Too much amniotic fluid - polyhydramnios 38 weeks

[mzlk]

Hey everyone

Was sent for a scan at 38w because measurements of bump hadn’t increased since 2 weeks ago.

Got to the scan and found baby was okay but slightly too much fluid. Deepest pocket 10.1cm. Cut off is 8cm at my hospital but was told it is 10cm at other hospitals so it’s really not that much more fluid.

Baby not engaged but it’s my second and my pelvis is a joke at this point - so assuming that’s why baby is able to slip in and out. However - baby has been head down for ages, at every appointment. There has been no flipping around and stuff due to too much fluid.

Not sure if I should go for an induction at 40 weeks, which is what they have suggested, but they’re not concerned if I decline this.

I ideally want to go into labour naturally and go to the birth centre (which is in the hospital) - they’ve said I can still do this.
BUT… I googled and came across cord prolapse and I’m just scared of it happening because although baby is head down, baby isn’t engaged. + a bit of extra fluid.

Any advice? I feel extremely stressed out.

I had it with my third. Measured 4 weeks ahead in the end. Constant Braxton Hicks/irritable uterus and just plain miserable. So I opted for induction just to get him out. But I had a 50 inch waist and a lot of water.

You can decline the induction but if you go into labour you need to go straight in just in case of a cord prolapse if your waters go naturally. It's better to have them broken for you I was told so it's controlled. But that was 16 years ago.

Ask them what you should do if your waters go and you feel the cord come with it. Chances are everything will be alright though. It's just an extra risk that's all. Try not to stress about it if you can.

And take an extra birthing nightie. When they broke mine it went up my back and waterfalled off the bed, despite the little pamper mat they put down. I got soaked. But man it felt so much better once they were gone.

Thank you for your response! I have one more scan on my due date on Friday. Induction booked for that same evening if I decide to go ahead. Really confused about what to do!
i haven’t seen many natural labour/birth stories when it comes to polyhydramnios.

Well apart from tbe induction and the Dr numbing my perianum for pushing (which personally they should all do) the birth was pretty spot on. In fact out of the 3, I actually 'enjoyed' the experience. If you could put enjoy and giving birth in the same sentence.

I didn't have the epidural, despite them almost scaring me into it and did it on gas and air.

Good luck man. Please come back and tell us how it went. Baby has to come out at some point.

Mine was borderline high at 36 weeks, went back at 39+6 to check again and was told fluid was normal, however then they thought (wrongly) the baby had jumped over the 99th centile! They basically told me I had to have a cection or induction. Took a sweep instead and had a vaginal birth with a 75 centile baby 3 days later. My waters went in hospital at about 8/9cm and there was a lot of fluid! No issues though and I had a lovely birth!

Ahhh it’s nice to hear you both had a good birth experience regardless!
Will hopefully post my experience soon.
If anyone else has any positive poly birth stories, please post it! <3

I had it and my waters broke early at 37 weeks and I had to be induced. Straight forward labour though

I had that at 37 weeks - I can't remember my numbers but I was only a little over the cut-off. My consultant didn't seem too concerned, he just said to come in as soon as labour started because of the increased risk of prolapse when the waters go. At 39 weeks I was back to just under the cut-off. In the end I was induced at 40+9 because DC still hadn't appeared - I do wonder if he wasn't engaging properly because of the extra fluid since my other two were early. The induction was really positive though - the best of my three by far. Good luck!

I had the same was told at my scans that I had more water than I should but nothing to worry about,was my 5th baby and never had any of this with any of the others so I was worried and started reading google(silly you should never do but I think it’s just what we do),I wanted to go to birth centre but told me I had to go to hospital it be better for me,my waters went thereselfs with my last 3 so I was really worried in case they went when at home,they told me if waters go at home get on all 4’s with bum in air and ring an ambulance.I was offered an induction but they was fine for me to wait but in the end I choose induction so can work round other children,went in on the Sunday 12pm gave me peserry at 2pm started with pains few hours later bay arrived early Monday morning with just gas and air no problems with poly and delivered naturally although didn’t get water birth which was what I had wanted but everything was fine. Nurses were lovely reassured me all the way though as I was worried, that was 16months ago I am now pregnant again (at 45) and worried I have poly again even though I know what to expect.

My friend did have a cord prolapse but luckily she was in hospital when her waters went and she said her midwife pretty much pushed baby up and off cord whilst she was quickly given a GA and baby delivered fast via section. All was fine.

I had this with baby four but did not know beforehand. Consultant broke my waters as went for induction. She pretty much funnelled out the waters and used her hand as a dam. The other midwife pushed baby down so that he couldn’t float up and come back down on the cord. Consultant said it was most waters she had ever seen. I was drenched. Even my hair was soaked and the floor and bed was soaked. Loads of extra scans and it wasn’t picked up on beforehand despite other tell tale signs and I asked if I had it when pregnant.

