Umbilical Cord Around Neck in Pregnancy: What You Need to Know

Question
I am 31 weeks pregnant.  I noticed that the baby's movements changed and he was not moving that much.  A big difference was noticed after I had a bad nightmare and woke up punching my pillows.  I went got on a monitor and the heart rate was fluctuating from 156 to 147.  I ad an ultrasound and it showed the cord around the neck.  Baby is moving but not like before.  Is this dangerous for the baby since I still have at least 10 weeks or less before birth?  Do doctors sometimes take the baby early because of this?  As the baby grows will the cord get tighter?

Answer
Dear Joni,

*Sorry for the delay - we had a new grandson!  :-)

Babies move around almost continuously during the last half of the pregnancy. Nuchal cord (cord around the neck) is caused by movement of the fetus through a loop of cord. It is actually fairly common - one loop around the neck occurs in approximately 20% of pregnancies, and multiple loops occur in up to 5% of pregnancies.

Since you have another 9-10 weeks to go, it is possible that the baby could twist back around the other way and the cord could un-entangle and NOT be wrapped around the neck about as fast as it got around it in the first place. If that happens - great. If it doesn't, MANY babies go to term and through labor/delivery with the cord around the neck. (The cord is longer than you'd think.) As long as there are no other issues to deal with, the doctor can just slip a finger under the cord and get it off the baby's neck as soon as his/her head is delivered. Rarely is it necessary for there to be any other type of medical intervention (like pre-term induction or C-section) due to this condition. Now that they are aware that a nuchal cord exists, they will watch closely to make sure that the baby is getting enough oxygen.

Kick counts are a very good way for moms to determine fetal well being. It often helps to try walking for 5-10 minutes, eating a snack, or drinking some juice and then go lie down on your left side to do the kick count. Usually these tricks will get your baby perked up. Mark down on a piece of paper every time you feel a movement. Ideally, your baby should move ten times in 2-4 hours. If that does not occur, I would suggest calling your OB doctor and letting him/her know the circumstances.

I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda