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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Can i refuse - risk of cord prolapse

116 replies

hbbyno2 · 22/02/2023 12:50

Second baby, gestational hypertension being controlled with meds, also small baby. Was having a planned csec due to previous birth anyway but they have no space to book me in and baby is transverse so they are admitting me Sunday with a plan to fit me in in between emergencies in the consultants words @when they can fit me in some day next week whilst I am already in hospital

I have a child at home already I live 10 mins from hospital I dont want to just be admitted potentially for a whole week before my baby even comes. I also work for myself so wasn't going to go on many leave until baby is here and now losing a weeks pay before I even start when I am having very short mat leave already

Name change as very specific situation lol

OP posts:
Dyra · 22/02/2023 20:47

Not much more I can add other than 100% I would be in hospital with a transverse baby, even if I lived immediately opposite. I work in theatres, and seen my fair share of cord prolapses. Not something I would want to risk happening outside a hospital.

I was admitted for two weeks prior to having DC2 owing to pre-eclampsia. I felt fine, if anything a bit of a fraud given how fine I felt, and missed DC1 terribly. But it was the safest place for DC2 and me to be given how quickly things can change, and how rapidly things need to happen to save us.

Being onsite also really helps with slotting you in around emergencies, and getting you nil by mouth ASAP when there looks like there's going to be a good gap. All the pre-op stuff can happen on the ward hours ahead of time as well, so the second there's space they can get you down without delay.

You get warned about cord prolapse when you have an ARM (as it increases risk)

I wonder if that's more of a case by case basis depending on how engaged baby is. Both mine were free floating prior to (managed) ARM, and I was warned about cord prolapse/cord presentation both times. If baby is already engaged, there's less chance cord would be in the way. It wouldn't be a spinal or epidural in the event of a prolapse either. It would be straight to GA.

pinkpigletjoe · 22/02/2023 21:00

Surely your partner can look after your child? It's an emergency situation.

OrlandointheWilderness · 22/02/2023 21:07

These are trained professionals who deal with this situation day in day out. Their recommendations are not for the good of their health, it is to prevent you or your child dying. By not following their advice you are increasing the risk of this happening. I cannot believe for the sake of an inconvenient week you are questioning this.

SheilaFentiman · 22/02/2023 21:11

“I cannot believe for the sake of an inconvenient week you are questioning this.”

that’s unfair to OP, I do not think it was made clear to her how serious the risk was, and her later posts show her much increased concern.

EarringsandLipstick · 22/02/2023 21:15

When I was pregnant- my child was footling breach position and I was told if my waters break I need to get into hospital in few mins for emergency section.

I need to correct this. This is nothing like the OP's situation, and barring any other issues, I can't believe you were given this advice?

It is now standard to deliver breech babies via section but there is absolutely no need to rush if your waters break. Certainly not 'a few minutes'.

Ideally they'd prefer to do an elective rather than an emergency section, obviously.

TheShellBeach · 22/02/2023 21:35

hbbyno2 · 22/02/2023 19:30

Weird I had ARM with first and don't remember being warned! Not feeling very confident

Show quote history

With an ill fitting presenting part (high up, not engaged) it can be problematic.
The usual breaking of the waters during established labour isn't the same thing.

PremiumB · 22/02/2023 21:37

pinkpigletjoe · 22/02/2023 21:00

Surely your partner can look after your child? It's an emergency situation.

Not everyone has a partner. From OP’s concern i would more likely assume she’s on her own but hope she does have that support

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 22/02/2023 21:53

Isthisexpected · 22/02/2023 17:31

What statistical risk would make it ok to go against the advice and stay at home when the outcome could mean the death of your baby?
It's only a week when all said and done.

^ We all look at risk differently. People on here regularly post they moved their newborns into their own bedrooms at under 6m because they want to sleep, despite all the SIDS evidence with significant risk.

The increased risk of SIDS from putting a baby in their own room is small and quite complicated. Although sleeping in their own room definitely is a SIDS risk factor, sleeping in the parents' room leads to more risk of unplanned (so not properly set up) co-sleeping in the parental bed, which itself increases SIDS.

By contrast, the stats on cord prolapse are stark and simple. The risk of the baby dying is 10 times higher if the cord prolapse occurs at home, compared to hospital.

