Is it normal to have protein in urine during pregnancy? what would be the causes while pregnant? no high blood pressure or diabetes present. is it serious?

Proteinuria : Yes. It is serious. It is something monitored along with blood pressure for a potentially life threatening pregnancy complication known as pre-eclampsia. Your OB will know if they are watching you more closely for this. I doubt any OB would be not watching for this significant complication.

Proteinuria : Urinary protein (p) excretion is abnormal in pregnancy when it exceeds 300 mg/24 hours at anytime during gestation. P documented before pregnancy or before 20 weeks' gestation suggests preexisting renal disease. It's recommended that that the diagnosis of proteinuria be based on the 24-hour urine collection. Preeclampsia must be excluded in women with p first identified after 20 weeks.