When it comes to pregnancy, so many little things can go wrong.
Even if a mother does everything she’s instructed to do with her diet and prenatal care, it’s a whole tiny ecosystem in there. Umbilical cords help keep the fetus fed and growing, but did you know there could be knots in them? Most people who experience this phenomenon develop a pseudoknot, or an exaggerated loop of an umbilical artery. But even more rare is a true knot, and it can cause all kinds of problems. One mom who became known for sharing her pregnancy online is sharing her experience with this rare occurrence.
Rebecca Meldrum had a difficult pregnancy and shared her struggles online.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXTE08alPtF
At 36 weeks, doctors induced labor due to fears that her baby wasn’t growing fast enough.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXZ-tyTlJMJ
Eventually, she gave birth via C-section to a baby girl who was a little more than five pounds.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXaZmZRl_9G
Because her baby girl was so small, she was sent to the neo-natal care unit after getting some skin-to-skin bonding time.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXbPR24FbMp
After they were both stabilized, Meldrum shared an image of her daughter’s umbilical cord, which had a true knot that possibly restricted the flow of nutrients to the baby.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXhkDhpljqC
Meldrum wrote about the emotional experience of dealing with this condition in a caption accompanying her photo.
If you’re squeamish or eating your breakfast then look away now! 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. Just another thing to add to her story, it’s going to be one heck of a pregnancy, labour & birth book! So so many of you have been through the neonatal thing & I am blown away by just how many people have poorly/early babies.
Before I had Poppy I’d known friends who had babies go into NICU & always thought it sounded hard but you know, they’re in the best place so it’s fine… I can honestly say I have never ever been through emotions like I have been through these last few days & I’m sure will continue to go through until we are all home together. I’ve cried in a way I’ve never heard myself cry before, loud, ugly & almost primal need for my baby to be with me, I’ve stared into space for hours upon end wishing I was pregnant still, I’ve gone through every hospital appointment, scan & meeting from the last 6 months trying to work out how this could have ended up differently & I have sobbed to countless midwives about not knowing how I’m feeling, the guilt, the fear, the unexplainable emotions.
I don’t think anything could ever prepare you for not being with your baby after labour & 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 anyway I can with caring for my baby. Thank you again to all of you that have messaged me. There are so so many stories to go through but the things that really help the most are those tips on what to do when I can’t be holding her, different ways to interact and have contact with her, the types of touch Preemies like & the types of questions to ask in neonatal. Thank you all so so much!
Though their journey continues to be a difficult one, Meldrum’s updates on Instagram show her daughter continuing to improve.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXqy8m5lt4e
(via DailyMail)