should definitely consult a specialist. You cannot now risk your health and the health of your unborn child. The doctor will prescribe a general blood and urine test.

For the analysis to be more reliable, a number of conditions must be met:

• One or two days before taking the tests, you need to limit the consumption of spicy, salty, fatty foods, reduce the consumption of meat, do not eat beet salad, berries, beans, beef.
• It is necessary to collect the morning urine, before doing this thorough intimate hygiene. It is advisable to close the vagina with a piece of cotton wool to avoid the ingress of secretions.
• Urine must be delivered to the laboratory no later than three hours later.

A timely visit to the doctor, passing all the necessary examinations will help to identify the disease in the early stages. This will guarantee successful treatment and health, help prevent unwanted complications and consequences.

Therefore, darkening of the urinary fluid should always be alarming. And if physiological reasons are excluded, such as insufficient water intake, or coloring features of food, you must consult a doctor as soon as possible and pass all tests.Only timely diagnosis and early treatment will help to avoid serious complications.

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90,000 If the urine is dark in color during pregnancy, what to do?

 
 You probably know that the urine of a healthy person, in an absolute norm, should be transparent and have a straw color, and the intensity of which may well vary somewhat depending on a variety of factors. Actually, such a yellow color to urine is usually given by a special coloring pigment, which is present in the human body called urochrome.
 
 
 
 As a rule, during the onset of pregnancy, the color of urine should definitely not change - it really should remain exactly the same as before pregnancy. Therefore, literally any changes may well alert a pregnant woman and even make her pay special attention to herself. However, not always, so you need to hurry to worry about the occasion. A rather dark color of urine during pregnancy will not necessarily indicate any significant diseases.Such a temporary darkening of the color of urine, which subsequently disappears, say, in a day or two, cannot pose the slightest danger and will definitely not require any serious treatment. And believe me, this is exactly what happens in the vast majority of all available cases. 
 
 
 
 So, first, let's immediately determine: urine is dark in color during pregnancy - what is the color of urine? Is it just more concentrated or does it generally become a different color, say, brown? First, answer for yourself at least only these questions, then also try to remember exactly when your urine darkened and by how much.Think about it, do you observe such a change in the color of urine only in the morning or constantly throughout the whole day? 
 
 
 
 And believe me, we are not asking these questions out of idle curiosity, the point is that in the morning your urine has the right to darken quite a bit, because you must admit that your bladder is normally emptied less often throughout the night. Actually, this is why urine can become a little more concentrated by morning. All this may well also happen if the woman herself is used to drinking little and dehydration occurs in her body.And this means that the very first thing that you will definitely have to do, in case of detecting some darkening of urine during pregnancy, is definitely start drinking, and as much as possible. Next, fully adjust your drinking regimen and be sure to follow the subsequent changes in the intensity of the color of your urine. 
 
 
 
 Be sure to try to remember what exactly you ate and drank during the last 24 hours. As you can imagine, the most unexpected and completely different combinations of food products, as well as certain medications or vitamins, can give an unusual color to your urine.If the darkening of the color of urine during pregnancy coincides in time, for example, with the beginning of taking a new vitamin complex, then, most likely, as they say, the legs of this problem will grow from here. But from natural food colors, beef, beans, as well as berries, aloe, and rhubarb, necessarily some food colors found in factory sweets or ice cream, can somewhat darken your urine. By the way, in direct dependence on all the substances entering the woman's body, urine can sometimes be colored, believe me, in the most unexpected colors for the woman herself - it can be a blue tint, and green, and red, sometimes pink and there are many of them.
 
 
 
 Further, only after the complete exclusion of all the above-described quite probable causes of a sharp darkening of urine during pregnancy, it is possible and even necessary to look for the cause of this phenomenon among more serious things. Pay attention to the smell of darkened urine - its sharp change or the appearance of new shades in it should alert you. Because it is sometimes dark, beer-colored urine may indeed be a real sign of some dangerous disease.So, urine can darken sharply with a disease such as hepatitis (or rather, it takes on the color of a rather dark beer), but with this disease there are other symptoms, for example, the feces of a sick person also sharply lighten. If, however, dark urine during pregnancy is accompanied by any other characteristic symptoms (a sharp increase in body temperature, acute abdominal pain, or increased urge to urinate, as well as sharply increased sweating, or the appearance of a sharp fetid odor from urine and others ), then an urgent consultation with your doctor is simply vital.Sometimes dark urine may well be a real sign of some kind of genitourinary infections, as well as hepatitis, tyrosinemia and other unpleasant diseases. However, during pregnancy, the most common cause of such changes in urine color is precisely an acute lack of fluid in the female body, frequent or prolonged intake of vitamins and, of course, eating some kind of coloring products. 
 
 
 
 However, in any case, when noticing changes in the color of urine, you began to drink enough liquid, completely stopped eating any coloring products and did not take vitamins and any medicines at all, constantly adhere to a properly balanced diet (with a complete exception from everyday a diet of fried, too spicy, and chocolate), and, moreover, your urine remains dark, and for several days or weeks, then you will definitely need to undergo an urgent and most thorough medical examination.Perhaps your gynecologist will give you the necessary directions for tests (and this is a urine and blood test for urobilin, bilirubin, as well as ALT, and AST) and then determine your subsequent tactics. 
 
 
 
 And by the way, edema during pregnancy or anemia of pregnant women may well be accompanied by some darkening of the color of urine. But as you understand, in this case, you will need to tell the gynecologist leading your pregnancy about such changes or your guesses.
 

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