Polyhydroamnios

[helenelisabeth]

Anybody had any experience of this? If so, what was the outcome and were you induced? I have been diagnosed with it and have looked more indepth into it and started to panic!

Hi there - oh you poor thing. Yes I had it. Do try not to panic - there is some scary info out there on the net isn't there? How far along are you? Have you had a scan to determine the depth of the pools?

I was booked for an induction but it didn't happen in the end as the fluid meant that my DS's head couldn't engage so I had a CS. All very calm and I was monitored closely from the moment I was diagnosed.

Really wasn't too bad in the end except for the fear factor. It was also quite uncomfortable and I had to give up work a few weeks earlier than I intended.

Hi sazzy. I am nearly 33 weeks. Had scan on Tuesday - my fluids were above 97th centile(?). More tests on Friday. Just spent half an hour researching it on the net - BIG MISTAKE! I pray I don't need c-section as had totally natural labour/birth with DD1. Not much I can do if that is the case.

Yep - I learned a valuable lesson there re researching on the net But it's hard not to if you've never heard of it and don't know anyone who's had it.

I had one consultant who was dead keen to induce me but the chief consultant wanted to let me keep going. I decided to go for the induction in the end because I was scared about the cord prolapsing if my waters broke. I went in for the induction but they wouldn't do it because he wasn't engaged but they did give me a choice - have a cs that day or wait another 5 days to see if he engaged. BUT I would have to stay in hospital. So I decided to get it over and done with that day. Not the scenario I'd envisaged but getting him out safely was my main concern in the end. I'm a single mother too so was worried about my waters breaking and not being able to get to a phone easily etc.

The fluid can tail off a lot in the last few weeks so you may find the situation resolves itself. In any case, although it wasn't the birth I wanted, my DS is now 4 months and absolutely fantastic and it doesn't really matter.

Good luck - let me know how it goes

Thanks for replying Sazzybee, there only seems to be you who has any experience of it!

Glad all was okay in the end for you. Doesn't help that when I told my friend today, she informed me that her sister had this and her baby was born severely brain damaged and didn't survive. Just what I wanted to hear.

How bad were your fluid levels? All they have said to me is that mine are over the 97th centile but I am assuming that is not serious.

Tests tomorrow, I am worried that baby is ok, don't care about myself! I am sure things are ok but I don't like to be too cocky, iykwim.

Oh blimey - that's awful

I haven't got my notes and can't remember but they were pretty high - I had over 2 litres of fluid which had to be suctioned out before they could get the baby out.

I do know that in the vast majority of cases, there isn't anything wrong with your baby. If you've had a normal 20 week scan, then it's most likely to be cause unknown. Hang on in there

I have had this and the bubba is now 6. It was awful at the time but things should work out better for you as you have been diagnosed. I wasn't.

Why NAB what happened with you? Hope all was okay.

I have just come back from having tests done for infection in the baby and Gestational Diabetes for me. Had fetal monitoring which looked really good so I'm hoping it is just one of those things.

They have said that they will not let me go over my due date if fluid doesn't drop, I will be forcing them to induce me at 38 weeks as I have no idea how I will manage the next 7 weeks! I feel full term already!

All is okay now but at the time it was awful. He wouldn't have survived a natural delivery and was flat on delivery. Thank God a different midwife got me in earlier than my appointment, and that the babu hung on another day, as it would have been unbearable to have lost him.

Glad your tests went well. Most important thing now is for you to rest and keep your stress levels down. I was on my back from about 36 weeks I have to say - I stopped working at 34 weeks as I was already measuring term and I couldn't breathe.

TBH although I was keen on a natural birth (this was my first baby), in the end, the only thing that mattered was getting the baby out alive and well.

I had it with my now 6 year old - she is fine and was at birth.

They tried to induce me early because of risk of prolapse, nothing happening so ended in a section.

I researched it but was reassured by the fact that nothing had shown up on any prior scans, don't read up too much as it can scare you witless.

Don't forget that one consultants diagnosis can be different from the next ones, before you try and be induced so early is there any way you can get a second opinion?

Good luck, I hope all goes well

Thanks for replying girls - glad NAB that everything was okay with your baby, shows you how scary giving birth can be. Were your problems a direct result of having polyhydroamnios or would they have happened anyway?

Midwife rang and said my diabetes test is clear. I have scan next week so fingers crossed my fluid has dropped a bit.

I have no idea. I was only found to have had polyh after the birth. No one ever told us. Found out later. All we were told was that he wouldn't have survived a natural delivery. When he had a tube put down his throat it came back kinked (it shouldn't) so he had an xray at 90 mins old and I couldn't feed him until he was 3 hours old.

I have had MW round for antenatal today. Am 25+1. She had a good feel and said she can feel alot of fluid. Said that it might mean the polyhydro thing but not to worry too much as only 25 weeks and could be signifier of gestational diabetes (already have blood test boked as had GD with ds1). Just made mistake of googling polyhydro and scared myself too!

I was sure she said i measured 26 which is fine but she wrote down 27. Trying not to worry but ended up BFD with ds and think i had excess fluid then.. he was a section in the end.

Any tips?

I had 'gross' polyhydramnios with ds2. They did el cs as too worried about cord prolapse if went into labour and waters broke.

It wasn't what I had hoped for I admit and recovery took a while as I did bleed quite a bit as aapparently more risky if uterus big. THey said if no s 1/100 chance of dead baby though and I could not risk that!

I do scans, so usually monitoring fluid levels. Different places do it different ways, some measure depth of largest pool, some measure 2 dimensions of largest pool, some do AFI- amniotic fluid index- add up pools in 4 quarters and average it out. Any way is accurate in experienced hands. PLEASE bear in mind though, the fluid levels can change and what we see can 'look different'. I KNOW some weeks I say higher than average fluid, and a colleague will look next week, say normal, and the following week I'll still think its higher- we can't know if one of us is wrong, or if things are changing over time. Seeing more fluid one week DOES NOT neccesarily mean more all the way through.Its really hard, but TRY to let the drs do the worrying.
On a personal level, a friend had gross polyhydramnios from about 30 wks, tried a natural labour but after a day at it got exhausted so ended up with a section- but NOT because of polyhydramnios.
Just for interest, the opposite of poly in oligohydramnios.
If I had to get any I'd rather have poly than oligo, but obviously rather have neither!
Good luck ladies, and hope more natural births with poly can share their stories!