"he had the cord wrapped around his neck and WOULD HAVE DIED!!" - Page 3

[PreggieUBA2C]

Originally Posted by craft_media_hero

We live literally across the street from the hospital. I can see it from my bedroom window. It is good to know that their response time is faster from a phone call to the ER than from Labor and Delivery to c-section.

If we UC, I honestly don't intend on doing any fetal monitoring. I intend on tuning in and being really focused on my body, what it needs, and pushing the baby out once I feel the urge to push. I don't really intend on even checking the cervix or anything . . . maybe I'll have dp check if it's "grapefruit" sized, but I just think that if I'm sitting there timing ctx and checking myself and fetal monitoring, then I'm going to be a nervous wreck and should just go over to the hossy. Maybe choosing not to monitor the heartbeat could be considered irresponsible, but w/ dd (hospital birth), I got there pushing and had the monitor on for maybe a minute and I hated it---having it or not having it didn't make any difference in the birth. I know all births are different, but I don't think I could even go into this with the intent to UC if I really felt like horrible sh.t was going to happen anyways---I think if I felt that way I'd have no choice but to surrender myself to the hospital.


I just want to thank you all so much for sharing on this thread. I know it's not all about cord, a lot of this discussion is about fear, how people over-exaggerate, and how "necessary" or unnecessary is the medical approach to birth. So thanks a lot for sounding it out with me.

I would have no issue whatsoever with freebirthing in your situation- across from the hospital that is. I woudn't anyway, but I wouldn't even feel the urge to defend myself against naysayers if the hospital was that close.

Fwiw, I freebirthed ds4 in a remote town, 4 hrs away from the nearest hospital but with medevac available and once arranged, it would take 30 minutes to arrive at that hospital. My dh used to work for the dr there and he said nobody ever left town in less than an hour and usually two hrs even with severe injuries because of the difficulties that are so common with flying there and arranging the medics and pilots.

Still, I accepted that what would be would be, and that staying in a motel for weeks from term to go to a terrible and ill-equiped hospital for the birth was not a reasonable option for us.

Presently, we are 30 minutes from a hospital and we wouldn't wait for medics because they'd be coming from the same direction as the hospital, so 30 minutes here and 30 minutes back.

I have not yet done any monitoring during labour or internal checks. My last labour was precipitous- 3 minutes- so it was never an issue and the one before was four weeks long, so same deal from my perspective. Babies came when babies and mama were ready.

I would change evrything I do if I thought it necessary though, without hesitation. I do trust my intutition and have furnished myself with ample knowledge and understanding about how this all works, although I don't think that's essential to a happy outcome; it is what I personally need to be present for my pgs and births and as a mother in general.

[Jlcampbellkidz]

I have had the privalege of attending about 80-90 births in the last few years and I would say out of those only about 12-15 DIDNT have a cord around some part of the baby. it is so extremely common. Midwives are trained on what to do and what to look for, for short cord, wrapped cord etc...

Yes complications can occur and know what to do/ information is key. This information would not and does not stop me from planning my UC.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by cathicog

JayJay, great info- I didn't know about the connection between smoking and Wharton's jelly and my mom was a HEAVY smoker...thanks!

You're totally welcome - my OB actually told me that in great detail. He's been in the business for 30 years and is very honest and very good. He actually told me this after another lady lost her baby from a cord accident (neck) in the same hospital, and she was a friend of mine who smoked. Now, who's to say exactly WHY it happened, but having lost a baby already, he wanted to reassure me I had a very very low risk. He's always full of useful information!

[Pariah]

My son had his cord wrapped around his neck twice, as did my sister. Both were born without complications. People love to tell horror stories, especially if you're doing something "unusual" like homebirth.

[Landover]

I have not read all of the replies. My cousin was born with the cord wrapped twice around his neck. He was a midwife attended homebirth with a great midwife who generally handles amish and mennonite births. The cord was compressed.

It isn't always an issue of stillbirth or whether or not the baby pinks up. He did pink up fairly quickly. The midwife did not monitor hearttones often. However, he did have significant anoxia and as a result has cerebral palsy. It obviously isn't a matter of baby breathing, but instead, a matter of the amount of O2 in arterial blood and other tissues.

I have also worked with one child who had severe anoxia at birth, pinked up well, and now has a mild intellectual disability. The parents didn't notice many developmental issues until school. Could the kiddo have had these issues otherwise... yep. Is it most likely due to the anoxia.... yep. Anoxia at birth is real, and it can cause many different issues aside from stillbirth.

My DD was an unintentional UC born with the cord around her neck. However, the cord was not compressed, she came out fast, and she never experienced any loss of O2.