Polyhydramnios (too much fluid) Anyone with any experience?

[homemama]

Midwife has referred me for a scan and consultants appointment on Tue as she is concerned that I'm carrying too much fluid. I'm 34wks and measuring term. She is also concerned that baby has turned breech after being 2/5 engaged when I last saw her 2wks ago.

She was very 'wait and see' but I could tell she was concerned. She said she could feel that baby wasn't that big but that I was IYKWIM.

I wanted to post on here before googling and scaring the wits out of myself.

So, has anyone any knowledge/experience of this? TIA

I think emkana had this for at least part of her pregnancy. Keep bumping and perhaps she will see it, or do a thread search.

Thanks JW!
I'll try a thread search too!

Don't Google - my S-in-law has this ATM in early stages of her 2nd pg. it can be many things at many stages and you'll scare yourself.

They told me I was small for dates and then scared me to death scanning me. In th ened they told me I was tall (like they needed a scan to see that!) Was no prob at all - healthy 7.12lb boy.

Ive had it with all three pregnancies
My last pregnancy I measured past term at 30 weeks, baby was average size, just huuuuge with fluid. I was noted as severe polyhydramnios, so dont get worried !!
I had consultant appointments weekly, along with scans, at 33 weeks I was told my waters could go any time, and I was just so heavy.I was due to have some fluid drained off, then the day before I went into labour ( waters broke) at 35 weeks, Ds2 weighed 6lbs 10oz, and went home with him the next day!
Its so uncomfortble..get as much rest as you can, All the best !

Hi Homemama just wanted to send you a virtual - you've gone through the mill a bit haven't you. Forgive me if I hadn't remembered right but you had to have some extra scans early on didn't you? What did they show up coz I'm sure I remebered you saying something to do with kidneys at one point?

Thanks everyone.
Wisp, that reasuring. Thanks
LC, I'll keep you updated on the ante-natal thread.

It is normally nothing to be worried about but CAN be caused by a number of medical conditions (including stuff to do with kidneys IIRC). The scan should rule those out or flag up a potential problem. I had slight polyhydramnios (was also measuring 5 weeks ahead and that was a mixture of big baby and slight polyhydramnios) but DS was fine on the scan and once he arrived.

Other than that, it means that your waters are likely to go with more ooomph. That puts you at slightly higher risk of a cord prolapse if the baby isn't fully engaged and your waters go, and means that artificial rupture of membranes is probably not a good plan.

I had polyhydramnios with dd.....they scanned me at 38 weeks, because they thought I was having a vast baby. The tech then spooked me by saying 'its probably nothing, but you need to talk about it with the OB...'. OB dismissed it with a wave of his hand and said 'thats the least of your worries' (he was a prat, and I was an older firsttime Mum, but he clearly wasn't worried by the excess fluid).
I then went home and scared the wits out of myself (didn't know about MN and googled ) as RARELY it can be a sign of various problems, but everything was absolutely fine. I nearly drowned the surgical team with the tidal wave when I had my section, but dd was and is as healthy as they come, and was a very average 7lbs 7oz.
One relatively crappy thing about it - dd's head did dis-engage because of all the fluid. She was nicely engaged and head down but floated off at the last minute, so my induction was doomed...hence the section.
Also should mention that there is a possibility that the medical team will want to do extra thorough checks of your baby after the birth...they did with dd, just to make sure she didn't have an intestinal blockage (which would have been treatable, by the way). I hadn't expected that, so it upset me, but it really was just standard caution: she was fine.
After I delivered, I discovered that loads of women experience this - its pretty common, and 90% of the time it means nothing whatsoever. HTH a bit...xx

Yes, forgot to say they were careful about monitoring so that the waters didn't break with cord underneath...wouldn't let me go home once induction was started, even though I didn't respond at all.
Also, dd looked fine on the scan - but they still did the tests on her at birth: she had a nasogastric tube inserted so they could check there was no blockage, which I found really upsetting but she barely noticed, tbh. It doesn't sound as though all hospitals do that, but mine did.

Thank you both, that is useful information. Good to hear that more often than not it's nothing to worry about although that doesn't stop me worrying!

I'm just going to wait and see what they say on Tue and then take it from there.

Thanks everyone. This really is why Mumsnet is such a crucial resource and why it would be such a loss. I know I'd have spent the next four days working myself into a sheer panic had I only had google to turn to.

