Can I have a normal birth with low amniotic fluid at 40 weeks?

In the late stages of pregnancy, the body's condition has a great impact on the mode of delivery. Among them, the state of the amniotic fluid of pregnant women is also a condition that is considered to be a factor in the mode of delivery. In clinical medicine, it often affects all aspects of pregnant women, which requires attention. So, can you choose natural delivery if the amniotic fluid is too little at 40 weeks?

Can I choose natural birth if I have little amniotic fluid at 40 weeks?

If the amniotic fluid depth is not less than three centimeters and the amniotic fluid index is not less than five centimeters at 40 weeks of pregnancy, and there are no other problems, then normal delivery can generally be chosen. During delivery, the doctor will ask you to do fetal heart monitoring. If the fetal heartbeat is not good, a cesarean section will be performed without doubt. When the fetal heartbeat and fetal position are normal, it also depends on the size of the fetus. It is best to choose the delivery method according to the doctor's advice.

When the amniotic fluid flow is less than 300 mL in late pregnancy, it is called oligohydramnios. The clinical diagnosis is mainly based on B-ultrasound. An amniotic fluid index (AFI) ≤ 5cm indicates oligohydramnios, and an amniotic fluid index ≤ 8cm indicates oligohydramnios. The wife of the reader who asked the question was found to have too little amniotic fluid, with an amniotic fluid index of ≤8cm, which does not meet the diagnostic criteria for oligohydramnios.

It is important to be extremely vigilant that when there is little amniotic fluid, the pregnant woman and the fetus will lose the protection of the amniotic fluid, which may cause some effects on the mother and the child, resulting in a significant increase in the perinatal mortality rate. For example, when the uterus contracts in the late pregnancy, without the regulating effect of the amniotic fluid of the pregnant woman, the endometrium will be directly compressed by the fetus and the umbilical cord, leading to serious complications such as intrauterine hypoxia, suffocation, and even death of the fetus. Your wife is full-term pregnant, but has little amniotic fluid. The pregnancy should be terminated immediately.

After hospitalization, the doctor will determine the cause of oligohydramnios, especially the existence of malformed fetus, and assess whether natural delivery is possible. If a malformed fetus is ruled out, the uterus can be contracted by stimulating the nipples first, and the fetal heartbeat can be detected at the same time. The fetal reserve capacity can be determined by whether the fetal heartbeat decreases during uterine contraction. If the fetal heartbeat does not slow down significantly, you can choose to give birth naturally. During the delivery, closely observe the fetal heartbeat and the progress of the delivery process. If there are any abnormalities, a cesarean section should be performed immediately.