I need advice from the dead baby blogosphere.
I found out this morning that Beanie has his cord around his neck. I asked the specialist repeatedly until he told me. Other than that Beanie is fine at the moment and estimated weight is 2.5kgs, which is still on the large side.
With my OB we have planned a steroid shot for lung maturation for next week (34 weeks) and we have mostly talked about a vag.inal, induced delivery at 37 weeks, which is no longer considered premature.
But having found out about his cord, I've gone from having the beginnings of a mildly positive feeling to feeling like Beanie and I are walking around together with a bomb that could go off at any moment.
My question to those who have lost a late term baby: would you go for C-section in this situation? It's not considered to be an indication here for an automatic C-section, although in some countries it is. The specialist said about 40% of babies are born with nuchal cords. And would you push for delivery at 36 instead of 37 weeks with an increased risk of problems related to slight prematurity?
V had his cord around his neck, but it was loose and not tight. No-one really thought that that was what caused his death but then no other reason was advanced either. A check-up 3 days before he died with ultrasound and heart-rate monitoring showed he was absolutely fine.
Help.
6 years ago
17 comments:
I don't have any experience with this that could help. Sorry. I would say do what your gut feeling/maternal instinct tells you to, whether its the popular choice or not. Anything for a live baby.
Ugh. I don't really know to tell you the truth. I have heard people say that the cord can move just like baby and maybe by next week it will have moved away from his neck. I am not sure if that's true or not.
I would vote for getting him out as soon as possible. Both for his safety and for your sanity. What about 35 weeks??
If it were me I would be telling them they had to get him out now. I would rather have a premmie then take a chance. But that is just me and I know they would not let you have him at this point but I will still be putting up a big fuss. And I would ask for a c-section again just my choice.
I know with G he was destating pretty bad right at the end of my labor and told me the cord was most likely wraped around him. The first thing I yell to everybody in the room was take me for a section now. I want him out alive not dead. Needless to say I was looked at pretty strang and luckly two seconds later they told me to push and I got him out rather quickly.
hmmm... that is a hard one... I know that nuchal cords are very common, but at this point it may be important for your own mental health to seriously talk to your doctor about alternatives to the 37 week inducement. And i don't think your mental health is something that should be treated lightly... at this point you just want both of you to get through the next few weeks as well as possible.
I agree with ajw5403...I would ask to get him out right now. This is just my opinion.
I wish I had advice I don't. I think I know what my gut reaction would be, but I'm not sure it's based in logic.
I think Kathy mcc does have point about waiting out for a bit longer as hard as it is. Could you have increased monitoring for reassurance? Daily even?
I think you do have to do what is best for you though. It's no good us telling you to do things or to wait it out if it's driving you insane.
I just had this conversation with my Ob on Tues about what they do if they do a scan and bub has the cord around its neck.
He said they do nothing. He said it means nothing. He said bubs are born all the time with the cord around the neck, sometimes two or three times.
That scared the shit out of me.
Now this is just my personal opinion and many will disagree with me BUT I demanded to have this bub out at 36 weeks. I am not willing to go any further than that. My Ob is perfectly fine with that and he said that most women he sees who have had a baby die ask for bub to be out at 36 weeks. Bub might have a little fluid but steroids will help. I have looked into women having their bubs at 36 weeks and from what I can tell most have their bubs with them with no problems, some go to special care for a day or so. The problems these bubs have had have been with feeding and temp control.
ALSO after what happened with Zak I would never go for a natural birth. I was all set for one with Zak but he was breach so it didnt happen. Now my opinion is 'just get bub out as fast as you can'! There a few more risks with a c section but they are to you, not bub. A c section is safer for bub. Some say the recovery time is longer, I was up walking around the hospital the day after I had Zak.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Hugs
xxx
www.lifecanbeashit.wordpress.com
Wow- that's a dilemma. My gut is to get the baby out as fast as possible. My daughter Hannah died from nucchal cord at 36 weeks and 4 days. It was wrapped around the neck twice very tightly and cinched. I have had endless conversations with my ob/gyn and he has said that the cord being wrapped around the neck is very common and happens in 40% of babies born. Therefore, it's not even something they look for in u/s because it doesn't usually cause problems. I had the dumb luck of it being a problem.
My high risk ob has told me that in future pregnancies they will take a baby out at 36 weeks, assuming the lungs test mature. They will do this for my mental health, not the baby's. There are still risks around the baby being a preemie and you having a c-section, which you need to consider. Good luck making this decision, as it is one that only you can make. Sorry, if I scared you- my doctor likes to tell me that what happened to me was a fluke- like getting struck by lightening.
Our first son died at two weeks of age due to prematurity. With our second, we found out that he had a nuchal cord around 30 weeks. My OB was very understanding of my anxiety and gave me as many ultrasounds as I wanted. They were able to assess how many times it was wrapped around the neck (1.5) and also performed biophysical profiles via ultrasound and non-stress tests in the OB's office. We considered a c-section at 36 weeks and even went so far as to have the steroid shots to mature his lungs, but then decided to wait a little longer. I went into labor on my own at 37 weeks, 3 days and delivered him vaginally. Labor was monitored and his heartrate was closely watched. APGARs were 6 and 7, and everything was fine. You do what will give you the smallest opportunity for regret, whether it's a good or bad outcome. Good luck.
I lost my first daughter at 38 weeks. Not to a cord accident, but blood clots. Still, I guess I'm like a lot of paranoid mothers of dead babies. I'd want him out now by c-section. If not now, then 35 weeks by c-section. With lots of ultrasounds and nonstress tests in between.
I have a son who was born at 34w+5days and he spent 11 days in the special nursery which was really tough on me (a new mom) but I think for you, asking for a living baby at 35 or 36 weeks isn't unreasonable. Especially with a steroid shot.
Good Luck with your decision.
OMG! What a dilemma! I cannot speak from experience in this regard but I agree with the other commenters in that I would not want to wait too long, max 36 weeks. And I would have a C section for sure. And definitely increased monitoring, daily scans if necessary, until then.
I don't know. I don't think a nuchal cord is an indicator for an automatic c-section, because it is so common. It may actually unwrap itself, too. Can they do blood flow doppler on the cord to try to determine if it is loose or tight? I think that would make the difference in that decision.
As tempting as it is to say 'take him out now', there are alot of things that can go wrong in NICU too -- for example MRSA was in the news recently.
What i would do is contact Dr. Collins at the Pregnancy Institute & ask his opinion. I will see if i can dig up his email for you. He also has monitoring protocols -- what signs to look for on the NST, things like that.
I am sending you a huge email. My personal opinion is induction at 36 wks. We were in the same situation with BB. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Also, Kate's advice is v. good.
I haven't got any advice, but I just wanted to offer support. You and Beanie have all my wishes for the best possible outcome here.
Personally, I would go for 36 to 37 weeks, with LOTS of watching between now and then. I know doctors say so many babies are born with cords around necks and it can undo, etc. etc. but, those same doctors can't tell us why so many stillbirths occur.
That is just me though. I like what another poster said about doing what will give you the least amount of regrets.
Thinking of you and bubs...
Instinctively I'm with the get him out asap crowd!
actually, I'm begging you to beg them to get him out as soon as possible, 36 weeks is not that premature, in my opinion. Get a second opinion Rosepetal, at another clinic with a another OB if you have to, please!
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