Help Help! Measuring 44weeks, am 36+3, why suddenly so big, polyhydramnios?

[Confuzzeled]

I just got back from the midwife, expected a normal appointment and for her to tell me I was 2 weeks bigger than my dates, as I have been since 20 weeks.

But she measured me and said I was 44, well into the red zone on her measuring tape. I'm to go for a scan on Thursday.

She explained it could be for a number of reasons. He doesn't feel huge to her but she said it was hard to tell. It could be the way he's lying and my stomach muscles are shot from previous pregnancy.

But it could also be to much fluid around the baby, I have just googled it and am officially shitting my pants.

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

That is good he reacted to the juice.

[Confuzzeled]

He's good, thought there was reduced movement this morning so had a glass of cold juice and he started to disco straight away.

Felt allot of pressure on my pelvic bone this evening so I'm living in hope that he engages.

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

How's baby today, Confuzzeled?

[Confuzzeled]

thanks west, I will

[WesternBelle]

Great to hear you haven't got GD, Confuzzeled.

Its most unlikely that you would get waters breaking early followed by cord prolapse but at least you have a plan should the unexpected happen.

Very good luck & best wishes for an uneventful rest of pg, you must certainly post with any new developments and let us know how the birth goes!

[Confuzzeled]

So no Diabetes, Yay, but still no reason for extra fluid.

I asked the MW about what I should do if waters suddenly break and she said I should get to the hospital as quickly as I can. Since I live close it might be easier if my dh drives but if I'm on my own or further away to call an Ambulance. She said I'd be able to feel if something was hanging out so I can go down on hands and knees if I need to.

[June2009]

Baby was deemed "clinically large" (that's on my notes) but born 7 pounds, hardly large . however now have a spare tyre on my bely, i think what they were measuring was all that bread and pasta I had when i was pg ;)

[WesternBelle]

I had a average deepest pocket of 13cm (imagine a space in there 13cm long enough to hold fluid not baby!!! I don't think that was the deepest either, I think she picked one at random.

Just so you know (which you probably have been told already) that with excess fluid,if the baby's head isn't engaged at the time of waters breaking there is a slight chance of cord prolapse.

This is because the baby's head isn't acting as a plug so the cord could slip down first, which in turn could present problems to do with pressure on the cord which is still the baby's source of oxygen.

It's not common, and even if the cord did come down it's not necc a problem however should your waters break unexpectedly, the advice I was given was to kneel on the floor with your bum in the air and call an ambulance. Don't bother about bags or getting someone to drive you to hospital.

[Confuzzeled]

Cheers Fab

Olivio - My afi is 33, it's in my notes. Whats yours?

That sucks your fluid has gone back up, I have my fingers crossed for you.

[olivo]

confuzzled, good news that everything seems to be working. my cons also said i prob wont make it to to 40 weeks, they will either induce or cs before then, but to be aware that the womb may not be able to hold all the fluid so may have early ROM. i was actually given steroids at 33 weeks because of this. do you know what your AFI was?
i am the same with the shiny pulled skin, its really uncomfortable too, isnt it? worst around my tummy button. have been back today and my fluids are increased after going down last time
dizzy trout, i agree, ask for a scan to stop you worrying. good luck.

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

Glad all is okay, Confuzzeled.

[Confuzzeled]

No they didn't say if he was engaged but he wasn't on Monday so doubt he is. But my midwife did explain that second babies sometimes don't engage until last minute so not to be too worried.

I really hope I don't go over my dates, I'm so big it's very painful on my skin. Been putting cream on and stuff but it's so sore around my bellybutton. I could've punched the sonographer today as she was pressing so hard and it really hurt not to mention it was urgh as well.

Dizzy - I agree, if your at all worried ask for a scan. If your midwife is a PITA about it, you can turn up at triage and self referal.

[WesternBelle]

Ha, amidaiwish! My MW would start palpating and confidently declare, "There's the head". Pause. "I think". Then, "That's definitely a bottom". Pause. "Maybe.

Doesn't exactly give you confidence!

I second insisting begging pleading asking for a scan.

[amidaiwish]

dizzytrout, if you're worried ask for a scan.
my mw freaked me out by measuring me 2cm ahead of my weeks at one point and then the nnext appt a month later i was 4 cm behind my weeks. She wanted to measure me in another 2 weeks but i freaked out so she sent me for a scan.
it transpired that the baby was lying transverse and she was measuring me up-down IYKWIM
the tape measure pat pat measuring method is a crock of shit.

