umbilical cord round neck

[KatieKrinklebum]

OK, this isn't a question, I just thought I'd take it on myself to let everyone know what I just found out this week, as some of you might be interested/releived. Basically, I got the fright of my life when the doctor told me the umbilical cord was wrapped around my baby's neck at the scan. She told me not to worry, which my husband reinforced, and then we were sent on our merry way. Naturally as soon as I got home I looked it up on the internet. I then realized how silly I'd been: the unborn baby doesn't yet breath through her throat, and so can't be strangled like us! Duh! My husband however, having told me not to worry, secretly spent the next 48 hours worried sick, and it took me all that time to work out what was wrong with him. So, as doctors can be somewhat unhelpfull, and husbands even more so, I'm just posting this for all of you out there not to have to worry about this if it occurs to you too, which the chances say one in three it will. Of course, no offence to anyone out there who has had problems caused by a tangled umbilical cord, but for the purpose of putting all our minds at rest, it's good to know it's extremely rare for it to cause problems. In fact my doctor has successfully delivered a baby with the cord wrapped no less than FIVE times around his neck! Just so you all know.

[minime61]

Thank you, I would have been so upset to hear that! I'll not worry now if it happens during a scan x

[KatieKrinklebum]

Your welcome hun. That's what I posted it for. x

[ritz21]

Thanks for sharing this.

Although I think it might be a problem to have a normal delivery of the baby. I have a friend who was operate because of the same issue (the cord was wrapped in a way that baby was being stopped from coming out through natural labor and her contractions went on decreasing as the time passed - a sign of distress).

And yesterday my cousin also delivered an 8 pounds baby boy through cesarean due to the same issue.

So I guess for all of us it would be good to mentally prepare for a surgery in case the need be in such situation. (from experience of my friend I can totally say this that she was horrified at the idea of surgery and avoided it until the doctors said that if she wont let them operate the baby wont survive!)

Good luck to you and I hope the little one unfolds it self as they are quite capable of stuffs like those

[KatieKrinklebum]

That's a very good point actually ritz, which I forgot to mention. I'm sorry that your friend had that ordeal, and hope she and her baby are fine now, and good on her for trying - I'm a strong advocate for giving natural birth a go. It's always good to have a dialogue with one's doctor on these issues. I do feel envious of all you ladies being in the UK - I'm in Brazil, and generally doctors here don't normally give much opportunity for patients to communicate with them, and they don't always have the patients' best interests at heart; they tend to use any old excuse for a cesarian to get it over with quickly and on to the next customer. I'd definately go back to England next time. If my doctor here were to say to me I have to have a cesarian because of the umbilical cord, I think I'd reluctantly go along with it, knowing it's probably unnecessary but not wanting to worry my husband, who takes the doctors word as given. But that's here in Brazil. And hopefully it won't come to that - she seemed very positive about it last week.

Good luck with your baby, and I hope you get to go on that tour of the Himalayas (I read your profile!). All the best.