I had to be induced and then had a c-section due to extremely low fluid and at the time I didnt really understand what it all meant. Since then I have learnt of 4 other people within my circles ( friends or friends of friends) who have had the same thing, 2 of them ended in still birth. This make me realize how blessed i was that my doctor picked up on this. I was very blase about it but she insisted I not go home and even though she wanted to do a c-sectin right away, she respected my wishes and tried inducing first.
I am really saddened that 2 of my friends have lost their babies due to the same thing I experienced. Why werent they as lucky as me to get induced before the situation worsened? I wonder how common this low fluid is. Its making me quite worried for my next baby. Will I experience this again? Did you have low fluid? Or do you know someone who did?
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It happened to a friend of mine. She was induced at 37 weeks, gave birth vaginally (vacuum assisted) and had a healthy baby.
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@zippylef: It seems as though its all up to the doctor detecting it early enough to induce.
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I'm surprised when it isn't detected because when i went in for my ultrasounds, they always checked the amniotic fluid level. I'm glad things worked out for you though.
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Is there a way to check fluid levels without doing an ultrasound?
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I did, but had twins so there is naturally less fluid per baby. But bc I had twins I was also being monitored more closely toward the end. My induction was pretty textbook and delivered in less than 12 hrs at 39w.
I've also heard a few stories of babies lost bc of too much fluid. It's all so sad. As much as I wanted to avoid induction, it's heartbreaking when a baby is lost that might have lived had they known to deliver earlier.
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@highwire: I dont know for sure but I dont think they can tell without doing an ultrasound
.@caffeinated: well some people have less ultrasounds I guess? I had one at 38 weeks and my fluid was fine. and then by 40 weeks I had nothing at all.
@MerryC: Yes is is heartbreaking. I was beating myself up so much about not getting to labor much or deliver vaginally but I really should consider myself fortunate that my baby is alive and well -
@Mrsbells: Yep. She had weekly ultrasounds from like 28 weeks on. When they felt the levels were too dangerous, they induced her.
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You may be interested in this article on the evidence for low fluid inductions, it has lots of good info: http://www.scienceandsensibility.org/?p=5294
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I was monitored for low fluid because of IUGR. My doc was going to have me come in daily until I either went into labor or needed to induce. Luckily I ended up going into labor later that same day it was detected.
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@highwire: I think sometimes the belly measurements can be indicative. If you have too much fluid you may measure large, and too little fluid you may measure small. But in the final weeks, it seems those measurements are less accurate anyway. Low fluid can be detected with even the small portable ultrasound machines, so I hope most OBs check semi regularly in the 3rd tri, just to err on the side of caution, but I don't know what is typical for a singleton pregnancy.
@Mrsbells: I don't know that you're any more at risk during a subsequent pregnancy, but I'd probably try to stay extra hydrated to be on the safe side. When I was initially diagnosed, I chugged water nonstop for the few days til my next scan, and my fluid levels actually went up slightly.
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@MerryC: I had my last ultrasound at 20 weeks (I'm 37 weeks now) and my OB won't be doing any more unless something comes up. The only thing that happens at my appointments these days is heartbeat and fundal measurements. I suppose if the fundal height is off that might be indicative of a fluid issue, but since I've been measuring normally, there hasn't been any talk of another ultrasound.
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I'm 27 weeks and have low fluid, and a few other issues that my OB and MFM Specialist are "keeping an eye on." At my appointment last week, the specialist was sure to explain the increased risk of stillbirth with me and my husband. It's not at all what you want to hear, but I guess it's better to know what we're dealing with than be shocked at a bad outcome, I guess.
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@Minnie_Girl: i read the same article and i always wonder what i would do if this happened to me.
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@highwire: Yes they would send you for an U/S if you didn't have the expected change in your fundal height from week to week. This was the case at my 36 week appointment. I was measuring a little smaller than I had been so they sent me off for an U/S. Turned out baby had just dropped a bit and so the position change had affected my measurement.
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I have had a few friends who had low fluid levels towards the end and ended up being induced or had a c-section because of it. But the baby has always ended up being perfectly healthy. I kind of figured since my fluid levels were great at 36 weeks that I was probably fine to go at least until my due date with no worries. But now I'm a little freaked out. I guess I'll check with my doc at my appt next week to ask about the chances of having a drastic fluid level decrease at the end.
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Sorry didnt mean to worry you guys that are currently pregnant.
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I had low fluid. We found out when I thought I was leaking fluid (it turns out I had just peed my pants); I also had a "mature placenta". I was put on bed rest and eventually induced at 38 weeks...Everything was fine, except my "mature placenta" did not detatch correctly and I hemmorhaged (and had to have a d&c). Now a friend of mine is in the hospital on bed rest for her low fluid levels (she has placenta issues too).
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I had low fluid, but I was 41 weeks when they did the U/S to check and induce me. I ended up having a vaginal birth after getting pit.
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I know a few people who were induced early due to this.
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That is so scary and I'm so sorry about your friends...! I had no idea low fluid levels could result in a stillbirth.
My friend recently gave birth to a very healthy baby boy. She had low fluid levels that were being monitored since her 2nd trimester. Even as late as 37 weeks, they said she had low fluid levels, but by 39 weeks somehow they had gone to the normal range. She was able to deliver vaginally without an induction at 40 weeks 4 days.
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I was induced at 41 weeks and managed to deliver vaginally, although just barely.
I wonder about this a lot. I had a midwife, so I didn't start monitoring until 41 weeks. My fluid that day was borderline unacceptable, so they told me to watch for movement and come back the next day. Then my baby stopped moving that night, I went back in, and my fluid was almost gone. I wonder, what if it'd happened a week earlier? I think I probably would have gone if she'd stopped moving, but I'm not sure. The midwife I spoke to on the phone was dismissive of my fears, since I'd had a (borderline) ok level that day. I thought I was just being a hysterical first time mother when we went into the hospital, but I wasn't at all. My baby was in real trouble.
I've been assured that it's a placenta specific issue, and that I'm no more likely to have it recur than I was to experience it in the first place. I think I'll ask for scans to start at 40 weeks next time, and I'll be watching movement like a hawk, probably the whole time.
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@Mrs. High Heels: I think that low levels are a huge cause of stillbirth. If whatever system that triggers the body to go into labor doesn't function optimally, the placenta will just deteriorate and fluid will drop. That doesn't really happen in modern medicine, but I think that's one of the huge reasons people aren't usually allowed to go past 42 weeks.
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