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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

True Knot in Umbilical Chord

18 replies

babydays123 · 11/04/2022 23:49

I'm now the new mama to a little boy!

I came in on Friday afternoon and started on Propess for 24 hours with minimal progression (softened cervix and moved from 1cm to 2cm)

6pm on Saturday my waters were broke...left for 2 hours due to it being my third pregnancy but again, body didn't start labouring.

8pm was started on a low level of the drip...within an hour or so I'd been put up to the full dosage. I spent the entire night, until around 8pm tightening and contracting but nothing major.

I was checked over at 4am (still 2cm) and again at 8am (2cm!)

the doctor came round on her rounds and advised a c Section, I was thankful as I was exhausted and worried about the second part being as slow as the first!

C-Section as so calm and quick. I had a baby in my arms by 11.30 and the worst of it for me was the loss of sensation in my legs..it started to freak me out as I seem to have manifested a sensory issue over the last decade with being restricted.

Anyway. Quite blasé the midwife came over to show us the placenta after the birth because it was quite rare. A True Knot was present in the chord (loose) and she said in her 13 years She'd only ever seen 2 others. The chord was Also wrapped around my little Ones neck and she said that if my body had gone into labour there was a high chance it would have ended in an emergency c Section.

After reading up about true know this last day I feel incredibly thankful my body was so stubborn. The outcome could have been a completely different story and I just feel so lucky to have a perfectly healthy little boy by my side ♥️

Has any else had a true knot experience? X

OP posts:

Journeylikenomother · 14/04/2022 07:46

Congrats on your beautiful baby boy!

My daughter was stillborn at 38 wks due to a true knot. She was otherwise perfect, 6lbs 8oz.

lljkk · 14/04/2022 09:21

It's great to read your positive story, OP.

Sorry to learn of your loss, Journey. I know someone who had similar experience, 41 weeks.

c3pu · 14/04/2022 09:42

My 2nd DS had a true knot in the chord - natural birth, no complications thankfully.

I couldn't quite beleive it when I saw it, as I knew he'd have had to create loop and swim through it in the womb - crazy!

Journeylikenomother · 14/04/2022 13:42

I like hearing positive outcomes for this and so glad to hear of babies who did survive a true knot. Pregnant again and terrified the same thing could happen again but good to know even if it did, it's not always the worst outcome

Nikki037297 · 14/04/2022 15:03

Yes I have had one in my last pregnancy the midwife was quite old and said this was the second she’s seen in her whole 30 years of Working there. Of course I had to snap a picture lol

Figgygal · 14/04/2022 15:08

Yes ds2 was born via emergency section with a true knot after i went into labour but he hadnt dropped into position
There must have been 6 or 7 staff in there and none had ever seen one

whoturnedthesunoff · 14/04/2022 15:09

@Journeylikenomother 💐❤️

Nikki037297 · 14/04/2022 15:11

Mine was a normal delivery. Did everyone else need a section because of it? I didn’t even know until after baby was born but my labour did progress slowly I stayed at 2/3 cm for most of the day!!! They did say they believed that was because his head was still floating high up but once it came down which I don’t know when it was but they checked me I was still 2/3 cm then some time after that the head came down and I delivered 45mins after the last check. Sadly midwife did not believe I needed to push so was not prepared when my son made a sudden appearance

LizziesTwin · 14/04/2022 15:13

My 3rd had a true knot. She is now a very lively adult.

User12398712 · 14/04/2022 15:17

Mine had a true knot, I didn't realise it was so rare though. Like you, I didn't go into labour and had a c-section at 42 weeks, the midwife thought baby was so tangled up he couldn't descend properly.

Congrats on your little one.

mathanxiety · 14/04/2022 15:44

Yes, my DD now in her early 20s was born with a true knot in her cord.

It was spotted by an ultrasound tech at my early ultrasound and they booked me in for a second one a few weeks later, but DD was moving around too much that day and the tech couldn't see much of the cord. DD was an extremely squirmy baby in utero, which is probably how the knot got there in the first place.

Anyway, I was induced as she was late and she arrived within about five hours of starting induction. The doctor had seen a few true knots, and he asked if I had had ultrasounds and if it had been spotted.

DD was fine, scored 9 on her apgar test, all her reflexes were good, etc.

Congratulations on your lovely baby 🙂

Dyra · 14/04/2022 22:17

@Nikki037297 I work in obstetric theatres, so I've seen a handful over the years. Most of the ones I've seen have been incidentally found during elective C-sections. Including one incredibly memorable one where there was not 1, but 2 true knots in the cord! Of the rest, all were in emergency C-sections, except one forceps delivery. All babies were fine.

LightSpeeds · 14/04/2022 22:40

My third had a true knot. I'm glad I didn't know about it until after he was born...

Babdoc · 14/04/2022 22:43

I’m still wondering what kind of musical instrument could play an umbilical chord!
It’s a cord, OP. As in long ropy thing.

RosieLemonadeAndSugar · 14/04/2022 22:44

@Babdoc

I’m still wondering what kind of musical instrument could play an umbilical chord! It’s a cord, OP. As in long ropy thing.

Always one

Wailywailywaily · 14/04/2022 22:48

My second had a true knot. Vaginal delivery, quick labour, he is fine though he was a funny colour at birth! The cord was wrapped round his neck too. I’d had a scan the morning of going into labour. Not sure why no one spotted it.
He was a very wriggly baby in uterus and broke his waters doing a loop the loop at 36 weeks. He is now a very wriggly 12 year old.

Mummyme87 · 14/04/2022 22:54

As a midwife for 13yrs I’ve probably seen about 1 per year. Normal births no issues. Equally seen it associated with stillbirth

Tunnocksmallow · 14/04/2022 23:22

My second born was a natural birth, and had a true knot. She was also still in her waters when delivered too. The poor midwife was newly qualified, was on her own as it all happened so fast I was still on labour ward, didn’t make it to delivery. Midwife said the cord was really long, if it had been any shorter the knot would’ve been tight and DD probably wouldn’t have survived.
She’s now a very lucky, loud stubborn 22 year old.

💐 @jouney

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