Speaking of umbilical cords--can anyone talk with me about knotted cords? - Page 2

[Boobiemama]

Regarding nuchal cord, why does it matter that the cord is around the neck and how many times? I saw it in my record nuchalX3, and i always wondered why they made a note of it, as I thought it was perfectly normal to have the cord around the neck at delivery and no big deal as long as it wasnt pulled tight enough to do any harm.

And my last baby was very hiccupy in utero. I didnt think it meant anything other than they were getting their lungs ready for birth.

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

I saw that ER show, and that was after Luke's birth. It did upset me - I'm still pretty sensitive about it all.

I don't remember much hiccuping from him.

Angie, it is normal, but it can be a big deal. The more loops, the less cord there is for baby to actually get out of there, and the tighter and tighter it gets. More chances for blood supply to get cut off, right?

[pamamidwife]

I find it interesting that we associate cords around the neck with babies the way we associate cords around adult's necks. Babies do not breathe, therefore anything around their neck does not "choke" them. There is wharton's jelly protecting vessels and it's so RARE to have any issue relating to the cord. Cords also STRETCH quite a bit - and they're made perfectly to deal with compression or pinching or wraps.

I think the sad thing is that so many doctors have created this "fear" around cord issues to explain why a cesarean was necessary. It's like our fear of big babies. Both the big baby fear and the cord fear result in women running like mad for more interventions or not trusting that their bodies and their babies really do know how to work.

Just one more way to keep us from really listening to ourselves and our babies. One more way to keep us reliant on the system that is doing us more harm than good.

[Synchro246]

VERY good point! When I want my garden hose to run without a kink what do I do? I coil it up. . . Not that cords can kink. I bet cords that are around babies necks are less likely to prolapse- less slack YKWIM?

[tinyshoes]

Excellent point, Pam, that babies are not breathing air and using their tracheas the way born people are...the nuchal cord scare is quite silly, when thought about in this way. With this kind of logic, fetuses shouldn't be growing in water for 9 months!!!!!!!!!

Synchro246, your garden hose reference reminds me of the fact that umbilical cords are like garden hoses under huge pressure with all that bloodflow; that's why cords can be knotted and the bloodflow is not compromised.

My cousin birthed an 11 lb 13 oz baby with a true knotted cord last year.

I also had a super-hiccuper when pg w/ my first and there was no unusual cord stuff (that we know of, RIGHT? Cord could've been doing who knows what but we only saw that cord on the birth day, right?)

Interesting discussion.