33 weeks, small baby and lots of fluid

[georgie-93]

Hi I’m 33 weeks pregnant, I have a very small baby growing i also have ALOT of amniotic fluid, iv had blood test etc and cannot find anything wrong, baby seems fine but they want to induce me before 37 weeks, they’ve also said they want to test for Down syndrome by having a needle in my tummy to tests the fluid or examine baby when she’s here, I’m really scared has anyone else gone through the same thing?

[Lyndsaytw79]

Hi, I’m sorry this is happening. Have they said how small? As in weight estimate or percentile?

[georgie-93 in reply to Lyndsaytw79]

She’s 3lb 10oz, that was estimated last week, thank you for your reply x

[Hidden]

I’m glad to hear that the tests have gone back fine and they can’t see anything wrong. I’ve had an amniocentesis and I promise you it didn’t hurt at all, it just felt really weird. I unfortunately can’t help you with the result of the screening but the results only took a fews days to arrive do you shouldn’t wait too long. I can also tell you that both my babies were induced and I had a positive experience with both inductions. I hope this reassures you a little bit. I hope everything goes well for you lovely x

[georgie-93 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your reply and you have reassured me a lot I do feel better with the comments, I’m not going to have the needle im going to wait until she’s born and have her examined when she’s here, Aslong as she’s here safe and healthy that all that matters hey x

[Hidden in reply to georgie-93]

Very true. it’s all a bit unknown and scary isn’t it. Glad you feel a bit reassured. Best of luck of the next few weeks, keep us all posted how you are getting on xx

[Clearslug]

Hi Georgie. Firstly, please try not to worry. Chances are the baby is absolutely fine - I had the same and despite my baby coming 7 weeks early, he’s now nearly 9 months and a perfectly healthy, gorgeous little man! He was also small - only 4lb when we was born but that was considered a good weight considering his gestation.

I had an AFI of 31 at 29 weeks which is called polyhydramnios. Too much fluid CAN be caused by a number of things such as gestational diabetes or if the baby has a birth defect but in 50% cases there is no reason, it's just one of those things. That was the case for me.

It's a few weeks off yet, but water levels usually continue to rise until 36 weeks I think and if your levels do keep rising you may need to prepare yourself that you may not even get to 37 weeks. My AFI was really high and I had so much water that my uterus couldn't hold it - my waters broke at 33+2. But my case was pretty severe so please don't panic - if your docs are concerned they'll keep a close eye on you with regular scans etc and it sounds like you’re being well looked after.

Normally they can tell if it is DS via the early scans as things like the width of the neck are abnormally large - surely this would have been spotted further up the line? I didn’t have a needle but you’re pretty far on now and from what I recall, any real danger from amniocentesis occurs when it’s performed early in the pregnancy.

As I said, too much fluid can happen due to any number of reasons and chances are everything will be absolutely fine with your baby! Good luck x

[georgie-93 in reply to Clearslug]

Thank you for your reassurance, it’s made me feel a lot better, I’m not going for the needle and I’ll wait until my baby’s here for her to be examined, I’m getting a lot of pressure in my tummy and a lot of cramps, I’m now 33+3 weeks, my fluid is now 28? I feel very confused as to what’s going on, they did say I could go into labour myself, I have an appointment next Thursday with another consultant to a second Opinion so hopefully she will hold out until then. X

[Clearslug in reply to georgie-93]

The longer she’s in there cooking, the better, but you’re further on now than I was when I had Oliver and as I said he was absolutely fine! The pressure will be from all the water, it’s very uncomfortable isn’t it?

Even if she does come early, modern medicine is amazing - babies as early as 25 weeks were in SCBU when we were there and although they’re small, they’re fighters. The nurses are amazing, and very supportive, so if you have her early, although not ideal, things could be far worse - we were in for 3 weeks as babies born before 35 weeks don’t have the sucking reflex so we needed to stay in the hospital until he could learn to breastfeed himself - he wasn’t on oxygen and other than being tube fed for a couple of weeks didn’t need any additional intervention.

Fingers crossed she stays in there a few more weeks and that your water levels stay down - glad I could offer some reassurance, it’s a scary time, but totally worth it when you get to hold your little one at the end of it! Also, when I was diagnosed with poly, the docs told me every possible thing that could potentially be wrong with Oliver - I totally understand it’s their job to keep you fully informed but they do give you the worst case scenario. Try to enjoy the next few weeks as, as I said, chances are she’ll be perfect! X

[georgie-93 in reply to Clearslug]

Awww really, oh I’m so happy you’ve replied it’s made me feel so much better!! Yes it’s very uncomfortable 😖 I keep getting a lot of sharp pains through my legs aswell and side of my tummy, she doesn’t stop moving though she’s constantly on the move lol So your little one was in hostpital 3 weeks then? And u was aloud to stay with him? They told me she’d be fed through a tube, was u able to hold him? Or was he in a incubator? X

[Clearslug]

Oliver moved around a lot too - I think it’s all the fluid, they just bounce off the walls because there’s too much room to float! It also makes getting a consistent heartbeat really difficult because they move so much - another thing the docs worried us about!

Yeah, he was in for 3 weeks - I was allowed to stay on the postnatal ward for a week and then went home, but went and sat with him in SCBU usually 9-6 ever day. You can stay in SCBU 24 hours a day if you want to but there no beds, just chairs next to the cots, so you’re better off going home on a night and getting rest before you bring them home and the sleepless nights begin!

We could hold him from day 1, you just need to wash your hands thoroughly before getting them out. He was in an incubator to keep warm for the first week then moved to a open cot with lots of blankets - but we were encouraged to get him out as much as possible for skin to skin contact, you just need to keep them close to you and wrapped up. The only times we couldn’t get him out was when he was under the UV lights (Jaundice treatment - he was jaundice for a few months or so (very common with prem babies) even when we got him home so we had to sit him in front of the window to get sun!) but that was only for a few hours at a time.

If you have any worries or questions, please just drop me a note. I wish I had someone who had been through something similar to talk to when I had Oliver so anything you’re concerned about, just ask, as we’ve probably been through the same thing! X

[georgie-93 in reply to Clearslug]

There’s knowone I know who’s been through the same thing and it’s so nice to have reassurance and to have an idea what is going to happen, I appreciate it so much, I’m new to this. And it’s helped me so much to know someone has been through the same thing. Thank you again I really appreciate it x

[Lyndsaytw79]

My friends baby was 4.4 at full term and was perfect, just little. They can gain half a lb a week now so fingers crossed all will be okay xx