[WesternBelle]

Glad to hear the scan went ok, Confuzzled. They will have looked really closely at kidney & bladder etc which show the processing of fluid through the body. So this lessens the likelihood of excess fluid being caused by problems in those departments

Do you know/did they say if the baby has engaged or not yet? If so - fine, if not - just be aware (as I'm sure you probably are) that excess fluid or actual polyhydramnious can prevent the baby from engaging fully or at all, as it is literally floating about in there.

With polyhydramnious most people I've read about don't seem to make it much past 40 weeks because of the pressure from the water so you might well have him early anyway. I went into labour at 39 weeks.

Hope you are feeling better about it all, the scan is a big indication of it being fine I think, so enjoy your last few weeks! let us know if your glucose tests turn up anything too.

[Confuzzeled]

I had my scan today and all seems okay.

They did do measurements but she said it was nortoriously difficult to do larger babies so the size might be off. I'm 37 weeks tomorrow and at the moment she said he's about 7,10lb which is big but not huge.

There is allot of fluid but no obvious reason why, everything inside seems to be working okay. So they took blood tests to check glucose levels, I'll get the results tomorrow.

Other than that I have another scan in 2 weeks time. I don't know how I'll cope if I get much bigger and I hope I have him a bit early. The midwife I saw said I looked like I was having twins and my skin was all stretched and shiny, nice.

But I'm pleased, everything seems okay for now and they're not too worried, woo hoo.

Dizzy, an ice lolly or ice cream usually makes your baby dance and it's always a good treat for you

[dizzytrout]

Thank you ladies, I knew I should have said something, I think I may ring the hospital midwives as opposed to the health centre as they are a little more thorough. I did start another thread but I'm so glad I have some responses, my opinion is it's better to be safe than sorry and it's good to have helpful advice from people in the same situation.
I have been keeping an eye on movements, it's quite hard to tell sometimes, as one day she can be really active with strong movements and the next I'll hardly feel a thing - just when I start to worry she starts again! I mentioned it to the midwife and again, she just said that sounded quite normal and to ring if I'm worried.

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

IME the most important thing is to keep an eye on movements.

My baby went from being absolutely fine to being in a very bad way in a matter of hours and I wasn't dx with anything until he was born.

I was just lucky I had been booked in for a scan and theh sonographer picked up something.

[WesternBelle]

Hi dizzytrout. I would say keep a close eye on it.

My MW routinely knocked a few cm's off to make it fit more towards the line (was still well outside the maximum upper limit though).

I know this because I got both my DH and mum to measure (was suspicious she was marking it down) and if that wasn't enough the consultant also measured it. This showed my DH, mum's and the consultant's measurements were all within 1cm of each other and it was much more than the MW had been recording!

There are two things to do I would do if it happened to me again which are:

1. insist on a scan if the measurement continues to be bigger than the weeks. This is because you need to find out if the baby is a big one so you are prepared for delivery and also to establish if you have polyhydramnious or not.
   
   
2. Ask for further diabetes tests to ensure you haven't got late onset diabetes which can be missed by the routine test at 28 weeks.
   
   I knew nothing about polyhydramnious or diabetes or anything until I read the word on the scan report and Googled it for myself - nobody explained it to me.
   
   All I knew was my bump was off the scale for virtually the whole of the third trimester, and the MW did absolutely nothing about it.

[dizzytrout]

I have been following this thread for a few days and wondered if I could pick some brains..

I had my 28 week check up today and the midwife measured me at 32 then changed her mind and said 31cm, I know it's probably nothing to worry about, but at my 24 week check i was measuring 2cm small at 22cm. I'm a little worried that there is such a big difference at this stage in such a short time. The midwife said it was within the 3cm limit, but I'm still a bit concerned. Any thoughts?

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

[Confuzzeled]

No please don't stop, it's nice to have someone there

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

Let's hope the movements stay regular and all is well.

[Confuzzeled]

ABitBatty - Sorry just noticed your post, must've cross posted earlier.

If your that tiny, you must have had the most massive bump ever. I've been feeling pretty sorry for myself but your poor skin must have really hurt. Big babies all round the day you had your ds, I do hope I just have a big baby, it's a much nicer thought than some of the other possible explanations.

Hey Fab - Happy to report all movements normal. Been really aware of him and talked to him lots today> I must've looked mental wandering round Sainsbo's chatting to my ginormous bump.

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

How are the movements today, oOnfuzzeled.