Worried

Yesterday marked the 28th week of my pregnancy. I found out on Tuesday at my checkup, that I am measuring no where near 28 weeks. The doctor was first concerned that I have been having flank pain again and shortness of breath when I am sitting upright. He grew even more concerned after he measured me. I was sent straight to the lab to have blood work done and an ultra sound of the baby and my kidneys. The doctor didn't tell me how far I'm measuring, other than I am way too big. So I came home and tried to measure myself. The top of my uterus should be somewhere around 3 to 3 1/2 inches above my belly button, it's 6 1/2 inches (which is where it should be at 37 weeks.) No wonder I feel like I can't breathe.
I found out that there is a couple of issues going on. First, the baby is measuring in the 95th percentile. They classified our not so little baby at high risk for macrosomia (big baby.) I was also diagnosed with way too much amniotic fluid, which is a condition called polyhydramnios. I don't have kidney stones like the doctor thought. I don't remember what he called the problem with my kidneys. Basically, urine is backing back up into my kidneys because they are being smashed by my uterus. It also explained the shortness of breath, as my lungs are being squished as well.

None of these things are wonderful, the least concerning is my kidneys, as they will recover after delivery. My lungs could become a problem though. If that becomes the case, they will have to do a procedure to remove fluid from my uterus or put me on some kind of medication that would reduce the baby's urine output. If I have to do either of these things, I would have to receive steroids to mature the baby's lungs, as both of these things, along with the other issues, put me at high risk for premature delivery.

There are many things that we are worried about. The macrosomia and too much amniotic fluid alone, put the baby and I at certain risks. Unfortunately, the polyhydramnios does put the baby at increased risk for some very serious things that could be very wrong with her. These things are so serious, I'm not even going to write about them, as I can not let my mind hardly go there. While it's not super likely that there is something wrong, (since they didn't see anything at my 18 week ultra sound,) there are multiple conditions that will need to be ruled out.

On Monday morning I have to go back to maternal fetal medicine for another ultra sound and meet with a perinatologist. I have read that there is a correlation between big babies and too much amniotic fluid. I'm hoping that's all that is going on, a big baby producing a lot of pee. So if you wouldn't mind, we could use a few extra prayers coming our way, that all will be well with our little one and that my body will tolerate what is taking place.

Hopefully my next post will be full of good news....with a few new pictures, of our not so little baby girl.