Cord Prolapse

I have never heard of anyone being told to push without the head engaged for just that reason.

My son rolled over on his cord while I was in labor with him and he was without oxygen for over a minute while we flipped me around and by proxy flipped him around and off his cord. They never offered or did an MRI because there was no reason to, after all he was fine and healthy. So for all I know there are tiny dead spots on his brain as well. Don't know but I would imagine he killed more cells drinking in college.

Yes he is a perfectly normal, okay as normal as any child of mine can be, adult now.

Life is made up of best choices and no regrets. You did what you thought was best, there is nothing to feel guilty about.

There is pretty much nothing you can do to avoid or foresee a cord prolapse.

Why are you feeling so bad about this? Because you didn't get to see her immediately? Or are you just still really hormonal, ergo, emotional?

Just be thankful that it was caught, there are no long term side effects, and see your new daughter as the blessing that she is. No guilt necessary!

Congrats!

You are not at fault for this. Things can go wrong within in seconds when it comes to delivery. I was induced for going 9 days past due. My son came out without any doctors or nurses in the room. I told my husband right away that I thought his head came out and so we called the nurses station right away and shes like; is there a problem in here? I told her I thought his head came out and she looked at me kind of funny and said what. I told her again and she took a peak and he was all the way out and he was still in the sack. He might have been without oxygen for a minute. He did not cry for at least 1 minute even though they kept hitting his butt. Then they rushed hiim to the warmer when he finally did. We did see a nueruologist but not until he was 2 years old for not talking or making noise. He does have special needs but I don't think it had anything to do with the birth. He is very healthy and the silliest thing ever. I believe there is a reason for everything and we don't have the answers all the time. I don't think God would put anything on us that we can't handle. Enjoy your child no matter what because dead spots on the brain may be nothing and I'm sure no matter what happens, she will be an awesome child. I know that you are going to be an awesome mom! Try to remember that their is always somebody who has worse things to go through than you. I will say some prayers for you and your family.

I just went through this 3 months ago!

I was induced early and my doctor had a staff doctor break my water when I was only 2 cm because she was in a hurry to get me delivered! My son's cord fell out when my water was broken. The doctor did get the cord placed back but my son's heart rate was not going back up. I was rushed back for an emergency c section. When he was born he was unresponsive (my ped told me she though it could have been that he got some of the general anestesia in his system). I too was told that none of the nurses had ever seen this happen before! I have researched and researched and have never been able to find an answer! I blamed myself for a long time and was almost depressed at the fact that I missed his first cry, I wasn't the first person to hold him, I missed the first 4 hours of his life because I allowed my doctor to do all of this! It was very hard! We were notified of all of the things that could go wrong with him but as of now he is a happy healthy 3 month old! So far no problems! Good luck to you! I am going to pm you email address if you ever want to talk! I know I've wished that I could find someone else who has gone through this! Good luck to you!

After reading your post, my heart really goes out to you. Let me reassure you that you did nothing to cause the cord prolapse and it sounds like your midwife, Dr and nurse did all that they could to minimize the trauma to your baby and you. Cord prolapse is rare, but more likely if the baby's head is not well engaged in the pelvis before the water breaks. It can happen when the bag water breaks on its own or when a Dr or midwife breaks the bag of water. I'm just so incredibly thankful that you were in the hospital and able to have a C-section immediately.
Things didn't turn out quite like I expected with my labor and delivery of my first baby and I really grieved over it and felt guilt for a few months after. I was induced for going 10 days past due date and ended up having the baby stuck in the birth canal (shoulder dystocia), hemorrhage and a horrible vaginal laceration that just wouldn't heal for several weeks. I was so traumatized by the painful long labor and the less than beautiful birth that I wished I'd never consented to the induction. Years later I realize that life is just like that. I did what I thought was best and there is no way could have known the future. Perhaps the induction saved me from other complications or even a stillbirth. Sometimes Plan A just doesn't work and you have to go with Plan B. You can do all the right things and things can turn out all wrong. Oh, and now my daughter is 6 1/2 yrs old and a vibrant healthy intelligent young lady who suffers no ill effects from her truamatic birth. We feel so blessed!
Please try to relax and enjoy these first weeks with your baby. Know that your feelings are valid and the traumatic memories will someday fade. Best wishes to you and yours! Nurse Midwife Mom

This has not happened to me but after reading your post I am 100% sure you are not to blame for this. There is absoultely nothing you could have done differently that would have prevented this from happening. Not that I blame the midwife or doctor either but it is certainly not your fault. I will say a prayer for you and your baby girl. God Bless and congratulations!

