still deciding on a home birth

[lnitti]

We have almost decided on doing a homebirth.

But what happens if the babies cord is short and wrapped around the neck or something else similar (this happened to a woman on another message board, and she needed an emergency C-section). My dh actually had already asked me about if the cord is wrapped.

What happens, would the midwife be able to handle this kinda thing? the other woman needed an emergency c-section, something a midwife would need to transfer for.

[kerikadi]

The cord around the baby's neck happens in approximately 25% of births and unless there are other issues is no reason for a cesarean. The midwife simply checks for a cord and unloops the cord manually. My midwife has seen cords looped around the baby's neck as many as 4 times, you just unloop the cord each time until it is free.
This is a good question to ask when interviewing midwives though so she can explain it herself.

Keri

[lnitti]

even if it is short too?

[kerikadi]

Having a cord that is too short is not an issue at all. Now, if the cord is very short and looped around the baby sometimes it isn't as easy to 'unravel' the baby but still, not cause for concern.

Keri

[pamamidwife]

I think it's good to interview some midwives and talk to them about your concerns. They are able to address them all specifically.

We live in a culture that is filled with myths about births - and women are told outrageous things by providers all the time so it makes it hard to really trust that birth does occur normally without a ton of medical intervention.

[kerikadi]

Originally Posted by pamamidwife

I think it's good to interview some midwives and talk to them about your concerns. They are able to address them all specifically.

We live in a culture that is filled with myths about births - and women are told outrageous things by providers all the time so it makes it hard to really trust that birth does occur normally without a ton of medical intervention.

:

After having two hospital births with an OB I realized most of the things we have been told for years are 'emergency' simply are not. Interviewing several midwives and bringing any concerns to the midwife we chose helped with any of the societal placed fears.

Keri

[ahdoula]

It can be a hard decision but start by looking at the stats that homebirth is safer. Then consider this: Would you rather plan a homebirth and have a good chance of birth at home with a small chance of going to the hospital (with plenty of time to fix whatever was the reason to transfer, no midwife would riak otherwise) or would you rather start and finish in the hospital without even giving it a go? It is better to have failed trying then to have not tried at all, so to speak. And really, the rate of transfers are so low. Your midwife can tell you her transfer rate. I can tell you it's much lower then an OB's rate of hospital births!

[habibekindheart]

#6 had a short nuchal cord and was a vaginal delivery in the hospital. They had to cut his cord before his head was even born. I pushed him out, and he was fine. Short and/or nuchal cord doesn't always mean a c-sec, and midwives are trained to handle nuchal cords.

[Full Heart]

I've noticed that when there is a really short cord or a cord wrapped around a body part the labors are longer and gentler to give the baby time to descend without distressing the baby. Sometimes it starts and stalls. And because of the rate of pit use in hospitals making stronger contractions and shorter labors puts those babies in distress.

Once the head is out you check for a cord. If you can unloop it you do. If you can't unloop it you could clamp and cut it but that puts a clock on how long till the body is birthed since the oxygen supply has been cut. Usually not necessary.

My last birth the head came out with the cord right across the top of the head, and then was wrapped once around the neck. We just unlooped it.

[habibekindheart]

I've also read about children who were basically wrapped in the cord, but if the mother was allowed to push instinctively, the baby unwrapped itself on the way out without anyone having to move the cord or help position the baby.