Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Severe Swelling at 38 Weeks | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I am 38 weeks pregnant and have terrible swelling in my hands and feet. I also gained eight pounds in two weeks. My doctor did a protein urine test that came back as trace. My blood pressure is normal. Should I be concerned about the test coming back as trace?— Haley50 | | | ANSWER |
October 18, 2001 | | | Dear Haley50,
While universally miserable, it's very common to have severe swelling of the feet towards the end of pregnancy, and it's quite common to have some swelling of the hands and face as well. Modern medical thought is that the swelling, or edema, has no medical significance unless it is associated with high blood pressures or large amounts of protein in the urine. It is theoretically possible that "trace" indicates a significant amount of protein if the urine is very dilute, but it's more likely that some protein-containing vaginal secretions snuck into the urine container.
So the bottom line is that the edema (pronounced eh-DEE-ma) probably represents a normal, although rather miserable, part of late pregnancy. As part of routine prenatal care, your doctor will arrange follow-up visits for you and continue to monitor your urine protein levels, weight gain and blood pressure. The good news is that all babies are born eventually, so these wretched symptoms won't last forever. Take care.— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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