Polyhydramnios and fluid in baby's bowels and stomach

[Straysod]

Hi there,

I am 33w4d pregnant (with my third child) and I have an appointment scheduled with a maternal and fetal medicine specialist concerning the recent findings on a couple of ultrasounds.  My midwife originally sent me because she was having a hard time feeling the baby on exam and thought I had a lot of fluid.  I was also measuring a few weeks ahead.  U/S came back as mostly normal with the exception of fluid filled loops in the baby's bowel.  My fluid was 18 and change. That was at 31 weeks and the baby measured at almost 34 weeks.

Next exam he was all over the place and it was hard to hear his heart beat (maybe from the fluid).  Went back for another ultrasound to look again last week and my fluid is now over 25 and he still has fluid in bowels and now in his stomach.  His abdomen dated over two weeks ahead of his head circumference and the baby measured over 35 weeks.

Now the top of my left leg into my knee is completely numb and I have a lot of pain in my calf...not a cramp, but more like pain when I walk or move my leg.

My appointment is in 5 days but I am in hyper-anxiety mode and worried that my son has an obstruction or congental problem.  I also am worried this will risk me out of a birth center birth and into a c-section.  

Anyone have any thoughts or experience with this or idea of what might be happening?  I am so stressed...

Thanks~

[AngelKissedKids]

Sorry I don't have any experience with what you're going through or advice to offer but wanted to send along hugs and best wishes.  I hope that you get some good news soon that will put your mind at ease.

[Bird Girl]

I sure can sympathize with the pregnancy panic. There's nothing that adds to the fear for your child's health like pregnancy hormones.

It could be that your baby has a bowel obstruction. It's actually good news to discover this before birth, because it means that your baby can be treated right away, and not wait until there's damage to the intestine. It's great that you already have an appointment to have your ultrasound results looked at by a specialist--I bet you'll be very reassured after you have a plan in place to deal with any findings.

Hang in there until your appointment. Health issues in pregnancy can be so upsetting!

[JFTB1177]

Hey there, just wanted to let you know I had polyhydraminos with DS2 and he was born perfectly healthy! There is a LOT of scary stuff on the net about it and it kept me up some nights when I was PG with him, but all was well. We never found out why either. I didn't have it with DS1 or this pregnancy.

HUGS!

[mummyof4]

I am experiencing exactly the same thing as yourself. Im 30w3d pregnant, and was diagnosed as having gestational diabetes from my GTT, because my midwife said i was meauring a good 3 weeks ahead of what i should be, so i was referred for a growth scan.
Had that last week, and i asked sonographer if everything was ok, she said yes. Only when i went in to see consultant, he said they had found fluid in baby's abdomen. So i was immediately referred to fetal medicine for a more indepth scan. I had 2 further scans that day, and they concluded fetal ascites and polyhydramnios (fluid in baby's abdomen and me carrying excess amniotic fluid). They said my extra fluid was probably down to the diabetes, but the baby's could be down to a long list of things. So they tested me for 3 infections, and told me to come back this monday for another scan to see if things had improved.
Went back yesterday and my fluid is still high but has decreased some but no change in baby's fluid. Also, results for the infections have come back clear, so fluid isnt caused by infection. They are now going along line of a chromosomal problem causing fluid in babys belly, so theyre pushing me to have a amniocentesis on friday. But theres a risk of early labour if i have done. So really am in two minds about having this done.
They want me to have 2 scans a week which is only making me think that they are really worried, so im even more worried now. I just want to know whats wrong with baby.....they did mention a bowel problem as a possibility but i dont think they think it is this. Theyre very much taking the chromosomal thing being the reason.
I mean at 29 weeks the baby was weighing 4lb 6ozs, so they have said hes going to be a big baby. A midwife told me, if a chromosomal problem was a reason, then shed be surprised as most have low birth weights. So why do they think this then? xx