Low Amniotic Fluid- Maybe induced

coolsurferchic · December 2010

I found out last week that I have low amniotic fluid. Apparently you are suppose to have 12-24 oz and I have 6! I go back tomorrow to find out if there was any change. Has anyone else experienced this issue? I will be 35 weeks tomorrow and nervous that he will be premature. Doctors did not seemed too worried last week. Also, if you are induced at 35 weeks does that mean you will have a C-section? I was planning on natural birth.

nmeissner25 · December 2010

I found out i had low amniotic fluid 3 weeks ago. The number my doctor gave me was 10. My doctor had me do NST's weekly and then have a biophysical profile ultrasound to check fluid levels and to watch babys movements. I also have been drinking alot more water and actually that has helped alot, i'm closer to normal levels now. I still have weekly NST's and ultrasounds. My doctor said the only way he'd induce me early was if my fluid got dramaticly lower and if the baby failed any of my NST's or biophysical profiles which hasnt happened so far. I hope that helps a little.

houndbaby · December 2010

I had low fluid with #1, I was down to 5 at 37 weeks and stayed at 5 until I was induced at 39 weeks. My OB won't induce immediately unless the fluid is down to 4. With this baby my fluid has been slowly decreasing over the last few weeks and was down to 9.5 at my u/s last Thursday.

headlight · December 2010

I had AFI=5 at 36 weeks with my last and had to check in to the hospital. Stayed on NST for 24/7, had daily u/s to check on the baby and fialy at 36w6d had cs.

izzourclue · December 2010

Sorry you are having some concerns. If they decide to induce at 35/36 weeks, your baby is considered near term, only slightly premature. She will likely have fully developed lungs and at 35 weeks, is not even going to automatically go to NICU for observation. So you are far enough along that everything should be ok even if they have to induce you. If you have to be induced, it doesn't mean a c-section unless the baby is showing distress. They will use pitocin to start labor. This is not ideal for someone that wants to go med free because pitocin labor is generally more painful (because the contractions are a lot stronger than natural contractions) and a lot of women need/want an epidural to get them through it. However, there are women that do not have an epi even when induced. So you could still have a med-free (except pitocin) vaginal birth. Good luck. I hope your fluid levels hold a few weeks longer and you can get a chance to go into labor on your own. Good luck!

IncogNeato · December 2010

I was at a 6 at like 28 weeks and drank water like it was going out of business for the next week. It was back up by my follow up ultrasound so drink, drink, drink!

And no, being induced would not automatically mean a c-section. Only if baby was in distress.

ETA- my baby was born at around 36 weeks and has done very well. She does have lazy feeding- falls asleep while nursing and needs to be rubbed/stimulated/etc and she has jaundice which is common in babies and extra common in preemies so she is stuck in the NICU until her jaundice abates. However, her breathing and weight gain is fine (hasn't lost too much and is regaining now) and until the jaundice kicked in at 2 days old she was not in the NICU at all. So she was basically treated like a full term baby but with extra warnings about keeping her warm.

Also, I was induced because my water broke without contractions and I did just fine until 5 centimeters. The pitocin was raised very slowly and wasn't unbearable. At around 5 cm things started to pick up very fast and I went for an epidural but I never had a plan to go natural so if I had really wanted to I probably could have. I then went from 5-10 centimeters in 45 minutes so those were some DOOZY contractions that had been coming on. All in all I had a fantastic birth experience. It can be done.

honkytonk_kid · December 2010

IncogNeato:
I was at a 6 at like 28 weeks and drank water like it was going out of business for the next week. It was back up by my follow up ultrasound so drink, drink, drink!
And no, being induced would not automatically mean a c-section. Only if baby was in distress.

Yep- water, water, water! Mine was 7-8 on a Tuesday, I rested and chugged water it was 16 on that Thursday. I also peed about 87 times an hour, lol.

Not that dehydration is the only thing that could cause low fluid level, your OB can check out the other possibilities, but drinking tons of water and resting can't hurt!

coolsurferchic · December 2010

thank you so much everyone. I have been drinking tons of water and I am on the couch as I write this message.

beautifulsin90 · December 2010

I went last week and my fluid was low as well. I had 8 but they just told me to drink a lot less caffeine and to try and drink as many fluids as possible. I went back today and my fluid was a 12 so drink up and as long as there are no problems with your placenta your fluid should come back and then you don't have to be induced.

Also it doesn't mean that you will have a c-section you could just get this thing where they stick a needle in your belly and put fluid into your uterus and then they allow you to deliver I forget what that is called.

GOOD LUCK!!

kazpin · December 2010

I wish you the best of luck.... I was an 8 at 36 weeks. They had me do an NST and the baby was great. I have been trying to get in as much water as possible and I have another US this week on Wed at 37 weeks. If it is a 5 the Dr said that we need to talk delivery...but my LO is on the small side so the dr is concerned that there might be a problem with the placenta at this point and since he will be full term it might be better for him to be out rather then in.....I am still praying that the number stays the same or goes up and we will see what happens on Wed.

Again best of luck to you!

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