A young Mom shares a photograph of her child’s umbilical twine to boost consciousness in a few life-threatening situations being pregnant.
Scottish mom and blogger Rebecca Meldrum, 28, of Aberdeen, Scotland had a baby in her womb that baffled doctors when her baby suddenly stopped growing. The mom stays active on social media and enjoys sharing photos of her home life and her children on Instagram.
So with this mysterious case of her baby — appearing not to grow while still in the womb — she wasn’t afraid to record the entire experience, including graphic photos of the knotted umbilical cord that her doctors discovered was the root of the problem.
She said on Instagram, “I can honestly say I have never ever been through emotions like I have been through these last few days and I’m sure will continue to go through until we are all home together. I don’t think anything could ever prepare you for not being with your baby after labor and delivery, but today I feel like I’ve turned a corner.”
“I’m sure it’s the tonic of skin to skin with Poppy but I’m feeling more confident, more ready to face NICU & want to get involved in any way I can with caring for my baby.”
Meldrum’s pregnancy had a number of problems, and following a failed induced labor, Poppy was born by cesarean section on Aug. 5, the Daily Mail reports.
When the baby was born, her umbilical cord was knotted up in what is called a “true knot” cord.
“This knot was in Poppy’s cord, a True Knot which apparently is pretty uncommon 1 in 2,000 babies I think the midwife said,” Meldrum said in the caption of the photo of the umbilical cord on Instagram.
The photo she shared was of a knotted umbilical cord, which according to the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), is quite rare. “The incidence of true knot of the umbilical cord is not only very low but it is often undiagnosed antenatally when present despite the availability of prenatal ultrasonography,” it states.
An umbilical knot can be fatal for the child.
A true knot can occur when a baby moves through the loop of an umbilical cord while inside the uterus. They’re detectable via ultrasound.
Dr. Patrick O’Brien, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), told DailyMail: “The umbilical cord carries oxygen and nutrients from the placenta into the baby’s bloodstream. If the umbilical cord becomes tightly knotted, there will be a reduction in the flow of blood, depriving the baby of oxygen which can lead to permanent brain injury. A problem with the umbilical cord could also cause the baby to be stillborn.”
“Fortunately, a true knot in the cord is very rare, and even when it happens it is rarely so tight that it will harm the baby. Usually the knot is discovered after the birth of a healthy baby.”
Watch the video below:
Sources: OpposingViews, Daily Mail