The ultrasound technician will scan your uterus to find and measure the single deepest pocket of amniotic fluid they can. A normal measurement is 2 to 8 centimeters cm. A finding of less than 2 cm indicates low amniotic fluid at this stage.
After 24 weeks of pregnancy, the most common way to measure amniotic fluid is called the AFI, or amniotic fluid index. The AFI is measured exactly like the single deepest pocket method, but the ultrasound technician will measure fluid pockets from four different parts of the uterus. These measurements will be added together to get the AFI.
Treatment for low amniotic fluid will depend on the cause and how far along you are. Some causes of low amniotic fluid have a simple solution, but others may require more intensive intervention. Anytime during your pregnancy, drinking a lot of water can make a huge difference. According to one study , hydration is very helpful for upping amniotic fluid levels in women between 37 and 41 weeks of pregnancy. While more research is needed, a Cochrane database review also found that simple hydration increased amniotic fluid levels.
The nice thing about this remedy? An amnioinfusion is when your doctor squirts a saltwater solution saline through your cervix and into the amniotic sac. This can at least temporarily increase the level of amniotic fluid. Amniocentesis involves a thin needle being inserted directly into the amniotic sac through your abdomen.
If you have low amniotic fluid before or during labor, your doctor may give you fluid via amniocentesis before delivering your baby. This can help your baby maintain their mobility and heart rate throughout the delivery, which may also help decrease your chances of a cesarean delivery. Your doctor may recommend IV fluids. Since low amniotic fluid may be caused by underlying conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, treating these conditions may improve your levels.
This may involve taking medication, monitoring your blood sugar, or making more frequent visits to your doctor. Preexisting causes may create other issues during your pregnancy, too, so managing the cause is a win-win. But some doctors will still prescribe it in the case of low amniotic fluid.
Resting in bed or on the couch except to go to the bathroom or shower may help improve blood flow to the placenta, which in turn helps increase amniotic fluid.
Find that perfect Netflix show to binge on and let those around you wait on you hand and foot. This may sound scary, but there are a couple of bonuses to extra monitoring: One, you get to see your baby more often! And two, your doctor will be able to treat any issues sooner than later.
Some research — only in animals, though — shows a modest negative effect on amniotic fluid levels when mom consumes a high fat diet. Fancy being on the safe side? Normal amniotic fluid is clear or tinted yellow. Fluid that looks green or brown usually means that the baby has passed the first bowel movement meconium while in the womb. Usually, the baby has the first bowel movement after birth. If the baby passes meconium in the womb, it can get into the lungs through the amniotic fluid.
This can cause serious breathing problems, called meconium aspiration syndrome, especially if the fluid is thick. Some babies who have been in amniotic fluid that has meconium in it may need treatment right away after birth to prevent breathing problems. Other babies are healthy at birth may not need treatment, even if the amniotic fluid has meconium in it. Get expert tips and resources from March of Dimes and CDC to increase your chance of having a healthy, fully-term pregnancy and baby.
BabyLiveAdvice lets you tap into a virtual network of nurses, midwives, lactation consultants, nutritionists and health professionals for support when you need it most. Create a Facebook fundraiser to let friends and family know you're donating your birthday so more babies can have theirs.
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Building on a successful year legacy, we support every pregnant person and every family. March of Dimes, a not-for-profit, section c 3. Privacy, Terms, and Notices , Cookie Settings. Register Sign In. Hi Your dashboard sign out. A pocket deeper than eight centimetres and wider than one centimetre means you have too much fluid, known as polyhydramnios. A pocket less than two centimetres deep and one centimetre wide is considered too little, or oligohydramnios.
Less than 10 percent of women will have oligohydramnios or polyhydramnios diagnosed on an ultrasound. Both conditions can cause complications or be a sign of an underlying condition in the baby or mother. Amniotic fluid comes from different sources: the fetus, the placenta, and the mother.
In the second trimester, urine becomes the main ingredient when the baby begins to swallow the fluid and her kidneys start working. At 20 weeks pregnant, women have about millilitres of fluid. The volume doubles to millilitres at 28 weeks gestation , and remains at that level until 37 weeks , when it starts to go down. The most common explanation for low fluid is a leak in the amniotic sac.
The mother may also be dehydrated or there may be a problem with the placenta. Sometimes the baby has kidney problems or a urinary track blockage, or excess fluid can build up when the baby has trouble swallowing due to a birth defect.
Diabetes in the baby or mother can also lead to polyhydramnios. Often, there is no known cause, as was the case with Feeney. Feeney had a scheduled C-section at 38 weeks and baby Sloane was born healthy and without complications.
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