Polyhydramnios. Anyone else here dealt with it before? *Happy update*

[aran]

*** SEE POST 7 for UPDATE ***

I have been measuring big consistently, and in my last few mw visits mw has been saying that the fluid level is high. At today's visit, it had increased even more. She was very relaxed about it, talked about possible causes (stressing that it is usually just a variation of normal) but suggested a BPP next week (I will be 36 wks) as a baseline to see that baby is OK. (This is a very noninterventive mw, BTW). Also she suggested I act as though I have GD (though we never tested for it... ) and cut out sugar for the rest of the pregnancy because that is a potential cause for high fluid levels. Babe is very low in my pelvis, which makes me feel less worried about cord prolapse, which I understand can be a major risk w/ polyhydramnios.

Has anyone here dealt with this? Was it proactively managed? How was it "managed"? If it was a prior birth, what was the outcome for birth? The potential causes of this include some really scary stuff. Though I don't feel at all panicked right now I do feel some concern.

[bocks_box]

I'm 36 weeks tomorrow, and yesterday my mw told me I have a lot of fluid right now. I've also been measuring big.

She suggested it will go down in the next couple weeks, and also suggested I eat things high in fiber (she mentioned brown rice, watermelon, peas) which will pull off some of the fluid. She didn't seem at all concerned and didn't talk about any possible repercussions at this time, so maybe mine is less severe.

[aran]

Thanks. I will try the fiber thing too... can't hurt.

I believe from what the mw said that mine isn't really severe, but it has been going in the "wrong" direction. That is, there was more this week than in the past few weeks. I guess the BPP, which I opted to do, will give me an idea of how "bad" it is.

This is weird for me because my OB for DS1 pushed for an induction in part because of low fluid :

[ewins24]

I don't have any advice for you or any experience but wanted to offer you
(((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))) that it all works out and baby is just fine.

I hope that your fluid goes down by itself w/ the fiber and natural things you can do.

Keep us posted sweete.

[Doula Gina]

When I was pregnant with X, he was big, and he had a swimming pool in there that was bigger. We didn't worry, birth was fine (albeit messy), he passed some mec at the last minute (wasn't there when my water broke, but was fresh behind his head - 'terminal mec') and he was great. Poly is usually only a problem for risk of prolapse if you have your membranes ruptured artificially (you're more likely to be laying down for this in a prolapse-causing way), or if a diagnostic u/s earlier in pregnancy showed midline problems in the baby. Otherwise, it's a variation of normal, and the fluid level will fluctuate up and down day by day. Sometimes electrolyte imbalance is the culprit, so you might want to keep an eye on that if this concerns you. The 'normal' (but subjective and hard to scientifically quantify) fluid level for most practitioners is 5-25cm. With such a wide variable of normal and it being difficult to ascertain, you can guess how many inductions/freak outs are caused by this that are absolutely unnecessary.

[aran]

Thanks for the well-wishes and the reassuring info! It really does help. I did have a 20 week screen u/s and everything looked "unremarkable" so that is reassuring too. I will be interested to see the fluid measurements next week. :

[aran]

I am 36 weeks and measuring at 40 cm.

My mw thought the baby was average sized and I had a lot of extra fluid. But the BPP I had this afternoon said that I have an 8 lb 8 oz baby (at 36 weeks!!) : in there, and 20 cm of fluid, which is high-normal level, but not polyhydramnios

The one thing u/s and mw agree upon is that they don't think I will be carrying to 40 weeks. I had been preparing mentally for a June baby - no-one in my family goes early! But now I am trying to prepare mentally for an early May baby. Who knows... I'll just try to roll with it either way!

The best part of all this was seeing DS2's little face and chubby cheeks with a hand AND foot right in front of it. He kept sticking out his tongue... it was very cute and made the reality of a new baby really hit home for me today.... wow!

Anyway... just wanted to tell someone

[ginnyjuice]

Yay! I had a major jump in size @ 36 1/2 weeks so I have to have an ultrasound tomorrow to check he fluid levels. I had not been measuring consistently large though--but the change coincided with the week I dropped, so I wonder if that thad an effect. My 22 week ultrasound did not show anything remarkable, so I'm hoping it's just a big baby (I didn't think I would actually hope for such a thing)

Babies in my family are typically >8 lbs, though... and we are little people.

[aran]

Originally Posted by ginnyjuice

Yay! I had a major jump in size @ 36 1/2 weeks so I have to have an ultrasound tomorrow to check he fluid levels. I had not been measuring consistently large though--but the change coincided with the week I dropped, so I wonder if that thad an effect. My 22 week ultrasound did not show anything remarkable, so I'm hoping it's just a big baby (I didn't think I would actually hope for such a thing)

Babies in my family are typically >8 lbs, though... and we are little people.

G/L!!! FWIW, my doula's last client had true polyhydramnios come on late and suddenly... kind of like what you describe... but there were no problems with mom, baby or birth, just discomfort with the rapid increase in size.

[crysmomofthree]

That's great news

[MommyTeesa]

YAY! I totally understand the need for sharing, glad you did.

[ginnyjuice]

Originally Posted by aran

G/L!!! FWIW, my doula's last client had true polyhydramnios come on late and suddenly... kind of like what you describe... but there were no problems with mom, baby or birth, just discomfort with the rapid increase in size.

I got measured on Friday and my fluids are fine @ 17 cm. I just have an larger baby. They are estimating 8+ lbs. And healthy!