Polyhydramnios/excess amniotic fluid

[alfie]

I went to the consultant yesterday expecting him to say i was carrying a slightly larger baby but instead he said my amniotic fluid levels were 10.1cm and i am being rescanned next week, by my dates I'll be nearly full term by then. I am really worried about having this excess fluid. I don't have any of the other symptoms that can sometimes accompany it and he has ruled out gestational diabeties, but the baby will have to have a tube passed down its nose to check the oespophegus (sp) when it's born. My consultant doesn't seem overly worried but he's pretty solemn anyway! not really a people person!!! Did any of you mums have this? If so how did it affect your labour and afterwards? Was everything ok with your lo, or were there abnormalities etc? I've been reading too much on the internet and have frightenened myself!!!!!

Alfie
x

 

[foxymum]

i had this with Louie & i was terrified, i had to have a growth scan at 36 wks coz i was so big & the foundings were that i had excess fliud to,
he told me the baby might have to have a tube down his throat to check if all was well because it could be a sign that the baby isn't swallowing fluid in the womb ( well not a lot anyway) thats why they check the throat.

he did also mention that rarely it could be a sign of an abnormality but as all my scans were perfect, this was unlikely.

also he told me the baby could just be weeing a lot & thats why it was increased!
i was re scanned at 38 wks & still had slightly increased fluids but less then before.

basically i had perfectly normal birth with Louie (my 3rd child) he weighed 8 lb 6 oz & is perfect, he didn't need the tube put down his throat either.
the only thing was he swallowed meconuim during the birth (which is totally un related to this)

also when my waters did go with him, they were flowing for ages & the midwifes joked about how much there was

good luck babes, i'm sure all will be well, but keep us posted.

 

[libs]

I had this too with Josh - I delivered at 32 weeks due to it - and he had a slight disability (talipes - club feet) which was made worse by the condition - but other than that he was fine

believe me when your waters go you'll know I was still losing fluid 24 hours later - and you get a lovely big bump

 

[susie]

hi Libs would you mind me asking what were your levels of fluid my highest pool is 13 and what made them deliver you early or was it spontaneous labour

 

[libs]

I have no idea what my levels were sorry - 14 years ago - I'm lucky to remember something from last week

all I can tell you is that at about 29 weeks my fundal height was that of a 40+ week pregnancy At my previous hospital appt I measured normal (I was under consultant care not midwife due to not finding out about my pregnancy until after 3 1/2 months) I had a show and contractions and went into hospital.

I was going into spontaneous labour for a few weeks and they were trying their hardest to stop me. After a few weeks (and a very long story) eventually my waters broke - simply due to me not being able to stretch anymore and I went into full labour. I'd been having the steroid injections every 12 hours and they allowed me to deliver (they had no choice )

They didn't actually tell me until after I had delivered that I had this condition- I had an excellent consultant who worked on the theory that I would start stressing if he told me - and worrying about all the possible causes of excess fluid. They also didn't tell me about his feet until he was born although they had been able to see that for weeks too. I was glad as I think I would have read way too much into it and there was nothing I could do.

 

[susie]

aww thanks libs for responding soo quick, i am stessing like mad about this and yes ive been stupid and looked into everything there is about it on the internet my levels have gone up from 9 to 13 in 2 weeks and already i am really uncomfortable so i was hoping they would not let me go too far and i got the feeling my midwife thought the same, but i saw consultant on friday and she seemed to just poo poo me and told me they could admit me for the remainder of pregnancy (she knew i wouldnt want that) or go home with painkillers and wait it out i just need to know my baby is ok, the scan can see nothing obvious is wrong but it is still in the back of my mind all the time that things may not be ok

 

[libs]

I know - I was already panicking by the stage I went in - obviously I was in prem labour and also his heartbeat was dropping with each contraction and that became a HUGE worry without me knowing anything else

just to reassure you - after all the panic over that and being whisked around on a trolley as everyone shouted and put oxygen masks on me and everything...turned out the little monster was squeezing his umbilical cord each time I had a contraction and slowing his own heartbeat so some times we worry and worry for no reason.

I was incredibly uncomfortable - I couldn't even reach to eat at a table by 32 weeks, and the only clothes I was comfortable in were nighties. One thing that did help (does your bump itch with the constant stretching?) was keeping moisturiser chilled and using it regularly just to cool it all down. Also for the horrific backache caused by the pressure - a recliner chair half reclined seemed to take some of the pain away.

hope you're ok hun

 

[alfie]

Thank you girls for your replies, foxymum your experience is exactly the same as mine so far so i'm reassured that all was well. How do they decide whether the baby needs the tube down their throat or not? I have my next appointment with the consultant on friday so i will let you know how i get on.

Thank you
Alfie

 

[susie]

good luck for friday alfie and thank you to you all