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Saturday, September 19, 2009

Another thing to add to my worry list!!!

I had a doctor appointment on Friday and the doctor seemed concerned over the size of my belly. He measured it twice as usual and he wrote down that it might be polyhydramnios, too much amniotic fluid. I was aware that might happen because Sami's swallowing reflexes might not be normal but I never gave it much thought. He seemed concerned but at the same time not so much because he did not do an ultrasound right away. I will see him again in two weeks and on October 9th I have another appointment with the perinatologist. We will see what they say then. I of course decided to google it(why do I do that?)and of course now I am really worried about it. Well at least that explains why my belly is so BIG...
It is so uncomfortable, it constantly hurts me. I was no where near this umcomfortable when I was pregnant with Julian. I seriously dread the nights because laying down makes my body ache even more. Last night I laid on my right side crying because I could not for the life of me turn to my left side on my own. I did not want to wake up Larry because I every night I have to wake him several times during the night to help me out. I felt bad, he needs to get some rest too. I feel like my pelvis is broken, it is hard to describe just how painful and uncomfortable it is. I never realized how many muscles we use to just sit up or get out of bed. Once I am up it is not so bad but it is the initial movements that just kill me. I normally have a pretty good pain tolerance so this is just throwing me off. I am kind of scared to describe the extent of my pain to my doctor because I am afraid of him saying he would rather induce me early. I would much rather let Sami come when she is ready. I do not feel sick in any other way like my blood pressure being high or abnormal swelling so for now I can still keep going. I can do this only a few more weeks to go.

Some info on polyhydramnios:

What You Need to Know About Polyhydramnios
Polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid) occurs in about 2 out of 100 of pregnancies. Most cases are mild and result from a slow buildup of excess fluid in the second half of pregnancy. But in a few cases, fluid builds up as early as the 16th week of pregnancy. This usually leads to very early delivery.

Polyhydramnios is diagnosed with ultrasound. Medical experts do not fully understand what causes this condition. In 2 out 3 cases, the cause is not known. Here are two of the best-known causes:

Birth defects in the baby that affect the ability to swallow. Normally, when the fetus swallows, the level of amniotic fluid goes down a bit. This helps to balance out the increase in fluid caused by fetal urination.
Heart defects in the baby.

Women with mild polyhydramnios may have few symptoms. Women with more severe cases may have discomfort in the belly and breathing problems. That's because the buildup of fluids causes the uterus to crowd the lungs and the organs in the belly.

Preterm rupture of the membranes (breaks or tears in the sac that holds the amniotic fluid; also called PROM)
Umbilical cord accidents
Polyhydramnios may also raise the risk of pregnancy complications, including:
Preterm delivery
Placental abruption (the placenta peels away from the uterine wall before delivery)
Poor growth of the fetus
Stillbirth
Cesarean delivery
Severe bleeding by the mother after delivery

5 comments:

lost--for--words said...

I am so sorry that you're having to deal with this. I had very extreme polyhydramnios during my pregnancy with Freja towards the end. At 36 weeks pregnant, I measured 46 weeks. When I went in for an ultrasound at 37 weeks to determine why I was so big, a doctor drained 6.5 litres just to make me more comfortable. A word of caution though - if they offer to do this procedure, please know that it sent me into labor and my baby went into immediate distress and I underwent an emergency c-section.
I'll never forget how uncomfortable I was at night when I was trying to sleep. I tried sleeping everywhere - the couch, the chair, propped up with many pillows, and finally a recliner chair. The reliner was the best, I could reline it almost all the way back and lay on my side, but I still only slept 10-20 minutes at a time. Every time I would wake up, I'd have to stand up and walk around to get all the fluid to settle lower so I could breathe properly. If you want to talk, or have any questions - please don't hesitate to e-mail me. lostforwords09 AT gmail.com

Laura said...

Praying for you...I too had polyhydramnios when I was pregnant with Pearl. I am sorry your body is hurting as badly as your heart is.

You are so brave and an amazing mama.
Sending love,
Laura

Wodzisz Family said...

I am so sorry you are going through that right now. It sounds so uncomfortable. I had the opposite...low fluid and I was actually pretty comfortable through my pregnancy. Of course it caused Hope to be born a couple weeks early and me to spend time before she was born in the hospital (which was awful).

I hope the fluid decreases for you and you can get a little more comfortable.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Holly said...

Sorry about the poly! I know that has to be extremely uncomfy!! I really suggest sleeping in a recliner. Many moms say that they found that it was the most comfy way. (Although, how comfy can you really get w/ extra fluid?) Hopefully the poly doesn't get too bad where you would have to deliver early.

Laura said...

Hi Lisette. I'm sorry you are going through all of this. I had poly with Reagan, early on. At only 27 weeks I was measuring 37 and it only got worse. Since I had a c-section previously, my docs kept a close eye on it for all the risk factors you listed above. I had FOUR amnioreductions. They do help. They are risky, but it's not out of this world risky. It may be something to talk to your doctor about. It's not a fun procedure, but it does help. I ended up going once a week until I delivered Reagan at 32 weeks.

Hang in there sweetie. I know how hard it is. If you need to talk, please let me know.

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