Can I have a normal birth if the umbilical cord is wrapped around my neck for three weeks? The doctor’s advice is the most important

Mothers with the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck for three weeks are very worried about whether they can give birth naturally. In fact, the method of delivery should be chosen according to the specific situation. If the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck too tightly and the baby suffers from hypoxia, a caesarean section should be performed in time, and fetal heart rate monitoring should also be done regularly.

1. Is it possible to give birth naturally if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck?

The umbilical cord itself is of a certain length and is elastic, so when the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck, as long as it is not pulled excessively, it will not affect the baby's normal development. Similarly, if the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's neck is not tight and is long enough, then you can still choose a natural birth. On the contrary, if the umbilical cord is short, and it wraps around the neck too many times and is very tight, then you should listen to the doctor's advice and choose a caesarean section.

2. Scientific explanation | What is the umbilical cord around the neck of a fetus?

As the name suggests, the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck. Umbilical cord around the neck is very common, accounting for about 1/4. Ultrasound will show a U-shaped or W-shaped echo on the fetal neck. The U-shaped one is around one circle, the W-shaped one is around two circles, and there are also three circles or more.

Survey | 20%~25% of fetuses will have umbilical cord around the neck

Surveys show that the incidence of umbilical cord around the neck of fetuses is 20% to 25%. Most of them are wrapped around the neck once, a few are wrapped around the neck twice, and more than three times are rare. It is generally related to the umbilical cord being too long, too much amniotic fluid and too frequent fetal movements. As the fetus grows, it is not quiet in the mother's body. Some fetuses move more widely, and the umbilical cord is often wrapped around the neck, torso, or limbs.

3. So, how dangerous is the umbilical cord around the neck?

Generally speaking, most cases of umbilical cord around the neck will not cause any impact or threat to the baby because the umbilical cord is not usually wrapped very tightly. One, two or even three circles, as long as the umbilical cord is not short, is not excessively pulled, and does not affect the umbilical cord blood flow, most fetuses will not show abnormalities.

In rare cases, if the baby's umbilical cord is wrapped too tightly or is too short, the baby may suffer from hypoxia before birth, which may manifest as a slowing of the fetal heart rate. The doctor may detect this during fetal heart monitoring.