Mild Polyhydramnios at 34 weeks scan- now panicking. Can anyone share stories?

[miniworry]

I was sent for a Doppler scan at 34 weeks today after last week's growth scan showed a reduction in foetal growth.

Doppler scan showed that the blood flow to the cord is fine but that my levels of deepest pool of amniotic fluid is 8.3cm and it's supposed to be between 6-8 so therefore I have mild polyhydramnios. I've now googled the causes of poly and have got myself into a state that it means a genetic abnormality in baby or that he's developed an infection that will cause abnormalities.

Midwife said they will just check it again at my growth scan next week and no extra monitoring at the moment.

Please can anyone share their stories about what their outcomes were with this?! ☹️

I had this. I had regular scans but it was never really a problem and had pretty much resolved itself by the time baby was born. They did warn that if my waters went, there might be quite a lot of them but I was having an ELCS so it didn't really make much difference to me.

I had it picked up at a growth scan late on too- they did test me for gestational diabetes as a result but I was clear on that one so they just kind of shrugged and let me get on with it as I was being monitored pretty regularly anyway.

When my waters did go there was a lot, I'm told. I had ARM with my first so I had nothing to compare it with 😂

They never did work out why I had that extra fluid, baby was 7lb5 and medically unremarkable as was the rest of my pregnancy, although she was 'meant' to be small and came out very average sized 🤷‍♀️

@PensionPuzzle I had a GTT test at 28 weeks as my previous little one one 9lb 3oz but it came back clear too!

Did they do any extra tests when baby was born?

I had loads of late scans due to unstable lie for my baby. Never got diagnosed polyhydraminos. But when I had my C-section, my waters flooded the floor!!! They said I had moderate poly and had no idea how it wasn't picked up. Now I think of it, I was so breathless, swollen, heartburn from all the pressure and the unstable lie my baby had was because he was floating about in a big swimming pool!

My boy is 2 now and perfect, it's rare that it's due to other reasons. And these would be picked up on scans if there were any I'm sure. It can just happen for no reason.

Nope, nothing, she was born about 6.30am and we were home by 12 noon including a 30 min drive 😂

The only extra tests my baby needed was a quick tube down his nose to check he had fluid in there and he was able to swallow as sometimes polyhydraminos can be due to a swallowing problem, and he had blood sugar tests during the night but I can't remember if that was related to the poly or if it was another reason

I had polyhydrominious in my second pregnancy, I was induced so they broke my waters for me, she's a healthy very mischievous 16 month old now

@YouAndMeAndThem wow I can't believe it wasn't diagnosed even with all the extra scans!

I just checked my scan from last week and it was fine at 5.3cm and marked as normal. so it's gone up 3cm in a week.

Honestly, it could just be that baby had had a big wee or something when they scanned you. Or they measured wrong.

Hi
I’m currently 40+6 (help 😩) and had fluids between 8.5-10.5 from 28 weeks. I’ve been scanned every 4 weeks and then 2 weeks as due date approached. The consultant told me it is only slight so not a huge cause for concern they monitor it. At the scans they will check babes digestive system and face and if that’s all good they don’t worry about there being something ‘wrong’ with baby. I’ve also been told because it is only mild I can continue to give birth on the midwife led unit..although that is looking less likely with induction looming!

I had polyhydramnios with both of my pregnancies and it was put down to both of them being big. I had gestational diabetes with my second and was medicated through both for high blood pressure. As this comes with a risk of growth restriction, I had fortnightly scans to monitor.

ARM with my first and there was tons of water-she was 10lb 6oz. I had a planned section with the second, three weeks early and she was 9lb 1oz so she would also have been a big baby at term had I gone to my due date.

Both babies were born perfect and are now 19 and 15.

@Sammie1990 that's really reassuring to hear thank you! I think they checked digestive system and face when they did the 20 week scan but not since?

Keeping everything crossed that your little one isn't in there for much longer!!

I had poly with DD and was induced because of it. Ended in emergency section but that was just because she wasn’t progressing down the birth canal rather than anything like cord prolapse. She was absolutely fine at birth and can’t remember them doing any additional tests, just the usual heart rate, temperature and resp rate.

They never described whether mine was mild/moderate etc but I lost 7kg between my induction date and the day after I had DD. She was only 4.3 of those kilos 😂

Good luck! 💐

Very similar scenario to MrsB here, too. It’s disconcerting when you’ve managed to get through the pregnancy, and something like this comes up at the end. Put your faith in those looking after you, there’s not much else at this stage really.

Mine was due to congenital abnormality, however that was picked up at 20wk scan so wasn’t exactly a mystery. If they didn’t detect anything at 20wks, and have obviously rechecked the necessaries when polyhydramnios was detected then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Also, you say it’s mild. Mine was not mild. I was huge and seemingly a medical marvel with the stretchiest uterus anyone had ever come across, which served me well in this regard but was a pain post pregnancy as it didn’t shrink back as it should. For my childbearing years, I was often asked when I was due and the only fix was a hysterectomy and I couldn’t be arsed on that basis. Now I’m old and just look fat so it’s moot🤣.

I had polyhydramnious with my 2 boys,both unstable lie . They were both born by ELCS and the theatre was flooded by the amniotic fluid. They are both very healthy adults.X

I had polyhydramnios but seemed to be just random and my daughter had no medical issues whatsoever. Good luck

I'm curious as to what your AFI (the deepest pocket of amniotic fluid in each quadrant added together) was. I wonder because, with my second, the deepest pocket was over 10cm. However, I was not diagnosed with polyhydraminos as the AFI was under 25cm.

The deep pocket was caused by baby's position. He was breech and was laying along my left side facing right.

I was huffing gas+air during my ARM, so I wasn't aware of how much fluid came out. Nobody mentioned anything anyway. Wound up with a C-section in the end, but again, it was all down to his position.

Baby was absolutely fine and healthy. Other than him sounding like Darth Vader whenever he has a cold.

@Dyra they never mentioned the AFI so I'm not sure but she did say something along the lines of 'the levels look fine everywhere else' so unsure what that means. He is head down though not breech like your little one.

Thanks all so much for the comments- guess I just need to wait until the growth scan next Monday and see what's happened then!

AFI is usually on the scan pic or notes, it's has Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 measurements then AFI underneath

@annlee3817 I never got a copy of the scan report as it was done at the fetal wellbeing and they never gave me anything! The stupid online notes don't say anything either!