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Lack of amniotic fluid around baby

I have recently had scans at 20 and 22 weeks. The hospital have told me I have very little amniotic fluid around the baby, but what is there is circulating well.

I was supposed to be re-called for more tests and scans, to see if I was leaking, had leaked and sealed or was not producing enough fluid. But that was 2 weeks ago and they haven't contacted me since, although my own midwife has phoned them twice to find out what is going on, but nobody gets back to us.

Meanwhile I have to rest, do nothing that may introduce an infection (baths or sex) and don't do anything that may make me go into premature labour (sex and foreplay).

I know this is potentially serious as both of my best friends had this. One miscarried at 22 weeks, the other had her son at 32 weeks.

I'm feeling a little more positive now I've got to 24 weeks as I understand if I went into labour, the baby would stand a 50:50 chance of survival.

I've tried researching this, but haven't come up with much. The only thing I have found out is that the fluid is measured around the baby, a normal reading is between 5 and 25 cms, less than 5cms is considered a problem.

Can anyone offer any advice or experience? Thanks.

Comments

  • I had this with one of my children however it was towards the end of my pregnancy. Fortunately for me, he was drinking the waters around him. Come to give birth, it made things a little painful as I had a 'dry birth'. When I went into labour they found I had no 'water' surrounding him and told me my waters must have broken sometime that day, which I knew hadnt happened.

    However, dont just leave it to your midwife, I would hound them for your results too. What you need to do, is ring the maternity hospital twice a day. That should get their backsides moving.

    Best of wishes with your pregnancy, and let us know how you progress with it.
  • jellyhead
    jellyhead Posts: 21,555 Forumite
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    could you ask the scan unit for another scan? maybe the receptionists can chase it up from their end. i hope they sort it out soon, the worry can't be good for you. keep pushing, ask your GP what he can do to help, maybe he can ask them to take you into hospital, you'd probably get instant answers that way. i don't really know how the system works but fingers crossed that they see you soon *HUGS*
    52% tight
  • Sarahsaver
    Sarahsaver Posts: 8,390 Forumite
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    I had a 'leak' at 19 weeks, i was in a room with people going in and out, 'ooh theres little we can do now...' in same part of hospital as women miscarrying and having terminations. I felt terrible. They did swabs and it was definitely amnotic fluid. They just bundled me off home to 'wait and see'



    As a result I now have a BIG 4 year old boy who was born at full term ;D
    Member no.1 of the 'I'm not in a clique' group :rotfl:
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  • mink35
    mink35 Posts: 6,068 Forumite
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    I had similar at 18 weeks with second pregnancy and went for rescan at 20 weeks. Baby was smaller than she should have been and fluid was in short supply (no leak or anything). Unfortunately things didn't end well for me but as you are now at 24 weeks things should be more positive. You may need another scan so keep hounding.

    *hugs* and :-*
    Mink
  • Trix
    Trix Posts: 10,266 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic
    I had the full 'premature rupture of membrane' at 30 weeks losing almost all my amniotic fluid then had my daughter two weeks later.
    Infection is a BIG concern so I was being swabbed every couple of days to check for infection as well as being scanned every four days. I was on the trial of Oracle (antibiotic combination for premature rupture of membranes) but don't know if I had the real ones or the placebo. That was seven years ago so I don't know if it is being used properly now or if theres something similar.
    Amniotic fluid is essential for the development of the babies lungs lack of it can also resrict the baby moving around. You HAVE to push and find out what is happening - if you are losing fluid you need to have the swabs I mentioned and maybe antibiotics, if you haven't 'got a leak' the reason the fluid is low still needs to be followed up.
    Good luck :-*
    I'm a little angel o:)BUT A WHOLE LOTTA DEVIL
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  • Any news Plumpud?
  • Plumpud_3
    Plumpud_3 Posts: 132 Forumite
    Well I am now nearly 26 weeks pregnant and the baby is still moving. I would like to thank you all for your replies, especially those of you who may have found that this opened old wounds.

    My midwife spent a week trying to get a response from from the Hospital antenatal clinic. I tried myself, and all you get is an answer machine, giving you a number for if you are in labour, or you have to leave a message. Problem is, you leave a message and they don't phone you back. My midwife only got a reply after my GP intervened. The scan photos and measurements have been viewed by the Consultant and he thinks it is OK to leave it. Whatever that is supposed to mean!! My midwife has been told to keep an eye on my fluid levels - but she knows that I already know, that you can't detect fluid levels just from feeling the tummy.

    Unfortunately the maternity system is set up quite strangely here. There is a large Maternity unit at Cheltenham and there is a large Maternity unit Gloucester, which are now under the same trust. My midwife attached to my GP, is actually from the local midwife-led maternity hospital. I am too high risk to be allowed to be delivered locally. I am therefore booked to Cheltenham. Traditionally if you couldn't deliver locally, you would be referred to Gloucester (they used to be the same trust). Gloucester would have sent copies of the scans to my midwife, but Cheltenham don't.

    My own midwife has told me not to try and worry about it. If I feel the baby has stopped moving as much, I can phone the local midwife-led maternity hospital 24 hours a day to speak to a midwife and they will examine me if necessary.

    I'm torn between just accepting it and making a fuss. I would at least like the swabs to check for infection and to see if I am leaking. Whilst I know I haven't had a big leak, I could have had a small constant leak (which is most common anyway) as I have been suffering with urge incontinence (caused by my last labour, 2 years ago) and have to wear pads, which would disguise any small leak.

    My concern is that I had scans two weeks apart, which both showed low fluid. If I had leaked and re-sealed, the fluid level should have increased, but it hadn't.

    I know that I should have been given steroid injections (for the baby's lungs), as going into labour early is pretty much guaranteed with low fluid levels. My last two labours were both less than 2 hours.

    I would like to thank you all again, there is so little information available on this.
  • Glad
    Glad Posts: 18,904 Senior Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Mortgage-free Glee! Name Dropper
    I have no experience of this but sympathise with your frustration,
    as a nurse my advice would be to present at the Accident and Emergency Dept of the Hospital you are booked at to give birth, tell them you can't be specific but you've been having some odd feelings/pains. They will be able to access your notes and hopefully do some tests to establish what could be wrong and those tests will hopefully allay your worries or at least let you know if there is something to worry about.
    I know this isn't really the correct way to get help/treatment but I think they have been letting you down on this so you have little choice,

    ps
    try to pick a quite time to go, 8.30 am maybe ;)
    I am a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Wales, Small Biz MoneySaving, In My Home (includes DIY) MoneySaving, and Old style MoneySaving boards. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
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