Original poster
hbbyno2 · 22/02/2023 22:16

iwasthewalrus · 22/02/2023 19:42

@hbbyno2 I was in a similar situation with a transverse baby and a hospital who didn’t really explain it all to me. I had to turn to mumsnet to figure out what was going on.

Lots of knowledgeable posters have explained it well but essentially from 37 weeks the chance of your waters breaking increases as you are ‘full term’. Because your baby is not head down, if your waters break the cord can literally fall out. The cord falling out cuts off the baby’s oxygen supply. 5 minutes later the baby will have suffered major permanent brain damage. And 5 minutes after that, it’ll be dead.

This doesn’t mean that your baby is at risk by not being born. And the longer he or she stays inside the better as they’ll be growing and developing and with less chance of needing special care. So they won’t want to give you a c-section now. But they do want to make sure that if your waters break before then that you are close to an operating theatre. And by close they mean, next door. Not into the car and a 10 minute drive. That’s 10 minutes too long.

It’s really shit. Everyone I met with transverse lie felt the same. You’re wanting to enjoy the last few weeks before baby arrives and then you are told you can’t leave the hospital. But you have to trust that they know what they are doing and they wouldn’t admit you without good cause.

So spend this week nesting and relaxing, go to hospital on Sunday with things to read and do. It’ll feel like a long time but soon you’ll have your baby in your arms and, as you’ll have read from some of the other very sad posts, that makes you (and me) very lucky indeed.

I don't think I have explained my situation well

They want me to have a csection at 37 weeks regardless due to small baby and high bp, but said they have no slots so because of transverse I have to be admitted at 37 weeks rather than waiting at home. Does that make sense?

OP posts:
Original poster
hbbyno2 · 22/02/2023 22:17

Dyra · 22/02/2023 20:47

Not much more I can add other than 100% I would be in hospital with a transverse baby, even if I lived immediately opposite. I work in theatres, and seen my fair share of cord prolapses. Not something I would want to risk happening outside a hospital.

I was admitted for two weeks prior to having DC2 owing to pre-eclampsia. I felt fine, if anything a bit of a fraud given how fine I felt, and missed DC1 terribly. But it was the safest place for DC2 and me to be given how quickly things can change, and how rapidly things need to happen to save us.

Being onsite also really helps with slotting you in around emergencies, and getting you nil by mouth ASAP when there looks like there's going to be a good gap. All the pre-op stuff can happen on the ward hours ahead of time as well, so the second there's space they can get you down without delay.

You get warned about cord prolapse when you have an ARM (as it increases risk)

I wonder if that's more of a case by case basis depending on how engaged baby is. Both mine were free floating prior to (managed) ARM, and I was warned about cord prolapse/cord presentation both times. If baby is already engaged, there's less chance cord would be in the way. It wouldn't be a spinal or epidural in the event of a prolapse either. It would be straight to GA.

Thank you. I wasnt warned about it when had arm with first but he was head down engaged

OP posts:
Original poster
hbbyno2 · 22/02/2023 22:19

OrlandointheWilderness · 22/02/2023 21:07

These are trained professionals who deal with this situation day in day out. Their recommendations are not for the good of their health, it is to prevent you or your child dying. By not following their advice you are increasing the risk of this happening. I cannot believe for the sake of an inconvenient week you are questioning this.

The risks weren't explained to me at all

OP posts:
TheShellBeach · 22/02/2023 22:21

hbbyno2 · 22/02/2023 22:19

The risks weren't explained to me at all

Show quote history

OP did they just mention cord prolapse and not explain how perilous this is for the baby? Or did they assume you knew this?
Whichever it was, it doesn't sound like they explained it properly to you.

uncomfortablydumb53 · 22/02/2023 22:28

Do not risk a cord prolapse. I had one Crash section and my DS almost died
They got him out in 6 minutes Luckily he was resuscitated

Original poster
hbbyno2 · 22/02/2023 22:31

@TheShellBeach

Yeah he just said there's a small risk of cord prolapse so they admit at 37 weeks but that they can't book me in for section now as he has no slots available so will just try and fit me in in-between emergencies that week. Said could be monday could be Friday or later they dont know

OP posts:
Original poster
hbbyno2 · 22/02/2023 22:31

uncomfortablydumb53 · 22/02/2023 22:28

Do not risk a cord prolapse. I had one Crash section and my DS almost died
They got him out in 6 minutes Luckily he was resuscitated

