Help please oligohydramnios

[scaredbaby2]

At 20+2 weeks pregnant I was told I have oligohydramnios (only 20+6 now). Doctor has said there is nothing they can do and won't know if baby will survive until born as lungs may or may not develop. They do not want to monitor and I'm told no tests to at least get an idea if lungs are developing so I can prepare. Offered no emotional support either.

Has anyone got any experience with this? Should they monitor? Are there any tests?

Basically been told my baby will likely die when born. Am I just supposed to go through the rest of my pregnancy with no answers or support? What do I tell my two existing young children if I come home from hospital with no baby in a few months time?

This seems crazy, why wouldn't they monitor this throughout the pregnancy. Sorry I don't have any experience but bumping so hopefully someone else can come and help.

I'm so sorry you're going through this, and not being supported which I think is very wrong. I had oligohydramnios but at a later stage post 30 weeks and was induced early. I know it isn't the same thing at all.

Have you had any leaking of amniotic fluid, or do they think it's more likely an issue with baby's kidneys and/or bladder meaning they're not swallowing and then passing the amniotic fluid back out again? At this stage the lung development does depend on this too, so I can see why they're saying they'll need to wait and see if the level of oligohydramnios affects lung development to a critical level.

Increasing your fluid (water) intake can help increase amniotic fluid but I don't know if that can help enough at this early stage, however it's worth trying. I would speak to your midwife about additional support, monitoring and scans for your own mental well-being even if it isn't clinically something they usually do. It's so distressing you're just being left to wait and see yet only actually waiting without any further seeing.

Please keep talking to us and I will be thinking of you and baby, this is such a difficult and upsetting situation to be in without feeling nobody wants to help you gain further insight or updates as your pregnancy progresses. Sending you love and strength.

I have no idea why they don't want to monitor, this was a consultant from fetal medicine. She said as there is nothing they could do anyway, they don't need to monitor the level of fluid and it's just wait and see when the baby is born. I have managed to get them to agree to see me in 2 weeks but that was difficult and I'm not sure if they will see me again after that

I've had no leaking that I'm aware of, and I did have a test to check for amniotic fluid which was negative. The consultant in fetal medicine said that the baby has kidneys and a bladder so it must be a leak despite me not noticing any and negative test

Goodness I’m so sorry OP this sounds incredibly difficult and upsetting .

Has your midwife offered any extra support at all?

I haven't seen a midwife since and I don't actually have a regular midwife. It's whoever is on duty at my doctors for that appointment. I have no idea where I am supposed to get any support

I see a midwife at my doctors surgery but it is someone different each time, and they only work Mondays 9:30am to 11:30am. I haven't had a midwife appoint since the news either

Hi OP. I'm really sorry to hear you are going through this, and that you have received such little support. I would really encourage you to contact ARC (Antenatal Results and Choices). Their phone number is 020 7713 7486. They also have a text number on their website.

Hi op, offering a hand hold. Hope your baby is OK.

We've spoken about it but only superficially, neither of us know what to do really. I feel like I need more answers

I am so sorry you are going through this. I can't understand why they aren't monitoring you and your baby further?!

I had this condition. I delivered at 31 weeks (also had eclampsia and hellp syndrome). But this oligohydramnios wasn't diagnosed until around 29 weeks so didn't have long to wait until delivery and it was a viable stage

Hi @scaredbaby2 you must be in total shock. I think not talking much yet to your partner is completely understandable.

I also think https://www.arc-uk.org/ may be able to help you.

You can request an urgent GP appointment and an urgent midwifery appointment to ask how you can be supported.

The way you seem to have been abandoned with this, with no information, is barbaric.

I didn’t want to read and run. Thinking of you and sending positivity to you little one.

Totally agree with another poster this us barbaric. I would phone drs first thing Monday morning to get an emergency drs appt. They may not be able to do anything until the baby is born but they can still support you throughout your pregnancy.

You poor thing. It’s terrifying isn’t it :(

I had a complete Pprom at 21 weeks with my son and was on bed rest until he was delivered by emcs at 27 weeks due to an abruption. I was monitored all the way through with weekly scans and blood tests and also on prophylactic antibiotics. There was never any fluid on the scans and we too were told he probably wouldn’t survive due to lung development issues and could have other structure abnormalities due to being squashed, but he’s now a big strapping teenager with no issues whatsoever apart from being a stroppy git!

It’s really hard for you because there isn’t anything you or the doctors can do, you just have to look after yourself and try and stay positive.

Look after yourself and maybe have a look at some of the pprom resources online - I think there was a good Facebook group back in the day. Good luck x

It's great to hear that there is some chance of survival, a lot of the stories I've read about low fluid at this stage don't seem to end well. I'll have a look at the resources you've mentioned thank you.

Thank you everyone for the kind words. I think I will call the doctors first thing on Monday as suggested to see what support can be offered. Is there any way I can convince them to monitor me regularly?

I cried properly for the first time last night, couldn't hold it in any more. I have two children already and I'm worried about what I'm going to tell them as at this stage they know I'm pregnant and are 5 and 3.

I was diagnosed with oligohydramnios at my 20 week scan with my last pregnancy. Like you I googled it and found nothing but sad stories.

We were monitored by fetal medicine for a few weeks and they came to the conclusion it was one of those things with no obvious cause (my waters hadn't broken early to my knowledge etc).
My daughter made an early arrival at 36 weeks, she did need some initial help with breathing for a few minutes (but this was down to a quick labour) and we stayed in for a week or so with jaundice. The oligohydramnios does not seem to have had any effect on her development. She's now nearly three and has hit all her milestones.

I do remember how stressful it was but I wanted to share that it doesn't always end sadly.

Find out how to contact either PALS or the Head of Midwifery at your unit, ideally both, tell them what has happened and also that you have no continuity of midwife support. They will look into it urgently for you and help ensure a decent plan of care is made, I’m a midwife and the care you have received isn’t good enough. You need a proper care plan and yes they do need to be monitoring you closely and offering actual support. Don’t feel bad for making a complaint, it’s the quickest way to get things done if you can contact the HoM directly. Wishing you & your baby well xxx

This is good advice from someonethatyoulovetoomuch

If you call the number for delivery suite in your notes, the ward clerk or lead midwife on duty will put you in touch with help and support.

My experience of fetal med is that they can be basically quite doom and gloom up to 24 weeks as survival probability is low and there's just not really anything they can do. I think it comes from a place of not wanting to create false hope, but they should 100% be supporting and monitoring you. I had poor growth at 20 week scan and they were quite negative about prospects, but did monitor me fortnightly and they got much more cheery/faintly optimistic from 26 weeks on.

She was born 34 weeks. Small but fine.

Hi, I just wanted to thank you for this advice. After speaking to pals I will now have weekly monitoring at fetal wellbeing, with appointments at certain weeks at fetal medicine. I will also see a paediatrician from 26 weeks for what will happen following birth.

Thank you everyone for the support and advice

That’s great, so happy I could help. I hope everything goes well for you & your babe xxx