Reassurance? Polyhydramnios (excess fluid)

[sickandsleepy]

Hi all

I’m hoping some people can share some similar experiences and maybe help put some perspective on mine.

I went for a growth scan on Wednesday (36 weeks) followed by a consultant appointment (already under consultant care for BMI and family history of pre eclampsia) - in the consultant appointment I was told I had “a good amount” of excess fluid and would need to see fetal medicine for another scan.

In the moment I didn’t really take it in properly or ask the right questions, but the fetal medicine words raised alarm bells. Luckily I had a midwife appointment booked the next day. At the appointment with the midwife, she explained it was called Polyhydramnios, and that my deepest pool was 9.8 and AFI 34.8 which I understand to be quite high, but now I literally cannot stop panicking about there being something wrong with my baby.

My questions are how could this have been normal at 32 week growth scan but all of a sudden high at 36 weeks? Does this mean it’s less likely to be a genetic problem with the baby? I tested negative for GD but I suppose it could have developed even though I feel well. Would they have picked up genetic issues with the baby in other scans? I’m so nervous for the fetal medicine scan and now can’t look forward to the birth. I’m already booked in for an ELCS 39 weeks due to other reasons.

any words of advice would be so greatly appreciated.

Hi, I completely understand your worry I had was told I had polyhdramnios after getting a 32 week scan when I was measuring slightly off at my standard midwife appointment in my last pregnancy. They scared me as they sent me to a room for grieving on my own (during Covid so husband was outside) to wait to speak to a consultant after the scan. I was given little reassurance from them and just told it can sometimes be problems with the baby m.

Can I just start by reassuring you that my baby boy was born at 39 weeks completely healthy and there was no actual cause for it! So please don't panic. Some reassurance is you will have had your 20 week scan with no development issues identified there I'm sure?

I had a test for gestational diabetes as this can be a cause of the excess fluid but I wasn't diabetic so that even worried me more. Have they booked you in for that?

I have a feeling more people actually do have this condition but it's not known as they are often only spotted in late scans which most people don't have. Funnily enough I was measuring smaller which led to the 32 week scan which they then said it was measuring bigger at with that excess fluid!

Sorry just realised you mentioned the GD which stands for gestational diabetes. I also had a follow up scan at 36 weeks and my fluid level had increased slightly from the 32 week scan so it's normal it could have been missed at an earlier scan and only more recently increased enough to show.

I had a scare with this as well. My previous baby had been stillborn following a cord prolapse, and the consultant was very cautious. I had to fly from the Western Isles to Inverness for another scan, on my own. There was a lot of muttering about probably (unspecified) problems, and I was very frightened indeed.

My son was born well, although with a true knot in his cord. His birth was...not fun (controlled ARM, following very long induction process) but he is now 16 and absolutely fine.

OP, I hope you have a similar tale to mine and pp's to tell and all works out fine. It isn't always a sign that something is or will be terribly wrong.

I had this, and was told after the birth that my son also had a true knot in his cord. The midwife explained that it was because the baby had more room to move around.

There was never any mention of birth defects.

It's interesting that 2 posters so far have had true knots in the cord. I actually have no idea if anything like this was present in my case as I had to go to surgery to have the placenta manually removed after the birth so never seen the fill cord attachment to it and no one spoke to me about it. I do remember there being so little cord as my husband was so close to be when cutting the cord after my son was born

To reassure slightly, we were told 8-12cm for deepest pool is considered mild polyhyddamnios and we would just be observed for 8 hours post birth (repeat scan for us was normal though)

I had polyhydramnios with my 4th baby. I don't know how big the pools were but I measured 52cm (so the equivalent of 52 weeks pregnant) at my 35 week appointment and then 39cm at 35 weeks a few hours after my waters broke. Baby was born weighing 7lb 2oz. He had a cleft lip and palate so he couldn't swallow the amniotic fluid properly.

Thanks to all for replying - it all helps

@mumsince2021 - yes I had my anomaly scan and nothing was picked up, and I’ve had scans since, nothing ever untoward. You make a good point about people not usually having later scans so it not being diagnosed on those people… the consultant said even though my diabetes test was clear I could have developed it by this stage.

@HarpieDuJour @Bessica1970 - that’s very interesting, I wonder if there’s any correlation. Were both you and baby ok after birth given this true knot complication? I’d look into it but I’ve already scared myself half to death on Google!

I think I’m just so scared there’s a disability that hasn’t been picked up or something similar and that baby isn’t well, I’m nervous about this fetal medicine scan finding something sinister and the last couple of weeks of my pregnancy just being so stressful. I almost wish I was ignorant to it all!

We were both fine. The knot hadn't tightened enough to affect blood flow thankfully, and I only found out afterwards when the midwife asked if I knew about it!
The one thing I have learnt after having high risk pregnancies after several miscarriages and a stillbirth, is that you really need to force yourself to believe that everything will be okay. Yes, have all the tests etc, but try not to let yourself spiral down into thinking endlessly about the terrible things that might happen. Remind yourself that today you are both okay and Try not to obsess about tomorrow. I know how hard that is, so please don't think I am dismissing your worries, but I found it so helpful.

i had this with my second pregnancy after having 10 miscarriages and my DD so it was very stressful. Deepest pool was 12cm. I had lots of scans by some of the top consultants (as I was petrified) but they couldn’t find anything. He was in breech position until a week before birth due to having lots of fluid to turn around in but did sort himself out in the end. I was told to go straight in for a scan if I felt any less movement as they can knot the cord.

He was born healthy at almost 42 weeks. He was taken to special care for an hour and they passed a tube down his throat to check for any abnormalities as it can be because they can’t swallow the fluid well but nothing was found. I was told that with 90% of pregnancies with excess fluid, no cause is ever found. That baby is now a healthy 10 year old.

I’ve had severe polyhydramnios twice, to the extent that I was bring scanned twice a week by fetal medicine and each time they weighed up the risk of using a big needle to drain the fluid. Fetal medicine will check your baby’s stomach bubble and that they are swallowing fluid correctly, that there is no blockage etc. You will also likely have another GD test as that can be a cause of excess fluid.

Both of my babies are totally healthy but I was a nervous wreck throughout the pregnancies.

Thank you everyone, I’m hoping my scan with fetal medicine on Wednesday can put my mind at ease for at least some outcomes. I keep telling myself it’s more than likely nothing because nothing has been picked up at all until now, but it’s hard!

My consultant said they wouldn’t bother testing me for diabetes because it’s too late… I’m guessing that’s because I’m already booked for ELCS at 39 weeks - I’m thinking they might even bring it forward?

@sickandsleepy they didn't want to rush to bring my induction forward with baby when I had polyphydramnios so they might not move your ELCS. They only gave me one extra scan and even then didn't tell me anything other than the fluid level which had increased a bit. They also didn't discuss the polyhydramnios after he was born they really seemed to not have any concern at all. I think my pool was about 10cm at the 36 week scan and don't know how much higher it got before I had him at 39 weeks. I will say expect a flood what your waters go I soaked everywhere 😂 also you have probably been warned to get into a downward dog position in the case of your waters breaking and going into labour before getting to hospital due to the cord prolapse risk. Also don't worry too much about that it's just them being extra careful.

@mumsince2021

Thank you for sharing your experience! I think I’m just going to relax and take it as it comes, though I will be able to only fully relax after this scan! DP and I fitted the car seat today and went over my hospital bag together, so I’m prepared in any case, and I did feel a bit excited again 😊

Hi! How did this work out for you? I have mild polyhydramnios and a small baby and I am so worried!!