Polyhydramnios detected at 36 week scan

[PoppyH56]

I'm 36+5 and at my 36 week scan last Thursday I was told I have 24cm of fluid around baby. Have been at home glucose monitoring for 5 days in case it's gestational diabetes but so far all my results have been fairly low so I don't believe it's that. Does anyone have any experience with Polyhydramnios and how did it affect the last few weeks of your pregnancy/birth?
Did you deliver early? Were you induced? Was your baby fed the tube down their throats to check their swallowing? Sorry for all the Q's - I have a consultant meeting on Thursday and am being CTG monitored twice weekly as well as another growth scan next week to check fluid again but need some positive stories until then as I'm getting v worried! Thank you x

Bump

Hi please don't worry.
I had GD and was diagnosed with polyhydramnios by 30/32 weeks I think.
It however all went by itself by 37 weeks. I was told that if my waters went I had to get to the hospital asap but other than that they weren't worried.
It will be okay

Hi OP - I had Polyhydramnios identified at a growth scan at 32 weeks.

They didn't even mention it - I saw it and scared myself with Google until my next Consultant appointment. I mentioned how worried I was and she said that sometimes it happens for no reason.

In my case it was caused by a giant baby. I was induced and had emcs but that's more to do with several other factors.

Are you measuring large? My consultant said 'big baby, more fluid' and where they are anatomically normal on scan there is often no discernible reason for it.

Polyhydramnios often a reflection of a baby growing well and subsequently producing a good amount of urine. 24cm not worrying either - in some places wouldn't be called poly unless over 25cm. As long as gdm ruled out I wouldn't worry about it.

Is that true Sploozle? My consultant was so unconcerned I felt a bit like a loony for worrying but bloody Google can turn a normal person into a neurotic mess!

Hi Moany, my baby is 95th centile for head and tummy which is why they have tested me for GD I think!

Hey, I wasn't actually officially diagnosed with Polyhydramnios as it was really late (growth scan) and was being induced anyway! They just did extra checks on baby for me, and when they broke my waters a little more than usual just came pouring out!!! All was fine after for baby tho and he is now a healthy happy 6 month old so try not to worry too much! Hope all goes well for you ❤️

Poppy - mine was measuring around that and was over 99th at birth.

It's great - a big baby is so much easier to handle. My son is 4 and wearing 6-7 year old clothes

He was fine by the way, 9 10 10 Apgar, quick match with no issues, ridiculously strong.

People kept coming to see 'the giant baby'.

I had to be induced as they were worried about cord prolapse if my waters broke. When they broke my waters in hospital there was hardly anything. Bit of an anticlimax really after the build up about how much there would be!

I had polyhydraminos it was picked up at 28 weeks. I didn't have gestational diabetes and has a scan to check baby's palette and lip as it can indicate a swallowing problem. Dd's detailed scan was normal.
She was born at term plus 3, my waters went at home it was spectacular tbh as they went with a gush and horrified my ds's teenage friends who I was chatting with . She weighed 7lb 8oz which was average for my babies.
Dd has autism and polyhydraminos can be a marker for neurological issues but ds has autism and I didn't have polyhydraminos with him so think it's a coincidence in our case tbh

Google the worst place for a pregnant woman :P And scans cause a lot of unnecessary worry. Vast majority of 'poly' is physiological, gdm should be ruled out as most common pathological cause.
Would be more concerned if over 30cm need to look for the more unusual things - oesophageal atresia (not there if scan has seen fluid in stomach as that must be from baby swallowing) and often a torch screen for infection done but very very rarely the cause.

Sploozle - you know your stuff! I'm 12 weeks and I'll be hoping you reply to my posts as I progress!!

Moany - did you go to full term or were you induced/elective c section?

Yes, I had polyhydramnios for no apparent reason. No GD (they kept testing me) and my TORCH screen was clear too.

Because of the polyhydramnios, DS2 never went head down - he was head up under one side of my ribs or the other, still swimming around at 39w when I was induced.

