oligohydramnios (low fluid levels around baby)

[Amiasmummy]

Hi ladies. I just wondered if anyone has experience with this?
I'm currently 33+6 with my baby boy. We had a growth scan yesterday and they found that the fluid levels were low (AFI was 4). They've done the speculum test and say my cervix is still closed and no evidence of leakage. They don't seem to know what has caused the reduction in fluid and I don't know whether I'm right to be panicking about it or not.
AFI 2 weeks ago was 7.4 and 4 weeks before then it was 15. I thought it was odd at the last scan that it had reduced by so much but neither the sonographer nor the consultant were concerned... This time round the consultant still didn't seem too concerned due to the fact that he is still growing well, but said they'd have to keep an eye on the fluid with a weekly scan. I had a bit of an emotional breakdown while talking with her, so she decided to admit me to the hospital for monitoring (more for my piece of mind than anything else).
I'm still here - monitoring has all been fine (thank goodness!!) They've decided to give steroid injections for baby's lungs just in case he needs to be delivered early. I'm now waiting to see the consultant to discuss the plan of action. Is there anything specific I should be asking her?
Sorry for the lengthy post. I've not told any friends or family what is going on as I don't want to worry them, especially when I don't really know what's going on myself yet. It's been especially emotional, as I lost my daughter at 34 weeks so was dreading the scan as it was.. Kind of ironic that the whole of this pregnancy I've been worried about history repeating itself -with my daughter I had polyhydroamnios (too much fluid) and she had hydrops (fluid in her lungs, abdomen, around her brain and under her skin). Now I'm panicking about the complete opposite thing
They are arranging a more detailed scan to check all his organs are ok, I'm incredibly anxious as to what they may find..

UPDATE. The consultant spoke with fetal medicine unit and they decided they didn't need todo the detailed scan. They've decided that previous scans and especially yesterday's have shown that he's still growing well. I've been monitored several times and his heart trace is perfect. Movement is completely normal - he's still as lively as ever
They're keeping me in over night for further monitoring, but all being well they'll send us home tomorrow. Although we still don't really know what's going on, they are saying he's not showing any signs if bring in distress. So they'll arrange weekly scans to keep an eye in the fluid, but as yet they're not concerned. If they become concerned, they'll be able to act quickly as the steroid injections will have had time to work.

Hi Amiss don't have any experience of this but glad the news is better. Hope you get home soon

Amiasmummy blooming keypad

Glad it is so far so good. Here for hand holding if you need it.

I had this at around 35 weeks, for no reason, baby born at 37 weeks and was fine, fluid does naturally reduce towards end of pregnancy and i was told baby position and skill of sonographer can also effect results of scan xxx

Hi there,

I had this, and while it was very scary at the time, my baby was born healthy and fine at 38w, after 4 weeks of monitoring. I managed to get my levels back up, through drinking 6 litres of lucozade a day (under medical guidance). I have never peed so much in my life!!

Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to pm me - I'm not normally on the pregnancy board but it popped up on my active conversations.

I had this too at 36 weeks - got scanned a lot and hooked up to a monitor for a few hours just to check all was OK. They let me carry on to 38 weeks and then I had a CS. DS was fine.

Thank you so much for your responses. It really helps to know that your babies were ok despite the reduced fluid. I think, given my past, I initially panicked and thought the worst I'm 34 weeks today, which is when I lost my dd. I also had a hospital stay with her, and had the steroid injections for her lungs so it's been a bit too familiar an experience. However, I'm sat here being monitored and very reassured by the heart trace (Amia's was looking poor at this stage) and his movements are still normal, whereas I'd not felt Amia move since the previous day. (And that had been a brief spell of hiccups which don't count as movements)
All in all, I'm feeling more positive today. Concentrating on the differences in the situations rather than the similarities.

I've been reading up about the reduced fluid and will definitely up my fluid intake to see if it helps. I do find it a little odd that no doctor or midwife has told me that this may help?! Tallgiraffe - is there a reason that your fluids were lucozade? Is it better than drinking just water, or were there other reasons that lucozade was recommended to you?

P.S. I've just been measured and I'm still measuring right for my dates, so they're not worried that the fluid has reduced any further

Glad you're feeling better about it all and baby is jumping around!

It was the isotonic sports lucozade so that I didn't upset the salt balance too much, 6 litres of pure water would have knocked the sodium and potassium levels in my blood.

Another thing I remembered is that when your baby arrives make sure you mention it to the people doing the hip check. We had the hip scan to make sure his hips hadn't been affected by being squashed a bit!

Thank you so much for the advice

I will be sure to get his hips checked (I hadn't even thought of that!) I was mostly worried about squashing his head but luckily he's already snuggled into my pelvis.

We are just waiting for the consultant to do her rounds, then should be able to go home and relax properly.

I'm back at home now. Going back for monitoring on Saturday, then all being well I'll go back Tuesday for more monitoring and a scan to check on the fluid. It's been an emotional couple of days to say the least. Think I'm going to sleep like a log tonight!

Good news, take care of yourself

Thank you