Polyhydramnios

[Baby14]

Just wondering if anyone experienced this in pregnancy & if you could share your experience? I am currently undergoing tests and they appear to have ruled out cardiac issues with bub but we are still unsure what is causing the excess fluid & what to expect as the pregnancy progresses. TIA

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

I don't have any experience exactly, but i had to get tested for this in my 34th week of pregnancy as i was measuring at nearly 41 weeks. i was fortunate that the levels, although on the higher side, were still within the normal ranges. apparently anything over 24cm is diagnosed as polyhydramnious and my level was 20.5cm. - i was monitored closely for the remainder of my preg and was induced with arom at 38+2 as ob was concerned that bub was going to be big. - Baby was born weighing in at 4.170kgs (9 pound 3 ounces) so on the larger size but not huge.

goodluck with your tests hun - how far along are in your pregnancy?

[Baby14]

Thanks Negrita

I'm 26 weeks now. At 25+5 I was measuring 29+5. At the ultrasound they told us that bub is measuring 2 weeks ahead & then the rest is due to the excess fluid. I'm having some more tests tomorrow & see my OB again next week. It's all a little scary at the moment

[Charlotte91]

I had Oligohydramnios (very LOW fluid). Just wanted to pop in and tell you that I'm thinking of you.
My bub measured at 3 weeks behind. At 33 weeks I measured at 24.

Hugs honey!

[kelsbels]

I had this during my pregnancy with DD. At 26 weeks I was measuring 34, and by 31 weeks I was measuring 41!

I had a lot of scans from 31 weeks on, had multiple GD testing and everything was clear so there was no medical reason for having soooooo much excess fluid!

My waters ended up breaking spontaneously after a scan at 36 weeks simply because there was no more room and the pressure caused them to rupture.

There is risks that go with this obviously but be guided by your ob/gp and I wish you lots of love for the rest if your pregnancy!

[kelsbels]

Should add bubs was born just before 37 weeks weighing 8lb 2, so she would have been big had we gone to full term!

Oh, and when my waters broke - there was a LOT of fluid!!!!!!

[teresa]

i had this (plus other things) with my pg with DS. but i was also diagnosed with GD so they think it was due to that. at 31 weeks my levels were 29.1cm and he was measuring at 35 weeks. by the time i had him i was measuring at 40 weeks (he was born 6 weeks early) but i dont know what my levels were. there certainly was a lot of fluid for him to move around in there!
your ob will keep a check on you for the rest of your pregnancy. good luck xx

[angelaartsstudent]

Right through this pregnancy my fluid was in the 95th percentile and I have been measuring 4 weeks ahead. Size of baby is also in 94th percentile. Yes I have my dates right LOL.

By my 36 weeks scan (a few days ago), my fluid had totally levelled out.

Tests earlier ruled out any complications with me or baby (such as kidney probs or GD) and apparently, 65% of polyhydramnios cases are totally unexplained and there's no reason for them.

I had it with 1st pregnancy too...but again, there was no reason that could be found for it. But it did make for an impressive show when my waters broke!

If you dont have GD and all other tests show no complications, just sit back, relax and enjoy your pregnancy!

To quote my sister: "Your tummy feels like a water bed"

[leather & lace]

My partner was also diagnosed with polyhydramnios during our little boy's stay in her tummy. We were told "it was just one of those things that happen", there was no reason and no complications, just a very high riding, non-engaged boy that made it impossible for mummy to wear any kind of shoes other than slip ons .
Like angela said, what a show when the waters broke

[angelaartsstudent]

just a very high riding, non-engaged boy that made it impossible for mummy to wear any kind of shoes other than slip ons .

SO true...this baby has been sitting SO high all the way through, with no signs of dropping.

In fact, with DD, she didn't engage/drop until after my waters broke.

It can have it's good side though...no need for maternity pants through both pregnancies becuase of babies sitting so high!

:-P

[gemini_girl]

I was just having a look through some pregnancy articles when I seen the word "polyhydraminoes" I stopped to think about it for a moment because I have had so much going on in the past two weeks (DD been in hospital etc) but I thought I had heard that somewhere and really had to stop and think. Yes I had heard it, my doctor told me that my fluid levels were a bit higher than usual. I pulled out the printout from my pregnancy folder and checked the report from the last scan at 28 weeks exactly. Sure enough it was on there. Polyhydraminoes, AFI 26.2cm. I looked up some info about it because my gp and my doctor at my antenatal appointment didn't seem concerned and didn't say much about it, in fact it was only my gp that happened to mention it all. My doctor at the hospital who I see for antenatal appointments keeps telling me that she is glad it's me going to push this big baby out and not her. She was concerned in that she thought I should expect to get a phone call confirming GD, it was slightly elevated for the first test but a second test showed it was clear. Bub was measuring 29w2d at 28w0d, but she has been measuring about that far ahead for most of the pregnancy.

I'm hoping that everything goes smoothly for the rest of this pregnancy, I am booked in for another ultrasound at 33 weeks next saturday but other than that they haven't asked to keep a closer eye on me or anything. The ultrasound was to monitor bubs growth because of "large for dates" baby (95th percentile) and the fact that we lost our baby at 20 weeks last pregnancy.

