Thirty weeks into my first pregnancy, I developed some concerning abdominal pain. The clinicians in labor and delivery triage examined me — they took a urine sample, measured my blood pressure, and made sure I wasn’t having contractions before sending me home. Unfortunately I was still in pain, and the pain slowly progressed.
A few days later, I received a call from the OB-GYN supervising the triage clinic to notify me that my urine had been cultured and grown some bacteria. The doctor asked me whether I had any symptoms of a urinary tract infection. I told her that I didn’t, but that I still felt unusual discomfort and tightness in my belly. “Well,” she replied, “I’m not inclined to treat you.”