I'm calling in the morning to ask to be sorted asap. I'm 36+4 tomorrow

OP posts:
uncomfortablydumb53 · 22/02/2023 22:36

Great news
At least you'll have the option of an epidural
I had a GA
Good luck with your birth

Original poster
hbbyno2 · 22/02/2023 22:36

uncomfortablydumb53 · 22/02/2023 22:36

Great news
At least you'll have the option of an epidural
I had a GA
Good luck with your birth

Thank you 💜

OP posts:
MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 22/02/2023 22:39

OrlandointheWilderness · 22/02/2023 21:07

These are trained professionals who deal with this situation day in day out. Their recommendations are not for the good of their health, it is to prevent you or your child dying. By not following their advice you are increasing the risk of this happening. I cannot believe for the sake of an inconvenient week you are questioning this.

Risk is often very poorly explained - and I say this as an HCP. I'm not an obstetrician, but I imagine it's particularly hard in obstetrics - you don't want to scare the crap out of women, when most of them are going to have safe deliveries (even most high risk pregnancies actually turn out fine). But you need to make sure that they understand enough to make an informed decision. It's not always easy to get that balance right, even when you are trying hard. And not all HCPs try that hard.

Original poster
hbbyno2 · 22/02/2023 22:47

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow

This has been my experience with almost everything I have been diagnosed with in this pregnancy I have mostly relied on google.

I should have known better and asked more questions but I was just trying to process what I was being told and he was talking so fast and clearly was just trying to get to his next appt. It's because they are so busy I imagine

OP posts:
TheShellBeach · 23/02/2023 16:53

Good luck, OP. If you remember, let us all know how you got on once the baby is born.

Newnamedaily · 23/02/2023 22:03

@EarringsandLipstick yes my situation was different to OP however my baby was as well transverse prior to turning footling breach which is very dangerous situation.
Yes I was given the advice by a midwife upon leaving hospital.
I was told the cord would fell through my cervix if my waters broke.

Can i refuse - risk of cord prolapse
Original poster
hbbyno2 · 24/02/2023 10:40

Update

Spoke to them again I am cat-3 C-section so actually higher priority than a planned section which would be cat-4.

So they will admit me Sunday still but will fit me in whenever they don't have a cat 1 or cat 2.

The risk of cord prolapse happening is low less than 1% because it's unlikely women with transverse lie even go into labour as no pressure from head on cervix but although the risk if it happening is very low if it did happen the risks/outcomes are very dire.

So for now I am happy to wait to be admitted on Sunday at 37 weeks and just hope I get my C-section quickly.

My baby isn't actually small in the general pop for his gestation he is just small on my chart he should be around 6lbs or slightly more based on all my scans

OP posts:
EarringsandLipstick · 24/02/2023 10:48

Newnamedaily · 23/02/2023 22:03

@EarringsandLipstick yes my situation was different to OP however my baby was as well transverse prior to turning footling breach which is very dangerous situation.
Yes I was given the advice by a midwife upon leaving hospital.
I was told the cord would fell through my cervix if my waters broke.

That still doesn't sound quite right (have had breech babies too) but of course if you had an unstable lie then that is an additional cause for concern.

The cord prolapse sounds incorrectly explained too

specialk9 · 24/02/2023 10:52

I'm glad you're going in!
Hopefully you won't be waiting too long.

Third DC was transverse and I went in to premature labour at 35w. My second DC was breech/oblique and my waters broke at 38w. My DC1 was head down and I lasted all the way to my planned CS @ 39w! You just can't predict these things. Better to be safe than sorry

EarringsandLipstick · 24/02/2023 10:52

OP, it's great you've got an update & that all has been explained much better. That sounds like a good plan & it sounds like you are being well cared for!

Just on this point (more broadly, not in your situation)

because it's unlikely women with transverse lie even go into labour as no pressure from head on cervix

I think you'll have misunderstood this part. We don't know exactly what causes labour - it's not necessarily related to the head pressing on cervix at all. Women with transverse lie of course go into labour - but this is aimed to be avoided, as of course they can't deliver naturally (we had a family situation a long time ago where this sadly did happen)

In your case you're now awaiting section so it's all good! Good luck!