Acsites and Pregnancy

My daughter is 26 years old and pregnant with my first Grandchild. She has been diagnosed with Ascites, and her belly is very bloated as if she was going to have the baby last month. There is no yellowing in her eyes or anywhere, although she was born Jaundiced. She has no pain from this, she had this condition for at least a year before becoming pregnant but we did not know what it was.
She wants to breast feed and have a healthy baby, and so you can appreciate our concern. They want to wait 2 weeks to drain the fluid, and cannot put her under because of the baby.
Please help us to understand what to expect, what complications may ocurr, and what to do to help make this easier for her to handle. The doctors do not seem very forthcoming, and they are telling the interns this is the worst case they have seen, size wise. I need straight answers, please.

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

ascites is concerning in this setting.  Almost all cases are due to liver disease.  Infrequently the liver condition can be related to the pregnancy itself.  i am concerned--she needs to be seen by a hepatologist as well as by a high risk obstetrician or expert in maternal fetal medicine ASAP.