When you first find out that you are pregnant, it is an amazing feeling. Now nurturing a life within you, you would be glowing with happiness, but inspite of all this, pregnancies come with their own set of risks. Don’t lose heart because most pregnancies go without any kind of complications, and often, the doctor can well handle the other minor complications. But there are some major complications like oligohydramnios or low amniotic fluid levels which needs on-time intervention of the doctors.
There is no cause behind this condition, however, whatever might be the reason, this condition needs immediate attention to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy. Sadly, not all cases end at a happy note.
Creation Of Amniotic Fluid And Sac: The Protective Layer Around Your Baby
To begin understanding this condition, we need to first understand what is amniotic fluid and how it is created in the body.
Once the fertilized egg implants in the wall of the uterus, there is a fluid-filled bag that surrounds the baby. This is made of two membranes, and it keeps the baby inside a pool of fluid called the amniotic fluid. It is made from the water that passes through your circulatory system. This starts off within days off conception.
While initially it is made of water, during your second trimester, the baby starts swallowing the fluid and excreting it as urine. It’s a continuous process and as disgusting as it sounds, by the time that you are done with your pregnancy and your water breaks, what comes out is just your baby’s pee.
Playing A Significant Role In Keeping Your Baby Safe
Not only does the amniotic sac keeps the baby safe inside the womb, it also does the following:
- Keeps the baby snug and warm
- Acts as a shock absorber
- Acts as lubricant that keeps your baby’s body parts separate
- Let’s your baby do those crazy move
- Acts as lungs and digestive system
- Protects the baby from infections.
Pretty powerful, isn’t it?
The baby also plays an important role in maintaining the amniotic fluid levels in the womb. This means that by the time your baby is born, the infant had consumed around 15 ounces of fluid every day. But sadly, this balance goes awry and you might end up having lesser amniotic fluid than you anticipated. This is the time that you need to consult your healthcare provider.
The Ideal Amount
We have already said that your baby consumes amniotic fluid and passes it out, which means that the amount of fluid increases or decreases every day. The further along you are in your pregnancy, the amount varies. This means you start off with few milliliters of fluid and by the end of 36th week, you should have approximately 800ml to 1000ml. This again changes in the 38th week, and the amount starts decreasing till you go into labor.
Oligohydramnios: Less Than The Required Amount
Your OB/GYN can measure the amount of amniotic fluid that you are carrying around using different methods. If during these tests, the doctors finds the following, chances are that you have the dreaded condition called Oligohydramnios.
- You have less than 5ml
- At 32 to 36 weeks, the volume is less than 500ml
- There is absence of fluid pocket 2 to 3cm in depth
If ever diagnosed with the condition, don’t lose heart for you are not alone. Research has shown that around one of ten women tend to have low levels of amniotic fluid but its only 4 out of ten who are diagnosed with this condition. This condition can occur anytime during the pregnancy, but is usually more prevalent at the end. However, if your pregnancy exceeds your due date, then you can be one of the 12 out of 100 who has a reason to worry. This condition at this stage can cause further complications.
Symptoms Of Low Amniotic Fluid
You may or may not experience these symptoms. But in case you observe any of these, rush to your healthcare provider immediately:
- Leaking of amniotic fluid from vagina. This happens due to a tear in the amniotic sac and you will feel continuous wetness.
- Reduction in the uterine size, which is also known as the fundal height
- The doctor discovers a reduction in the amniotic fluid during ultrasound scan
Remember, these symptoms are quite similar to other conditions that can arise during pregnancy. This means that you should not panic but consult doctors to rule out any kind of complications.
Treating This Dreaded Condition
If you do develop this condition especially in the third trimester, and it is mild, you don’t need to panic or start any treatment. The doctors would monitor you and your baby closely to safeguard its life. But if you develop the condition during the first or second trimester, chances are that the doctor might advise you some kind of treatment:
- Amniofusion: In this, you will receive an infusion of sodium chloride solution at room temperature.
- Vesico-Amniotic Shunt: If the baby has obstructive uropathy which is causing the loss of amniotic fluid, the doctor would divert the urine of the baby using vesico-amniotic shunts. This can manage the loss, but doctors are doubtful about shunts working well.
- Fluid Injections: You might also receive fluid shots which are given using amniocentesis and would temporarily increase the levels of the fluid.
- Maternal Hydration: Sometimes your fluid intake would be increased with the help of IV and oral fluids to restore balance.
- Bed Rest: If you have a mild to moderate version of this condition, chances are that the doctor would advise bed rest. This would be accompanied with increased hydration.
- Medical termination of pregnancy: This is the last resort especially if you suffer from severe oligohydramnios during the first trimester of pregnancy. The doctors might ask you to terminate the pregnancy because if the baby continues to grow in such conditions, it will be born with birth defects and it too has very low chances at survival.
Preventing Loss Of Amniotic Fluid
Since the causes are unknown, chances are that you will never know when you are losing out on precious amniotic fluid. Here are however some preventive measures that you can take:
- Staying hydrated: This means drinking sufficient fluids throughout the day
- Talking to doctor for medical pills: If you are on any kind of medicines, its best to talk to your doctor before
- Have a balanced diet and eat healthy
- Stop smoking
- Start exercising regularly
One of the most important things that you can do when you are pregnant is to keep attending those prenatal checkups without fail. This would allow the doctor to monitor the baby’s growth and development and also detect these conditions.
It’s important to understand the severity of this condition, more so, because chances are that you might lose the baby. We understand that pregnancy is a joyous time, but it’s also important to take care of yourself during those nine months.
