Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

I am 32 weeks and my baby is measuring in the 81st percentile and I have a high amount of fluid so the Dr is recommending I re-do the GD test. I have no problem re-doing it, but after researching high fluid levels I am worried about the alternatives to it being caused by GD.

I also have had 2 previous births and my babies were 8lbs 15oz(10 days early) and 8lbs 8oz (1 day late) so I DO have big babies.

TIA!

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

I had it with DD#1 but NOT with DD#2. Both my girls were bigger (DD#1 - 9lbs 4 ozs and DD#2 9lbs 5ozs- I had the girls at 38 and DD#2 at 37 weeks). I did not have GD with my first but was borderline (controlled with very minor diet changes - I only failed the 3 hour 1 pt for 1st hour draw and 3 hour draw by 1 pt). But that pregnancy I had no issues with my fluid.

With DD#1 though they said she had a small stomach that took a while to fill so there was concern she had a TE fistual or an esphogeal atresia. I ended up having to deliver with a high risk group at Columbia Presb because I was told by my OB that LIJ and NSUH were not equipped to handle it if she needed surgery (they even said that they only see this issue maybe once every 5+ years while Columbia saw it once a month so they recommended I go to Columbia in case she needed the surgery). Of course it turned out that I just had excess fluid with an unknown cause and she was healthy as a horse. So I was worried for nothing.

I was however put on bed rest for a few weeks because I was having a lot of contractions especially when I walked from the excess fluid. My fluid went down 2 weeks before I delivered to a normal level mysteriously.

I was told that in most cases excess fluid is not something that you really worry too much about - but that it really depends on your numbers. If they get too high they can remove some of the fluid. So if your GD test comes back normal it might just be another unexplained case.

BTW both of my girls always were measuring in the 90 something %. But keep in mind - I was 8lbs 5ozs and DH was 9 something. My mother was I think 10lbs. So large babies run in my family.

Message edited 6/2/2012 8:59:31 PM.

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

Yes... With ds but I did not have gd.. They minitored me and ds was perfect... Just unexplained... But my e tire body was like a water balloon!!

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

I had this. I wasn't really retaining water, nor did i have GD. For whatever reason, I had really high levels of fluid. At first the OB thought the baby was in the transverse position since my belly appeared "fuller" than with my previous one. Towards the end, they wanted me to do biweekly NSTs and sonograms, but I ended up delivering early at 36 1/2 weeks. Baby had other plans! I never did find out why I had such high levels of fluid, but DD was born healthy, but small at 6lbs 4 oz.

ETA: And I went into contractions naturally, but the dr. had to break my water.

Message edited 6/2/2012 10:56:12 PM.

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

Hey T, #3 holy cow
I had high fluid too, there was no reason at all, I did have to do biweekly sonos for the last month, I didn't have GD or any real swelling, I was wearing my heels to work up until about 38 weeks

Of course I googled myself into a near panic attack though.

So the only issue was that because of the high fluid they didn't want me to go past my due date. Nothing was happening naturally so on the night before my due date I was admitted to start the induction; he arrived 24 hours later by c-section, perfectly healthy.

Hope you're doing OK and all is well, a bunch of girls here had this too and everything seems to have been fine

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

yes, it was totally idiopathic which it is in like 98% of cases...

it DID cause DS to stay high, he never dropped and I never progressed AT ALL lending to a csection at 40w2d. He was 8.7 lbs at birth.

There was nothing wrong, just a lot of fluid.

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

I did and was induced at 38 weeks. Soon was saying ds was 8.14. The induction was great, when they broke my water, it was like niagra falls. After ds came out, they had a difficult time getting my bleeding under contol. I had to take methrogen (sp?). Apparently high levels of amniotic fluid can lead to hem. for the mother. I lost a lot of blood, but was fine.

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

I had borderline high fluid levels with DS around 34-36 weeks. I had failed the 1 hour, but passed the 3 hour. I didn't have to re-take it, but did go for 1 or 2 NSTs and ultrasounds. I have no idea if it's related, but I had PIH, which turned into pre-eclampsia around that time. DS was 8lbs 1 oz at birth (38 weeks).

This time, the baby was measuring in the 81st percentile at 32 weeks. My fluid level has been fine, but I do have glucose intolerance and have been monitoring my sugar.

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

I did with both pregnancies! They never knew why. All I know is that when my water broke, oh boy did my water break!! Other than that all was well!

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

Thank you so much for sharing ladies! I hate to just go into things blind and not do my research, but then when I do it scares the cr@p out me. So reassuring to hear from people who have experienced the same thing. Thank you :)

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

I had it with DS. I also had GD. I had to have a c-section bc they were afraid that my water was going to break and the cord as going to prolapse due to the levels of fluid.

Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

Phew, glad to see all these positive stories. Just found out yesterday at 29 weeks I have high amniotic fluid but passed the gd test with a 76 so that's not the issue, they said she looks perfect and her gas bubble in her stomach looks like she is swallowing properly and all my scans have been good. I swore I wouldn't google ( I haven't) but I did read it in what to expect and got freaked out. I go back in 2 weeks to start weekly sonos

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

I had high fluid with my first. I didn't have GD, but do have big babies (10-2, 10-8, 9-2). With my third, I had gestational hypoglycemia and my doctor thinks I my have had it with all three.

Re: Anyone have experience with high amniotic fluid levels?

Also wanted to update that I failed the 1 hour, passed the 3 hour and of course after suffering through the 3 hour test had my next sono and levels were normal. The baby had probably just Pee'd or something, the first tome, lol .