Umbilicord Had a Knot and Dr Induced Early Without

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Wow, C., I'm so sorry your birth experience was so traumatic, for you and your son.

No matter what decision anybody makes (and this includes many choices you or I might make), it's usually possible to review the situation afterward and see that some other course of action would probably have had a better outcome. But we really can't know that until we find out what the outcome is, so we can't actually know whether some other choice would have guaranteed a better result, either.

Medical care is a tricky thing, I have learned as a result of a few family emergencies – childbirth and otherwise. It really is often more art than science, because every patient and every situation is unique. It is almost always a doctor's "best guess" as to what the best of several alternatives might be, and some of those guesses are based only on instinct. And every guess carries with it possible tradeoffs. Some are outright mistakes, but a doctor can't always discover that until later.

If you have reason to believe that this doctor's decisions were obvious mistakes from the beginning, and that she had no good reasons for making them (moving you to another hospital during hard labor could have been risky and extremely uncomfortable for you, for example), then you should probably talk to the hospital and/or a lawyer about your grievances. There may be other patients who have had bad outcomes because of her medical decisions, so perhaps you'd be doing future moms a favor.

But what if it's just as possible that her decisions saved your baby's life? Babies who arrive early do frequently have lung and other troubles, but you were already having contractions that were apparently putting him at risk when she induced you. I'd perhaps get another doctor's opinion before you assign blame.

I hope everything turns out okay for you and your little boy.

Dear Lord, please bless C.'s baby and make him pull through this healthy and strong. Please give C. the answers that she needs but most of all give her the strength to be strong to help her and her baby during this crucial time. Please send her the best Doctor's and nurses to care for the baby. I pray of this in your name. AMEN!

If your son had a true knot in his cord, then your doctor took the appropriate actions. My youngest had a true knot, but he also had the cord around his neck three times and it was wrapped around his body. He was born not breathing and has what our physical therapist think is very mild CP... he has a turned in foot and a weak hand all on the same side.

Just be patient, seek second opinions if you need them, and care for you son the best way you know how.

Hi C.,

Congratulations on the birth of your baby but so sorry to hear he's having some health issues. Just yesterday I read an article on iatrogenic prematurity and watched a video. I thought you may find these two helpful and this may open a door for you in which you can find someone who knows what you're going through. Be gentle with yourself. You made the best choice for your baby at the time. I hope you will be able to find peace as you process your birth experience. Keeping your little man in my thoughts and prayers...praying for strength for you and your family as well as your litlte man.

http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2009/11/17/the-march-...

http://www.theunnecesarea.com/blog/2010/9/26/maverick-how...

Peace & Light,
J.

I have no answers regarding the appropriatness or lack of appropriatness of your doctor's decisions and care. However I want to just put in this little bit of what I hope is encouragement. Since part of your stress seems to be the fact that your baby was delivered early, I want you to know that I've been watching a blog from friends of ours for the past several months as they have a baby who delivered at 25 weeks and is being monitored. That child is not yet quite at the gestational age your son was delivered at, yet has been in the world for 2 1/2 months. She has problems too, but is surviving and doing well. With good medical care, your son has a good chance of overcoming his problems too.
I know that if the Dr. did indeed make some bad decisions, you want to deal with that aspect, but I'm also sure that your son's well-being and getting him through these problems is the highest priority on your list right now.

Sorry to hear that you are going through so much, C.. I don't know much about knots in umbilical cords, but having had a preterm baby (she was 34 weeks) and after spending some time in the NICU, I can say that babies are very resilient! My own daughter is almost 18 months now, and although she is still a little on the small side, you would never know she was a preemie. There were many babies in the NICU in much worse conditions than my daughter, who also pulled through just fine.

I know it's a tough time. But modern medicine is so good, they can do so much today.

Best wishes for you and your little one.