Printable View
I am noticing that things seem a bit out of whack. I'm drinking A LOT of water but it doesn't all seem to be coming out the other end. When Baby Boo is in a certain position, I have a constant need to pee and I'm also waking every night to go (just the once though). But the amount that's coming out doesn't seem to match what I'm putting in.
Is anyone else experiencing this? Could it be a problem?
It is quite difficult to estimate the amount of fluid you put out. It is not just a matter of checking how much you pee, you also lose a lot of fluid in your poo when you breathe and sweat.
Wanting to pee often but only managing to pass a little is very common late in pregnancy. Your baby is now taking up quite a bit of room in your tummy this leaves little room for your bladder to expand. Because your bladder cannot expand like it used to the sensors inside your bladder that tells your brain you need to pee are stimulated much earlier than they normally would and therefore you feel like you need to pee but are only able to pass small amounts.
It all sounds quite normal to me.
Thanks Alan. But it seems there is a problem.
I just got back from a scan that found the baby only has 8cm of amniotic fluid when it should have at least 12cm. And I was told the reason is that I'm not drinking enough water.
But I am drinking A LOT of water. I check the colour of my urine and it's usually nice and pale. But I really do notice what I put in isn't coming out. I usually drink two glasses of water after going to the loo (pale urine so I'm not dehydrated) so I would expect to have a fairly decent amount come out next time I need to pee. And it just doesn't. It seems to me having a squashed-up bladder doesn't account for it.
I didn't think the water you drink effects the amniotic fluid...?? How interesting, I had never heard that before.
Amniotic fluid index (AFI) should be between 5 and 25 so although you are on the lower side you are still within normal limits. The amount of fluid you drink can have a small effect on the amount of amniotic fluid. So aproximatly how much fluid do you drink in 24 hours.
Hi Alan,
I saw that range too, but thought the lower numbers were for later on, just before the birth.
I will have to measure how much water I drink. Before getting pregnant I drank at least two litres a day and I have increased that a fair bit. Maybe I drink three litres now.
It is hot here and I sweat a lot but I try to keep an eye on the colour of my pee because I read dehydration can cause a premature delivery.
I am trying to stay positive. The ultrasound doctor recommended another scan in a month. If it was a big problem I think she would have recommended I come back sooner.
If you are drinking 3 litres a day that should be enough depending upon your physical activity. The colour of your pee is a good indicator of your hydration. Your AFI would normally start to fall at about 34-35 weeks. Low AFI can indicate an abnormality with your baby where the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach is not formed correctly however this is easy to detect by ultrasound and I would think that your doctor checked for this. Aside from this I think that you just have a low AFI and would expect your doctor to suggest at least monthly scans until birth.
Thanks Alan. I feel so much better now. I felt terrible yesterday because the scan doctor seemed to be saying the problem was my fault.
Hey GoingtobeinAsia! I had this problem too recently. At a growth scan at 28 weeks my AF was 11.8 then a couple of weeks later it was down to 8 so we repeated the scan in a week and it was up to 9.5. My OB was not worried as she said that it can be because bub and or I could just have been very busy the day the scan said I had low AF. It can vary quite a bit during a healthy and normal pregnancy. My preg is high risk so we are having heaps of extra scans otherwise I wouldnt have even known that my AF was fluctuating.
Good luck and dont stress!