You are not to blame, get that thought right out of your head!

31 years ago I woke up at 6 a.m. on June 10th, my daughter wasn't due until July 4th, and my water was leaking (I was not induced.) I tried to go to the bathroom and didn't need to so I knew it was amniotic fluid. I called my doctor who was unconcerned and he told me unless my water broke to just come in at 10 to see him and that he'd examine me. I hung up the phone, stood up (I'd been sitting on the floor) and immediately had 2 huge gushes of water. It was my water breaking.

I went to the hospital and no one took me seriously, I was up and out of bed going to the bathroom several times because of the incredible pressure i was feeling, but still didn't feel any contractions. My doctor had been called and he called back to see what an exam showed so they told me to lie down so they could examine me. The nurse felt the cord and ran to get the head nurse, she examined me, told me I had a prolapsed cord, and immediately hooked me up to a fetal monitor and we didn't hear a heartbeat, no idea how long she was deprived of oxygen. I was told to turn over, put my bottom in the air to take pressure off her, and we then started to hear her heartbeat as I was rushed into an emergency C-section. My doctor ran across the street from his office to the hospital and delivered my daughter, who is a healthy 31 year old. The main concern was that she was jaundiced, being born 3.5 weeks early.

It is rare, my doctor had not seen one in 7.5 years, I asked what I had done to cause this and my doctor told me absolutely nothing, his guess was that the strong force of my water breaking had forced the cord out, no way it could have been predicted.

I'll be praying for your precious daughter to have no lasting effects from this, God's blessings to you and your family.

This was a risk when I was induced for my last for medical reasons. I was induced 2 weeks early and my little bean was in no way engaged in my pelvis and to make matters worse I had excess fluid. I knew that if at any point in time the cord prolapsed I would be rushed into ER. I don't know for sure all of what my midwife did when she broke my water but her hands were up there for a while doing some stuff. She wouldn't take her hand out until it was engaged. Now when we went in we new that this would very likely be an issue. I was never told to push for the head to come down but that way of doing it might be an effective way...I am not sure.

I am not saying they did anything wrong and you certainly are not at fault for anything that happened. Children bounce back amazingly and from what I have understood many children who have issues like this...their brain take advantage of other area to make up for any loss.

Labor and delivery are a time when Many, many things can go wrong in a matter of seconds no body can prepare for everything...it sounds like things happened the best way they could when you had your daughter! Congrats and enjoy every moment you have with her.

Having what you feel is a less than ideal labor and delivery can be very traumatic. My first son (who is now five years old) was born via C-section at 39 weeks because he had been breech since around 28 weeks. We tried to turn him, but it didn't work, so we ended up just doing the C-section. I'd never had major surgery before, so the double whammy of a brand new baby (with breastfeeding issues) and trying to recover myself was very h*** o* me. It took me a long time to deal with it, probably up until I got pregnant with my second son, who is now 15 months old.

I think I was more upset that I couldn't have a "normal" labor and delivery the first time around, so I tried a VBAC with my second son. I actually did go into labor with him, contracting from 4:30 am to around 9 pm, when my OB/Gyn broke my water. The baby was still high up in my pelvis, so breaking my water helped bring him down a bit. Unfortunately, as she was checking me, she realized his cord had prolapsed when he dropped. My husband (how is also an OB/Gyn, in the same practice as my doctor) asked her a question, although I can't remember the terms. I think he wanted to know if she could push the cord out of the way. Unfortunately, she could not. She never left my bed, and kept her hand up inside to keep the baby's head off the cord until I was safely in the OR and prepped for my emergency C-section.

It was very surreal to have to go through it again. I knew there would always be that possibility, since I'd had a previous C-section, but I'd been doing so well with the labor all day, and the baby was head down, I thought I'd have a chance to have a "normal" delivery. By the time I was in the OR, though, my only concern was that the baby came out healthy. I don't know if there was any oxygen loss due to the prolapse. The amount of time between when she caught the prolapse and when they did the C-section was pretty quick. However, I don't think it matters now. He's a healthy, happy toddler, and I recovered quickly from my second surgery.

I know this is a rough time for you, especially after all of the trauma you and your baby endured. Just know that whatever happens in the future, it sounds like you have people in your life you can help you and support you. I've been seeing a therapist now for many different reasons, but I have spoken to her about my issues with my deliveries, and it's seemed to help. Take care of yourself, and I hope things get better for ou.