Homemama, I had this and was worried sick. My fluid got higher and higher, but my consultant was very laid back. She pointed to the 20 week scan and said that the baby's stomach and bladder had both been seen and were both normal. this suggested that the baby could swallow (otherwise no stomach would be visible) and could wee (ditto bladder). there are a number of "sinister" reasons for it, but 65% of women who get it are just women who make more water. (And of the other 35%, many have gestational diabetes. I was 32 weeks when my PH was diagnosed, and I was told that it was extremely rare to develop GD this late on. It would most likely have come on much earlier in the 2nd trimester. They may well do a glucose test to rule it out but that's nothing to worry about .

Agree that the only real risk is of cord prolapse if head not engaged. The consultant told me when my waters went that it would "spectacular" and if it went at home I just needed to come in asap (by amubulance if necessary). Even if cord does prolapse (v v unlikely) you can get into a position to get the pressure off the cord before you get to hosp. So it will be OK.

I was induced at 41 weeks in the end, had my waters broken and gallons came out onto the floor (DH was down that end and described it as awesome !) and DD was fine. Huge but fine. Your baby will be too. Try not to worry too much. And DON'T GOOGLE !!!

Take care.

Hi everyone - I am 24 weeks and was just diagnosed with polyhydramnios and yes, I'm worried sick. My Midwife and the doctor who reviewed my ultrasound both seem extremely laid back and this worries me that I may not be getting adequate attention for the condition. I only measured 26 total AFI with largest pocket of 9.6, but I'm still only 6 months into the pregnancy. My midwife says it will likely resolve itlsef long before delivery. My husband says if she and the doctor aren't worried we shouldn't be either. Can anyone else share their stories or any personal information they may have. Already reading the litle bit poste4d here has comforted me. Thanks!

At 25 weeks my uterus height was 28cms. 10 days later at my third scan i was at 33cms. i was told i have polyhydramnios. I now have to go for regular scans & tests!! Im huge n worried sick!! im now 26 & 5 days!

Hi everyone, I have read all of the posts and it really helps to read about your experiences. I'm 29 weeks tomorrow and meassuring full term now over 37cm with 28.1cm of AF, with my first baby. The hospital arranged a Glucose tests for me, this has come back negative, thank god. I had my Anti-D injection yesterday and whilst I was there I told the hospital that I was worried as I felt left in the dark about my condition that was diagnosed a while ago. I had another scan whilst I was there and that showed that I have grown yet again, the Clinical Midwife Specialist at the hospital was great and explained everything to me shame she is not my midwife, she ordered more tests to be done and now I am being treated as a high risk pregnancy. I feel somewhat releived as I feel like I am being looked after more now than before. I have an appointment with a specialist consultant on the 22nd which is the day the test results come back.
I gooled everything last night and got really upset.
So not sure what is next I guess i just have to wait and see, but I wish everyone that is going through the same all the best.xXx.

I have had PH since 32 weeks i'm now 36 weeks and saw midwife this morning who said she will be suprised to see me next week as ive got apt with obs on wed she reckons she might induce me as i'm so uncomfortable, does anyone know if this is likely cos ive got my hopes up that i'm gonna have my baby by the end of the week, is it normal to induce early cos as far as ive read, normally they just leave it to see when your waters go naturally, but i feel fit to bursting now! FH 40CM!

I'd just packed up work at 37 weeks when midwife told me I had this and that baby was laying crosswise. She advised that I went to the hospital to be checked over - where they admitted me - risk in case I went into labour and baby came down on top of the cord, and said a c-section would probably be necessary. Scan sid that baby was fine - though the estimated weight was 9lb +-25%! My initial hopes that they would get the c-section over and done with were unfounded and I spent 2 weeks on the ante-natal ward - mightily peed off as the food was crap - I used to send DH for chinese takeaways - and daily monitoring, prodding, injections to stop me getting DVT. Day of the proposed C-section, baby went head down and they sent me home - I tried to insist that I wanted to go ahead anyway but told it was better to wait for a natural labour.

Another 2 weeks the size of a house and I went back in to be induced. I flooded the labour ward when they broke my waters - i was laughing hysterically as with each contraction more and more kept coming. The baby's head still never engaged and I ended up with a c-section anyway - gutted as I could have saved myself 2 weeks of discomfort! The doctor never gave me any indication of what might have caused the excess fluid - but DD was 8lbs 2 and absolutely perfect in every way, so please try not to worry.

Yes I had this too - classified as severe. I read loads on internet and fully expected to be induced etc etc as this seems to be the standard in the US. But the hospital consultants in my case were very laid back and said I should just continue as normal. In the end my waters broke just as she was pushing out and she arrived about 10 mins later. So no probs with engagement in my case! Yes there was loads of water but nothing a few towels couldn't cope with. DD seems to be quite keen on water...(she's 6 months old now).

I've got this too and i feel as big as a house. I am due this Sunday. I have got SPD, am RH negative and now have PH. BUT googling was the worst thing I could do i started to really panic but having seen the OBS weekly for about three weeks and having had three extra scans i am not quite as worried. I think cord prolapse can happen whether you have PH or not. Should be interesting to see the Niagara Falls when my water does break though. I am really hoping that the pressure relieved will be something else because i feel fit to burst!!

I had this although undiagnosed until midwife broke my waters on induction! Cut to one very wet midwife and lots of jokes about swimming for shore, the town flooding again and Noahs ark... also lots of medics running around being very nice and very attentive. Found out later they were terrified something would happen to lo and / or I was going to complain as it had gone undiagnosed, despite numerous scans as I was HUUUUUGE and they were concerned baby was big/ dates were wrong (they never listened when I told them I could be very accurate with my dates as dh worked away). Baby was born fine, and we went home on the 4 hr discharge service. Try not to worry, at least they know the problem and can keep an eye on things

I had this with my second twin.

I was scanned weekly from about 28 weeks as they were terrified I would deliver the twins very early and/or there would be something horribly wrong with the second twin.

I had an amnio at 32 weeks which turned out fine.

Doctor was convinced that it had a problem swallowing and it would need an operation to remove a blockage.

He was taken for tests immediately after my section and thank god everything was fine. We had two months of worry and heartache for no reason whatsover.

I was as big as a house and could barely move. He had so much fluid that at every scan he was in a different position!

Hope that it all a big fuss over nothing for you too. This seems to be the experience of all the other posters.

I was told I had this towards the end of my pregnancy. I googled it and totally freaked out. I was told that it almost always means nothing but just to come in to the labour ward as soon as the waters break just in case. But in the end I was induced, everything was normal - it just happened that there was a bit more fluid. Try not to worry - they can find most things on the scan, and the measurements of the fluid are not that exact anyway.

I had it to the end of first preg too. It meant that baby couldn't engage and I had a cs as induction didn't work. And almost drowned the medical staff. Cue lots of jokes about olympic swimming pools!!

I had this with Ds, was measuring well ahead of dates at 28 weeks, sent for a growth scan at 32 weeks,
sonographer straight away said eek lots of fluid, lots of baby, even said see you soon as I left lol. Had another scan at 36 weeks (was so great, really clear due to all that fluid) decided on elcs due to size of baby (biiiiig head and tummy off the scale, also previous section). I was also panicked, google is deffo not your friend every site seemed to say that there were congenital abnormalities in the majority of cases. OB also just waved it off, so they must see it quite often, if 20wk scan was fine I assume they don't test further.

Had C-section at 38+5, got the paddling pool etc jokes, baby was absolutely fine, 9lb 10 mind.

Think I'm just one of those people that make more fluid, come to think of it they said with dd I had lots of fluid when they broke them. My mum also went into labour 6 weeks early with me due to extra fluid.

I also had this, I was scared of my whits reading about it, everyone is right, try not to read too much about it.

Mine eventually stabilised on its own. Ended up with normal volume of fluids. Baby was 8lb 8oz. Think it is quite common in larger babies.

I have this at the moment. I'm 38 weeks and 1 day.
Was told at 36 weeks and 5 days that i had it and got very scared as i didn't know what it was.
My boyfriend is worried sick, and has just made me worried as i've been told that i might now need a cesarean because the cord might come first and the baby is no longer engaged.
also because no one has helped us and told us what it is we've had to result to looking at google.

i'm very thankful i came across this website as it will make em sleep better knowing that some people just make lots more water and its never always done to something wrong.

also its made me happy that they might still give me the option of giving birth without the need of a cesarean.

Thank you everyone, it nice to know everyone on this who had it is doing fine and have had healthy babys (:. I'll update on wednesday, i've got a consultant meeting on tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed for me please lol