I think two of my other babies had this too but not as obviously. Baby three section the consular ant went woah that’s loads of waters and I felt it.

baby two lovely normalish birth and when waters were broken midwife commented on the excessive waters but that was it. No concerns etc . I think with each pregnancy I’ve had more and more waters.

midwife did some checks on baby after to make sure nothing was wrong. He was perfect :)

good luck x

They found this in my second pregnancy at 34 weeks. By 36 weeks I was struggling to breath as the extra fluid was making my bump huge and as I'm only 5ft it was pushing up on my lungs. I got induced at 38 weeks, mainly because they said it was dangerous if my waters went at home because I'm 45 mins away from the nearest hospital. I had my waters broken by a consultant and they had a surgery team on stand by just incase but everything was fine and I had my DS with just gas and air in under 2 hours.

I would second what a pp said about spare nightie... the water goes absolutely everywhere! The poor midwife had to change scrubs as she was soaked!

Thanks guys!
The positive stories are really helping me to come to terms with the polyhydramnios diagnosis.
My first baby was a straight forward pregnancy and birth so this has come as a shock right at the end of this pregnancy - I had fully planned a nice calm waterbirth in the birth centre this time lol. Which I’m still allowed to have if I choose to decline the induction.
But if I do go ahead with the induction it’s nice to know it’s not always a terrible experience!
Hope my scan on Friday (due date) shows waters back to normal level!!

Just remember there is different types of inductions. If they use an any methods to start our labour you can then ask for your waters to be broken and not be on a drip. They will give you a certain about of time to start contracting naturally without the drip. Ask what type of induction they were planning and at what stages they intervene. Ask questions like what would happen if we left if 2-3 hours to see what happens etc

@Greyphoto ah okay thanks! I keep hearing about the drip actually, and how painful/intense it makes the experience. If I only need a pessary to get going I’m not too fussed. But the drip… I’d really want to avoid if possible

I didn't have this but I was induced and it was absolutely fine. Nothing like the stories I'd heard. I had a drip and an epidural x

Hi all!
I had my scan today and deepest pocket of fluid was measuring 8.5cm. So 0.5cm above the cut off.
I have declined the induction for now but they’ve called me in to speak to a doctor tomorrow morning to discuss (don’t know why this wasn’t done today).
Hope they’re not still going to push for an induction with the fluid being JUST over! It’s like the more I don’t want to be induced, they really want to induce me! But initially everyone was pretty chilled…
Anyone just gone into spontaneous labour with polyhydramnios?

Hi @mzlk

I’ve just come across this thread as after my 39 week growth scan today have now found myself in a very similar position to you! Amniotic fluid was measuring at 8.7cm in the deepest pool and I have been offered an induction a week today.. not sure how I feel about it and really hoping I go into spontaneous labour beforehand! Just wanted to check in with you and see if there was any update? Have you had your baby now and how did it go? Hope all is well x

@Alexa02
Hey
I was going to leave an update soon, glad this reminded me to!
My deepest pool measurement had come down to 8.5cm on my due date so I refused the induction and said I’d like to wait to go into spontaneous labour and the consultant was understanding and said that what I’m suggesting is reasonable as the chance of cord prolapse with the fluid being just over is very unlikely. I was told to come straight in as soon as my waters break (if they break first) and if I go into labour before waters break, she said to just ask triage when they want me to come in.

So at 40+6, my waters leaked at 6:30am and continued to leak a bit like a wee whilst I wakes to the toilet. And then they’d stopped. So I went in and they said it’s up to me whether I want to go home or if I want to stick around and see if I start getting pains. I was already having mild contractions so I said and they were very obvious around 10am, at around 12pm they checked my cervix as my pains were getting intense, I was 5cm and then taken to the delivery room. Waters gushed after my cervix was checked, and then again with every contraction! Baby was born at 2:20pm with no complications during the birth and my baby is also healthy! She was born with 2 bottom teeth poking through her gums though lol.
The only thing that was worrying for the doctors and midwives was my heart rate during labour but I’m not sure if that was just adrenaline or? They don’t know either but I don’t think it’s connected to the fluid situation.

Sorry for the long story but I always wanted to know a detailed birth story of someone with polyhydramnios when I was searching.

Hope everything goes well for you!

In 2015 when I had my son I had this condition. My baby was very small so I was induced at 38 weeks. I was so huge and uncomfortable at this point, induction was a welcome relief.
The induction process was long, it took 24 hours before they broke my waters. It was never ending and I literally soaked the whole bed and floor.
the active labour wasn’t too long, no epidural, just gas and air. Baby was born and no problems. My baby was very sickly to start with and very slow with feeding but that’s because of the amount of fluids he had swallowed.
he was and still is perfectly healthy. You need to do what is right for you with medical advice and safety being the main priority. Good luck 🤞