My induction went as follows:
Into hospital on the monday afternoon, given cervidil to soften and dilate the cervix. Stayed in monday night, checked on tuesday to see how it was all going, if it hadn't been good enough they would have used a ballloon inflater (can't remember the name) to widen the cervix, but apparently I was doing well enough.
First thing weds morning, DS2 was manually turned (ECV), something I wouldn't have agreed to any further ahead of time. He was wedged into place with towels to stop him turning back, and they tried to break my waters. But because there was no back pressure, it was like trying to burst a soggy balloon with a blunt pencil - didn't work. So they put me on the syntocinon drip to encourage contractions, keeping the towels in place to stop him turning.
A few hours later, they checked him, he'd slipped a little away from the cervix so he was pushed back into place and then the waters broken (worked that time) which brought labour on properly (and a massive increase in contraction discomfort because of the drip). i
He was born about 3 hours later, and it only took that long because his head was stuck behind the anterior lip - when they turned me onto my back, to do an ultrasound to see exactly what was going on, his head dropped clear and he shot out in 2 pushes.

DS2 weighed 7lb 8oz, had no issues apart from a tongue tie (which his brother also had) and a left inguinal hernia (which his brother also had), both of which were corrected a few weeks later (same with DS1). As far as I know there have been no resultant problems from him having his own swimming pool inside me.

Hi Sploozle, yes I've had the TORCH screening done which showed up no infections. I think my blood sugar levels are slightly high so I'm now going to watch those and limit my carb and sugar intake until baby is here. Thank you!

Hi Thumb, that's great to hear! Thank you! I'm hoping for a natural birth so your story has helped was baby predicted to be more than his birth weight at scans? My baby is showing up at 7lb already and I'm 36 weeks which would indicate a 9lb baby at 40 weeks but I'm not too sure as they so often get this wrong. Did your consultant tell you to be induced at 39 weeks?

Oh and when they broke my waters, it was a BIG lot of fluid. A LOT. The Obstetrician was only going to "let a little bit out" - fat chance. instant lake between my legs and feet.

Yes, I had no choice - they actually wanted to induce me at 38 weeks but I held out for 39, as DS1 didn't come out til 42 weeks (also induced but that was just because he didn't want to come out, no polyhydramnios with him).

He wasn't predicted to be large, no - and I was having weekly scans (private obgyn in Australia) - but because of the unstable lie (oblique transverse unstable lie) they weren't taking any chances. It would have been an instant emergency CS if my waters had broken spontaneously.

Poppy I was induced which failed and I ended up with EMCS.

Induction due to high bp and SPD. It was started at 40w on a Wednesday. 5 days later, after pessaries, broken waters and the fucking drip I managed to get to 4cm. They gave up then and got him out by section on the Monday. Home Thursday.

I think it was because he just wasn't ready. He didn't engage at all. The obstetrician didn't think the size was the biggest issue but it probably didn't help.

I'm 12 weeks with DC2 and I think owing to some complications I'll be having an elective cs but I'd much rather a VBAC.

Good luck with everything and keep us posted!

Moany, did your baby have to have the tube in their throats to check their swallowing? How much did he weigh in the end? Thank you for all your comments they've helped loads! X

No, no tubes or anything. He came out at 11lb, full head of hair (like a proper short back and sides). Straight into 3-6 months clothes and size 3 nappies.

They did some checks on him whilst I was being stitched up and I fell asleep for a bit of that but after about 90 mins or so I was done. All the discharge paperwork show a very healthy baby and a somewhat traumatised mother. He latched on instantly and fed with no issues at all. Very alert, big eyes, not loads of crying. It was magical.

I've just remembered DD had to have the tube down her throat to check. She was fine. I was fairly unaware of this as it happened while I was being stitched up from EMCS. I knew it was going to happen but don't recall it at all except for DH telling me afterwards.

I had polyhydramnios, plus a big baby (10.5lb), - predictions were he'd be over 11lb, v big head and tummy measurements. I opted for an ELCS as I got spooked by risk of shoulder dislocations etc. Sad I missed out on a natural birth but I think I made best decision for him.

Baby is fine, a happy alert boy with no sign of any underlying reason for his size or the extra fluid. He's levelling out a bit now on the centiles - long and slim, with a big head (but I am tall and slim and only fit XL men's hats so it figures!).

I had this with DD, she's 7 now so can't remember all the details but it was diagnosed quite late. The main issue was that she failed to engage as she kept floating out! I went for a check up at 39 weeks and was kept in hospital (basically told I would not be able to go home which was a bit worrying at the time) and had to have a c-section, I wasn't given the option.

I was borderline GD from what I can remember. Oh and she was pretty big too - 9.8 lb. No ongoing issues here! Hope all goes well for you OP.