lower amniotic fluid

[ElliesMomma]

i'm being watched by ultrasounds for possible placenta problems. so far, so good. at 25 weeks, baby is 1 pound 11 oz., active and with a heart rate of about 160/minute.

however they found my amniotic fluid level had decreased.

i'm coming out of a period of stress. our elderly golden retriever was keeping me up at night, i never got a full night of sleep. i probably slacked off on drinking water. goldie died yesterday.

today was my u/s that showed amniotic fluid had decreased.

they are having me back in one week to see how it looks then.

i'm scared b/c the "remedy" is hospitalization/bed rest. i have a very attached three year old. going in the hospital for all summer would be hell on wheels for all of us.

i'm hoping that by upping my water intake and increasing my rest, i can increase my fluid levels.

what do you think?

otherwise, i'm totally healthy. blood pressure has been great.

[cristeen]

If it's just stress induced, concentrate on taking care of yourself this week and it should resolve yourself. Plenty of fluids, lots of rest, good foods.

If it doesn't resolve itself then chances are good that that wasn't the cause. But I would be very careful of interventions leading from this... u/s are notoriously inaccurate for measuring - and that includes fluid levels.

[katelove]

Maternal dehydration is a common cause of low amniotic fluid levels so I think you have a good chance of topping it up with rest and lots of water for a week. All the best!

[octobermoon]

so sorry about your dog. as a pet lover/owner myself i know this is extremely difficult.
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drink tons! and rest up.....i hope this resolves on its own. my blood pressure is elevated already so i feel like i know the scare of bed rest and hospital......hey i think we are buddies..... i'll pm you, i know you mentioned this in another post.

[Lovinmum]

LOTS and LOTS of fluid and rest!!

[skydancer]

I agree with the others...really focus on your water intake.

I have had low fluid issues at the end of all my pregnancies. My first was induced because of it at 37 wks (and because I didn't trust myself enough to not be scared into that choice by the dr.) It was a horrible induction and I would NEVER want to go through that again.

Aside from getting a new dr., I found that I just really needed to up the water in the last month or two. In the end I feel like a giant water balloon, but it is worth it.

Long story short-this may be something that hangs around for the rest of the pg, but with plenty of hydration, you will hopefully be able to stay away from too many interventions. Good luck (and I'm so sorry about your dog)!

[ElliesMomma]

update: fluid is now normal

just to update, i had the follow up ultrasound this morning to check the amniotic fluid level and it has rebounded to "normal" level! yeah, no bedrest for me. i get my summer back, thank god.

the doctor asked me what did i do this week -- i drank as much water as i could, cut out all caffeine and started sleeping through the night (since the dog is no longer barking overnight, the only good thing about losing her last week). also i try to lie down on my side in the morning and afternoon, even if my three year old doesn't let me nap, i do it for the physical effect. the doctor said the uterus is supplied by the femoral artery and gets 5 percent better blood flow when you're lying on your side. FWIW.

[octobermoon]

: great news!!!!!!!!!

[BeanSprout Mama]

that's wonderful! I'm glad it was easy to fix.

[acemama]

Great news!

[StrongFeather]

so happy for you!: