Can you feel the low amniotic fluid?

One of the key indicators for expectant mothers during prenatal checkups is the amniotic fluid flow. Too much or too little amniotic fluid can affect the physical and mental health of the fetus. However, if it is not checked, can the abnormality of the amniotic fluid of the pregnant woman be detected? Do pregnant women with low amniotic fluid feel anything? What impact does oligohydramnios have on the fetus? Let’s learn about it together below.

Do pregnant women with low amniotic fluid feel anything?

The amount of amniotic fluid in normal pregnant women changes with the different stages of pregnancy. For example, around 4 months of pregnancy, the amniotic fluid flow is about 200ml; around 7 months, the amniotic fluid flow is about 1000ml; by the end of pregnancy, the amniotic fluid flow gradually decreases, and by 37 weeks of pregnancy, the amniotic fluid flow can be reduced to 800ml. When the amniotic fluid flow is less than 300ml at full term, it is called oligohydramnios.

Most pregnant women with oligohydramnios generally do not have obvious discomfort, so it is usually discovered by the doctor during prenatal examination or ultrasound examination. However, some pregnant women may feel that the rate of abdominal expansion is very slow, and the fetal movement is more obvious than before. Sometimes a fetal movement can cause obvious lower abdominal pain. This is because the regulating function of the pregnant woman's amniotic fluid is lost, and the fetal movement energy of the baby directly acts on part of the endometrium to stimulate uterine contractions.

During prenatal check-ups, it is often found that the uterine height and fetal abdominal circumference are significantly lower than the relative number of weeks of menopause. At this time, the doctor will usually recommend pregnant women to undergo B-ultrasound examination to accurately estimate the amniotic fluid flow.

Effects of oligohydramnios on the fetus

Too little often has different degrees of impact on pregnant women and fetuses, which requires attention. If a pregnant woman finds that her abdomen is not growing significantly or the fetal movement is abnormal, she should go to the hospital for a physical examination in time and receive necessary treatment under the guidance of a doctor. First, let's understand the impact on the fetus.

1. Too little amniotic fluid occurs in the early stages of pregnancy, and the fetal membrane may adhere to the fetus, causing serious deformities in the fetus.

2. It occurs in the middle and late stages of pregnancy. The regulating function of the amniotic fluid of the pregnant woman disappears, and the pressure of the uterus can directly act on the fetus, causing torticollis, kyphosis, macrognathia, limb deformities, etc. The fetus' sternum may be compressed, the lungs may swell and cause lung hypoplasia, and the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome after birth will continue to increase.

3. Too little amniotic fluid during delivery can cause fetal umbilical cord pressure during frequent uterine contractions, resulting in fetal intrauterine distress or neonatal asphyxia. If the amniotic fluid of the pregnant woman is turbid, it can cause neonatal aspiration pneumonia or respiratory obstruction, increasing the neonatal mortality rate.

4. The impact of the amount of amniotic fluid in pregnant women on expectant mothers mainly includes: too little amniotic fluid in the late pregnancy may be caused by low blood flow in expectant mothers, the use of diclofenac sodium to maintain pregnancy and the use of captopril (Captopril) to treat hypertension during pregnancy and other factors. During the delivery process, oligohydramnios usually leads to inharmonious uterine contractions, slow cervical dilation, fetal umbilical cord stress, fetal distress, etc., thus increasing the cesarean section rate.