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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Contraction ring/ bandals ring

5 replies

flb53 · 16/01/2021 16:56

I'm just wondering if anyone can give me any information from previous experiences please.

I very recently suffered a traumatic labour which resulted in the loss of my beautiful baby boy💔 He was my first child + complications arose due to prolonged labour/ failure to progress.
I was sent for a c section (although not an emergency) but when they opened me up, my baby was stuck + they we're unable to deliver him quickly enough.
I have been told by the consultant it was due to a very rare thing called a contraction ring or bandals band which caused my uterus to contract too tightly around him. I had a 'T' incision during the ceserean.

We are absolutely devestated, it's still very raw + although I know its far too early to even consider another pregnancy, its driving me crazy constantly wondering what this would mean for the future.
I've been told in any future pregnancy they would not want me to labour + I would need a planned c section as a precaution.
From what we have been told it's very rare + I was wondering if anyone has had any experience of a contraction ring they could share? did this occur again in any subsequent pregnancies?
I'm just trying to make sense of it all in my head + also try to make sense of what options are left open to me in the future. Thankyou

OP posts:
metalmutha · 16/01/2021 17:43

OP i am so sorry for the loss of your beautiful baby. I've no experience of this but didn't want to read and run. Hoping that someone will be along soon who can offer guidance and support soon.
Take care of yourself.

TenThousandSpoons0 · 17/01/2021 06:01

I’m so sorry for your loss.
Feel free to share more about your wee boy if you want to talk about him - sometimes that can be helpful to just have a place to talk. I hope you have good support from your family? And that you’re aware of things like Sands for extra support as well?
Do you have a follow up scheduled with the consultant, to talk it all through again? You may find while things are so raw that you just go round in circles in your head constantly - I think that’s pretty normal to be finding it hard to process things.

Essentially, the contraction ring is vanishingly unlikely (if not impossible) to happen again. It’s generally always associated with prolonged/obstructed labour, and develops during labour. I’m not aware of it ever having been reported at elective (non labouring) CS. It won’t be allowed to happen next time - you’ll be offered a planned CS because of your loss this time, and also because it’s recommended not to VBAC on a T incision. You may well find your CS is offered at around 38 weeks instead of the standard 39 elective CS timing - perhaps even earlier if you laboured early this time - it should all be well discussed and planned with you.
There’s no reason why you can’t have a different outcome next time.
Wishing you all the best.

flb53 · 17/01/2021 18:42

Thankyou both for the reply ❤
I've been in touch with Sand but don't have a follow up with the consultant. I'm sure she wouldn't mind me making one though.

@TenThousandSpoons0 I was actually in early labour, 3cm dilated with pains for a full 3 weeks.
I first went in to the hospital at 34 weeks but was told the closer I could get to 37 weeks the better for my little boy + that they didn't want to deliver a pre term baby unnecessarily.
I've been told they would have had no way of knowing about the constriction ring and with it been so rare we're not expecting it.
I had my waters broken and was induced at 36w + 3d, ended up with a c section due to failure to progress + when I went for surgery thats when the nightmare started.

I'm not sure if this would mean I'd be likely to have a pre term baby in future? But aparantly any signs of labour I would be sent straight away for a c section so maybe condemning myself to a preterm baby in the future.
I was also told ideally a year but a minimum of 6 months before ttc again to let my scar heal.
Would 6 months be ok?

If I was to go through it all again I'd want to do everything possible to avoid complications but I'm 35 this year + dont want to wait too long.

I keep been told its far too early to be considering all this + I know it is, but people don't understand i just want my baby so badly, I feel like my life is empty. It's the only thing that gives me comfort having some sort of plan for a future eventually.

OP posts:
Heybeendyingtomeetyou · 17/01/2021 19:47

I’m so sorry for your loss Flowers
If you need support there are midwives trained in bereavement and other parents who have suffered loss if you need to talk to people who understand
www.tommys.org/baby-loss-support

I have never heard of this but there are other threads, this is a little old but may be some useful information and you may be able to pm some posters to discuss

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childbirth/884829-Bandl-39-s-Ring-and-emergency-section-first-time-any

If you google the other mums site (swap mums net around) there is also a thread on there but I don’t think I can link without my post being deleted. Take the time you need to grieve, it’s fine to plan for the future if it helps, talk about your beautiful boy to your loved ones, and you and DH look after each other. I’m so sorry this has happened Flowers

TenThousandSpoons0 · 17/01/2021 20:02

Yes - I don’t think the consultant will mind at all, she should hopefully be happy to see you back. I imagine she and her team are also absolutely devastated as well (although obviously not the same as what you are going through) - Such a rare and unpredictable complication and even more so at 36 weeks as it’s not expected to have such difficulty. I’m sure she’d be very happy to help you in whatever way possible. Generally speaking all hospitals should have a review process where cases with bad outcomes are formally reviewed, including discussion between the doctors involved as well as others, as to whether anything could have been done differently, and also as a group what they would recommend for your care next time. That review process is usually a couple of months down the track and that should also be discussed with you. That would include results of things like placental examination or post Mortem, infection screening, etc etc.

From your description it would be impossible to tell when that ring formed - whether it was to do with the weeks of pre-labour or only occurred during the induction process. Having pains like that for a while before establishing labour is not uncommon at all, and wouldn’t usually be a strong sign that anything would go wrong in labour - it sounds like you were treated in a standard kind of way in terms of aiming to get baby a few more weeks of growth. I’m not sure anyone would be able to tell you the chances of that happening again. Your choice of words “condemning yourself” to a preterm baby in future makes me wonder whether you’re blaming yourself at this stage for your boy? It may take time and lots of talking and information but hopefully you’ll come to a stage where you’re at peace that you couldn’t have controlled this outcome and it’s not your fault.

Re next time and possible preterm - outcomes are exceptionally good past 34 weeks so even if you did need to have your baby at that time, all would be ok. Mortality risks aren’t really increased at that age - you would be looking at NICU admission, Some help with breathing, feeding, maybe jaundice. possibly a few points difference on an IQ scale long term, very slightly higher chance of behavioural difficulties vs a 39 weeker.

Nothing is ever guaranteed with pregnancy, that’s the hard thing - in some ways I feel each time we are rolling the dice and just trusting that everything will be ok. And there’s no way around that completely - but certainly extra care and things that can be done to tip the odds more in your favour.

I don’t think it’s too early to consider all this - people telling you it’s too early doesn’t make you stop thinking about it. I think knowledge is power - and just taking in the bits that you can at each stage, putting other bits to the back of your mind for now - everyone heals differently but it’s normal to be thinking of the future at the same time as grieving for your baby. Some women want another baby straight away and others can’t think of that for some time - all valid and normal reactions.

I think the main factor for waiting is your T incision. There is a very small risk of that scar breaking open before labour starts, and it’s thought that that risk is increased by a short inter pregnancy interval. So I would strongly suggest taking your doctor’s advice on this one (and discuss again if need be) but do try to wait a year. I understand that age is a factor for you but you do still have time. People sometimes do find it helpful to have a time frame or goal in mind (eg waiting a year) and to spend that time working through the grief process, and getting yourself into a good frame of mind. Pregnancy after loss can be ultimately very healing, but very very stressful and overwhelming too.

I feel like I’ve gone on and on - but hopefully some of this is helpful. I’m sure you can tell I work in this area - but please don’t let my advice substitute for a good talk with doctors who know all the details, and obviously counselling services and support - I’m just trying to help a bit where I can.

I hope you are able to see some family and friends at this time as well - Covid is probably adding to the awfulness of this time too.

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