On Monday, we had a follow-up appointment and ultrasound at 27 weeks/4 days. The good news is that Caleb is measuring in at 2 pounds 9 ounces, which is right on target for his gestational age.
Unfortunately, the ultrasound showed that polyhydramnios is now present and represents the excessive accumulation of amniotic fluid, which is the fluid that surrounds the baby in the uterus during pregnancy. Polyhydramnios occurs in about one percent of pregnancies and can be associated with CDH pregnancies. My perinatologist also concluded that I am measuring larger than expected for this stage of pregnancy, based on my due date. He was able to determine this by measuring my fundal height, which is the distance from my pubic bone to the top of my uterus. The measurement allows him to assess Caleb's size, growth rate, and position. As a result, I will be carefully monitored every two weeks for the remainder of the pregnancy to help prevent additional complications.
This is concerning and leaves yet another thing to worry about as preterm labor can be associated with polyhydramnios. This is extremely scary as Caleb needs to make it to a certain gestational age and/or weight to have certain treatments administered such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which is a technique used on 50% of CDH babies. In order for Caleb to have a chance, he needs to get comfortable and stay put for a while...
During the visit, I had my one hour glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes and thankfully, my results were normal so no additional testing will be necessary.
The below follow-up appointments are scheduled:
* Perinatologist Appointments - 7/28 and 8/5
* Fetal echocardiogram - 8/7
* Ultrasound - 8/7
Unfortunately, the ultrasound showed that polyhydramnios is now present and represents the excessive accumulation of amniotic fluid, which is the fluid that surrounds the baby in the uterus during pregnancy. Polyhydramnios occurs in about one percent of pregnancies and can be associated with CDH pregnancies. My perinatologist also concluded that I am measuring larger than expected for this stage of pregnancy, based on my due date. He was able to determine this by measuring my fundal height, which is the distance from my pubic bone to the top of my uterus. The measurement allows him to assess Caleb's size, growth rate, and position. As a result, I will be carefully monitored every two weeks for the remainder of the pregnancy to help prevent additional complications.
This is concerning and leaves yet another thing to worry about as preterm labor can be associated with polyhydramnios. This is extremely scary as Caleb needs to make it to a certain gestational age and/or weight to have certain treatments administered such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which is a technique used on 50% of CDH babies. In order for Caleb to have a chance, he needs to get comfortable and stay put for a while...
During the visit, I had my one hour glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes and thankfully, my results were normal so no additional testing will be necessary.
The below follow-up appointments are scheduled:
* Perinatologist Appointments - 7/28 and 8/5
* Fetal echocardiogram - 8/7
* Ultrasound - 8/7