[Baby14]

Thanks everyone for replying! It's good to know that for most of you there were no complications which caused the extra fluid, puts my mind at ease a bit.

I was retested today for GD, I was tested at 18 weeks & BSL's came back at 7.7 so I've been following a low GI diet & am hoping the results this time will be ok.

Angela & L&L, I know exactly what you mean about bub being high riding, I am so unbelievably uncomfortable ATM & assuming that will only get worse. I couldn't shave my legs tonight as my bump is so high & while I have put on less than 2kgs so far this pg, I feel enormous. DS was a big bub but I don't remember feeling this uncomfortable even at 40 weeks, I never had that 'over it' feeling. This week though I could just cry with how sick & uncomfortable I'm feeling I'm wondering how I'm going to make it another 14weeks.

Teresa, do you mind if I ask, were you like kelsbels & your water broke early because of the pressure or were there other reasons for your bub being born 6 weeks early?

GG, I'd be interested to hear how you get on at your next scan, good luck, I hope that the fluid has not increased & you have a smooth end to the pg

[angelaartsstudent]

A slightly early labour is apparently not uncommon with lots of extra fluid becuase the uterus does apparently have a limit to how much it can hold.

Happy Chick - you could be me! Huge high bump...SO uncomfortable. Can't bend or reach anything. I too dont remember feeling so over it last time! I haven't technically put on any weight at all yet but belly is huuugggeee.

I caved in and paid to get my legs waxed LOL...couldnt deal with notbeing able to shave them anymore! ;-)

[teresa]

Don't mind at all! I had a grade 4 placenta previa (placenta completely covering cervix) and vasa previa (cord is also near cervix) and I started bleeding. I had 2 big bleeds before my on said enough and I had a c section that night. My waters never broke and I can say that I have no idea what a contraction feels like either. Sorry I can't help u too much with that.


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[gemini_girl]

Happy Chic how are you getting on?

I just thought I would let you know, I had a follow up scan yesterday and the amniotic fluid levels seem to have come down, apparently still a tad high but a lot better. It's come from 26.6 i think it was, down to 18.8 as of yesterday.

I have been sick for about a week now (pneumonia, I think, it was first diagnosed as tonsilitis and acute bronchitis), wonder if that has contributed to bringing it back down??? Bub is measuring 36 weeks at 33 weeks...

[Baby14]

Hi GG, sorry to hear you have been so sick I hope you are fully recovered soon!

That's good news that the fluid has reduced Do you mind if I ask if you have been advised to have a c-section due to bubs size?

Our results came back good from our scans, bub looks happy & healthy (and big!). I am enormous, I was asked twice last week if I was having twins. I hate it when people ask how long I have left & then the look on their face when I tell them 12 weeks. I'm really uncomfortable & struggle to eat very much at all as there is just no room in there for food along with bub & all that fluid!

But we are very relieved that everything looks ok. My OB thinks it's unlikely I'll make it to 40 weeks and is trying to prepare me for a possible c-section, I had my heart set on a VBAC this time round but we'll have to see what happens.

Will you be having extra monitoring for the end of your pg?

[gemini_girl]

Hi Happy Chic,

I have an antenatal appointment later today. I will be seriously discussing induction and at what point we might be able to consider it. I haven't heard anything about needing a c-section and to be honest, I don't want one. I have always been terrified of c-section. I have just finished my birth plan a couple of days ago.
I plan to be in the bath using just the gas for pain relief, if I need more pain relief then the bath is out of the picture. It all depends I guess on how I manage. I have been to a physio last night and she has confirmed I have Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. This explains all the pain and discomfort that I have been having.
She taped me back together again and gave me a support belt and I feel a lot more secure now. I actually got a much better nights sleep, and I even got to sleep on my side again YAY.
She wants me to stay in bed for two days because I couldn't do any of the exercises she wanted me to do. I have to go back on Thursday but she thinks she might have me mobile again within 2-3 weeks.
I'm not sure if they will provide extra monitoring, this hospital seems impossible to get anything done at the moment. It has been 5 weeks since I have been for my last antenatal appointment, which I was concerned was a little long. I am really interested to see what she has to say today about the size of bub, the fluid level, the hip pain. My GP says that 18.8 is still a tad high but I thought it was actually in normal range.
I have been getting a lot of pressure down below. At time I am going to the toilet every half an hour for several hours. Sometimes the pain is so bad I don't think I can move. (which is different than the pelvic pain)
Ok I think I have rambled on enough for the moment. I will come back in after my appointment and update.

[Cocolove]

I had this with DD2, I was so huge the doctor said my stomach was th average size of a woman pregnant with twins!
I was told to pack my bags from 26 as poly babies are high risk of premature birth! I ended up having a cesearean at 36 weeks but she weighed in at 7lb 10oz & we were in hospital for 2 weeks!
I remeber the white gumboots they wore in theatre and the massing GUSH Of fluid that burst out all over the floor it was insane!