What are the symptoms of excessive amniotic fluid in pregnant women? Mothers should pay attention to

When the baby is in the mother's belly, it lives in the amniotic fluid, so amniotic fluid is very important to the baby. If there is too much amniotic fluid, mothers will feel pressure in the stomach, difficulty breathing, and will also experience rapid weight gain and a sudden increase in abdominal circumference.

What are the symptoms of excessive amniotic fluid in pregnant women?

There is a strong sense of pressure in the stomach, edema, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, frequent urination, rapid weight gain, sudden increase in the length of the uterine fundus and abdominal circumference, sudden frequent fetal movements, etc. Polyhydramnios, a chronic increase occurs around the 25th week of pregnancy, but there will be a sharp increase in amniotic fluid for a few days.

What are the effects of excessive amniotic fluid?

Excessive amniotic fluid increases uterine tension, which can easily cause pregnant women to suffer from gestational hypertension, premature rupture of membranes, premature birth, placental abruption, and a high probability of postpartum hemorrhage. For babies, excessive amniotic fluid can easily cause abnormal fetal position, fetal distress, umbilical cord prolapse, and increase fetal mortality.

Classification of polyhydramnios

1. Acute polyhydramnios

It is less common. It usually occurs between the 20th and 24th weeks of pregnancy, when the amniotic fluid increases sharply and the uterus enlarges significantly in a short period of time, producing a series of compression symptoms: abdominal distension, difficulty in movement; painful expression; difficulty breathing, cyanosis, and even inability to lie flat.

2. Chronic polyhydramnios

More common. Mostly occurs in the third trimester. The amniotic fluid increases slowly over a few weeks and the symptoms are milder. There is no obvious discomfort or only slight compression symptoms: chest tightness, shortness of breath, which can be tolerated.

What to do if there is too much amniotic fluid

If you are diagnosed with polyhydramnios, your doctor will order a high-definition ultrasound to check for malformations in the fetus. Your doctor may also order amniocentesis to check for genetic defects. You will also need regular fetal heart rate monitoring and ultrasounds for the rest of your pregnancy to closely monitor your fetus' growth and development. Your doctor will also watch you for signs of premature labor. If you haven't been tested for gestational diabetes, now is the time to do it.

In addition, pregnant mothers with too much amniotic fluid should also pay special attention during delivery. During your delivery, the doctor will closely monitor your condition. Due to excessive amniotic fluid, the risk of umbilical cord prolapse (the umbilical cord falling off from the cervical opening) or placental abruption when the water breaks will also be higher. Both of these situations require an immediate cesarean section (cesarean section). This is why when the amniotic fluid is too high, the doctor will ask you to go to the hospital early to wait for delivery. Or, if your water breaks before labor starts, the doctor will ask you to be hospitalized immediately. In addition, because your uterus is overstretched and may not contract well, the possibility of postpartum hemorrhage will also increase. Therefore, the doctor will also closely monitor your condition after you give birth.