True Knots

[hipmamawnc]

I just had a wonderful birth, May 15, with my third,a big, healthy boy. He, just like his big brother, had a true knot in his umbilical cord. I am told this is quite rare and wonder about others who have experienced this. Also looking for any spiritual meaning, or is it just an oddity?


Robyn, wife to Eric,mama to Raven Isabella 6 1/2, Dakota Bear 4, and Zebulon Fox 17 days

[georgia]

Congratulations! I think I've read that the number of true knots corresponds to the number of future children a mama will have (?). There are probably many other ideas out there. I know they're rare---what a wonderful bit of birth lore to pass down

[SaraC]

My SIL had a true knot in her DD's cord. It was her third child(and homebirth) and she had a very easy labor. She has told me that she just felt hard cramps but not contractions all through her labor. Then while playing cards she got up to use the bathroom and had Sally in the bathroom. She was born with out any pushes. I saw the very end of the delivery on tape ( her sister was very into taping everything) and she just kind of fell out into my MIL's hands. The cord was in a tight knot about halfway between the baby and the placenta. My SIL truly belives her easy labor was key to Sally being born healthy even though she had a true knot.

[Kabes]

Someone who is due in Sept. had this with a previous birth. I forget who. Check out the Sept 2004- Placentas thread.

[CarrieMF]

I had a true knot with my last dd(3rd birth too). She just about died during labour. Decelerations started at 36weeks. My water broke at 40weeks before going into real labour, decelerations into the 80's-90's with each contraction. By 8am(12hours after my water broke) I progressed from 1cm to 2. At 1pm I was 3/4cm. Due to not progressing, water being broke for 17hours and the decelerations they hooked me up to syntocinon(augmented not induced). The first couple of contractions her heartrate went to 50. they called the surgeon in to consult for a c-section. When I laid on my left side her heartrate would "only" go around 60-70 so he said to watch it but let me labour. The syntocinon kicked it at 3pm. At 3:50 I felt like I was in transition, I was soooo out of control. I couldn't relax or anything. I was still 3-4cm and 60% effaced. They ordered demerol(dh approved it, I was in no shape to refuse it), turned off the syntocinon and called in a surgeon for a c-section. When they went to get the demerol her heartrate went down to 13. The surgeon got there at 4:30, I was still 3-4cm and he could push her head out of my pelvis. He agreed to the c-section and went to prep the OR. They started to prep me for the c-section, getting me to sign papers, talking to the anesthesiologist. They half shaved me, handed me a drink because I opted to be knocked out. I waved the drink off because I was having a contraction. I breathed the laughing gas in and instead of breathing it out I started pushing. Then she got stuck and my dr had to reach in and pull her out. She was born at 4:48, 18minutes after I was 3-4cm & the dr could push her head out of my pelvis.

They immediatly took her and worked on her for 10minutes, then my dr came back and said she was fine. He also said she was post date at 42weeks instead of 40weeks(which according to blood tests in early pg she was 42weeks). She was a whopping 6lbs 5oz, apgars of 5 at 1min, 9 at 5 minutes.

Her cord was 2.5feet long, if it hadn't been that long she would have been dead. If my dr hadn't been standing outside the room when I started pushing she would have been dead because of when she got stuck. There was a fetal scalp monitor on her and when she got stuck her heartrate went to around 13 again.

The 2 nurses & drs all said "Lucky baby, lucky parents". Even though I breastfed her, changed her diapers and held her constantly she was over 3 weeks old before I could accept she was alive and before her birth was not a continuous movie going through my mind.

[carrots]

CarrieMF-thank you for sharing that story. I had a lump in my throat while reading. My son had shoulder dystocia when he was born. He is almost 5 months old and I still carry around the what -if in my mind.......

Hipmamawnc-- congratulations on your new sweet baby
your children have fantastic names!!!!!!!!!!

[rochellep3]

I had a true knot with ds who was born at home 2 years ago. We (of course) didn't know about it until after he was born. The pushing stage with him was much slower than with dd (born in the hospital with shoulder dystocia 2 years earlier). The labor was also slower than we thought it would be. I think he needed to manoever into just the right positions in order to be born safely. Fortunately he had the time to do so.

I was actually just thinking the other day that under some circumstances his birth could have been considered an emergency-he had a heart murmur after as well. But, in reality, it was an incredibly peaceful occurence, very spirit led, and with a wonderfully healthy baby as the result. Thinking about that was helping me to get my head in the right place for the upcoming birth!

Rochelle
Mommy to Meg 5/00, Peter 6/02, #3 due 8/04

[lorijds]

We've had a run on true knots in the cord...I think four in the last two months. Based on *our* stats I would say there is a true knot in the cord about 2-5% of the time. We've never had any problems due to the knot. All the babies who have had the knot have had a long enough cord and good, strong wharton's jelly, so no problem!

I know of no folk lore associated with a knot in the cord, other than the one that *we* perpetuate, which is that a knot in the cord usually means an active baby, and active baby usually leads to an active child!

[CarrieMF]

Carrots, You should read the full story it's worse.lol

IMO both Nadia and my body knew that her coming out vaginally was not a good idea which is why it took so long. She should have been a planned c-section considering the decels were there for at least 4 weeks.

She is active, but more a silent, sneaky, stealth imp than anything. She has been delayed in all of her milestones except getting her first tooth and walking. Her speech & digestive tract have been behind. She's 26months and 22lbs.

[RaisinGirl]

I am also interested in learning about any folklore relating to true knots at birth. My DS was born with a true knot (almost) 18 months ago, and the nurse that helped during my labor called him a "miracle baby". I didn't quite know what she meant until I did more research online about true knots, and how dangerous they can be in certain circumstances. My son was very healthy but did spit-up ALL the time until he was almost 8 months old. Also, while I was pregnant, he had the hiccups ALL the time. I know it's normal for a baby to hiccup a lot while in utero, but his were off and on all day long, every day, for months. I wonder if this had anything to do with the knot (causing a lack of fluids/circulation/etc)??? Did anyone else experience this?
DS was also EXTREMELY active in the womb and is to this day, so I believe there is truth to that theory.

DH and I are TTC baby #2 starting this month ( ) and I have to admit that I have an enormous fear of this baby developing a true knot and having it be fatal. Isn't there ANY way to test for a knot or a way to see it on an ultrasound?? Sigh. According to my doctor and the research I've done, apparently the answer is 'no'. :

[Loralyn]

My fifth child was born with a true knot in her cord. We were told it was a miracle she lived and were 'forced' to take a picture of it by our enthusiastic nurse . My best friend has a close friend (hehehe) who actually lost her baby because of a true knot. Her first child was stillborn .
Loralyn