True Knots

I had one aswel couple of weeks ago. No monitoring during labour tho 2 compare. Lady came in para 5 I palpated, did obs, listened in and then she said she needed 2 push! I had a look got sprayed with fresh mec liquor and vertex was visible and advancing fast! Only just about got my gloves on. Baby was born screaming his head off fit and well with a true knot in the cord.

This is a rather simple question I fear but that's what I love about these forums, I learn so much! When I was born, my mum tells me I had the cord around my neck and that's why I have a tiny scar in the dip on my collar bone. Could this be due to a knot? Or does the cord sometimes get round the neck without knotting?

Cords can be around the neck without a knot, I've seen loads!!
I think, from what your mum has said, that the person "delivering you" ,so to speak, possibly cut the cord that was around your neck before you were born, as it may have stopped you descending any further if it was too tight/too many times around, and the cut from a nick from the scissors.

I agree with redpiggy, my eldest has a scar on his head from an episiotomy, he was stuck but descended very quickly, very suddenly.

One of my work friends lost her baby a few years ago from a true knot

That is so sad Makes me realise how lucky we are to have our son, who was born with a true knot...2nd stage = 20mins, just got to the hospital in time!!! but I had at least 3 episodes of unexplained bleeding throughout the pregnancy, could this have been caused from the velementous insertion??? fascinating!!!

DDx

I had one the other day, the woman came in labour and I managed to get her on the monitor (as she was high risk for IUGR & prev section) I noticed the heart rate had lots of decels, she needed to push however it wasn't advancing very well so the doctor did a ventouse delivery, there was a true knot in the cord and the cord around the neck, baby was 1.8kg at 38 weeks and needed resusitation, then taken to the neonatal unit. Was amazing to see the true knot, I had a good look at the placenta afterwards!!

I thought true knots were rare but at our unit we had a run of them!! Funny how it all happens together then nothing for months/years!!!

This thread has made interesting reading! I'm on my first labour ward placement and on my third shift we had a crash section, due to deep decelerations which were not picking up. Baby was delivered and cried immediately with apgars of 9 at 1 minute and 10 at 5 minutes (phew) and on examination, there was a true know in the cord. Noone suggested that this may have been the cause of the decelerations but they did comment that it was rare and some of the midwives hadn't seen one before.

I had a birth the other day with a true knot, fast labour and about a 4 min second stage and baby was absolutely fine. It's the second one I've seen, the first was a baby born by elective Caesarean.

I've seen two so far as a student midwife! Amazing things.

JX