Can I walk for an hour after meals if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck?

Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
Updated on September 19, 2024
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In cases where there is umbilical cord entanglement around the neck, as long as the baby's fetal heart rate and fetal movement checks are normal, the mother can normally go for a walk after meals. This condition will not affect the fetus. It is important to regularly visit the hospital for fetal heart monitoring and prenatal examinations, pay attention to observing changes in fetal movement inside the womb, and avoid doing overly heavy or intense exercises. If any abnormalities in fetal movement or heart rate are observed, it is necessary to go to the hospital for examination. When needed, oxygen intake and treatments to preserve the pregnancy might be required.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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What to do if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck once in late pregnancy?

During the late stages of pregnancy, a B-ultrasound might sometimes reveal that the fetus has the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck once. This condition is a physiological occurrence. Having the cord wrapped once around the neck does not cause intrauterine hypoxia or harm the growth and development of the fetus inside the womb. The vast majority of cases where the cord is wrapped are physiological, and whether the cord is wrapped around once or twice, there is no need for excessive worry. In the late stages of pregnancy, the most important thing when the cord is found wrapped around the neck is to monitor fetal movements. As long as the fetal movements are good, it indicates that the fetus is in a normal condition inside the womb. It is also important to keep up with regular prenatal check-ups to assess whether the fetal growth and development are normal. Additionally, it is not advised to take any action to intervene when the cord is wrapped around the neck, as neither adopting sleeping positions nor any other methods can release the cord from the neck. These methods are futile and sometimes might even harm the fetus.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Can umbilical cord around the neck perform fetal position correction?

In cases of nuchal cord, it is not advisable to attempt correcting abnormal fetal positions, because if the fetal position changes abnormally after an attempted correction while the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck, it may worsen the degree of the nuchal cord, potentially leading to fetal hypoxia or even asphyxiation. However, if the umbilical cord is relatively long, it might not affect the changes in fetal position, and sometimes the fetus can automatically free itself from the nuchal cord through its own movements. It is important to regularly visit the hospital for prenatal check-ups to detect any other potential abnormalities.

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Written by Liu Wen Li
Obstetrics
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How to correct nuchal cord with one loop?

Nuchal cord occurs because the fetus moves frequently within the uterine cavity, which can result in the umbilical cord looping around the neck once, referred to as a single-loop nuchal cord. In fact, it is not correctable because it is impossible to physically reach the umbilical cord or the fetus during pregnancy. Moreover, a single-loop nuchal cord is quite common, occurring in about one-fifth of all pregnancies. If the loop is loose or the umbilical cord is sufficiently long, there is generally no significant impact on the baby. However, if the loop is tight, it can pull on the umbilical cord, causing the blood vessels within the cord to narrow. This may lead to noticeable changes in fetal movements and heart rate. Therefore, with a nuchal cord, it is important to enhance monitoring and pay attention to changes in fetal movements and heart rate.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Can ultrasound detect nuchal cord?

During the color ultrasound examination, it is possible to detect whether the fetus is experiencing umbilical cord entanglement around the neck. If the ultrasound shows a V-shaped echo around the fetal neck, it generally indicates that the umbilical cord is wrapped around once. If the echo is W-shaped, then the cord is wrapped twice. If the cord is wrapped multiple times, the echo will appear serrated. Additionally, the color ultrasound can also assess the blood flow around the umbilicus to determine the presence of umbilical cord entanglement. If cord entanglement is detected, it is recommended to have regular ultrasound check-ups at the hospital to monitor the fetus's safety in the uterus.

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Written by Liu Wen Li
Obstetrics
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How to deal with one loop of umbilical cord around the neck detected by four-dimensional ultrasound?

If the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck once, there is no need to worry about it, because having the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck once is not as terrifying as it seems. If you want to give birth, it is completely feasible, and for most people with the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck once, if there are no other adverse factors, it generally does not affect the delivery. Moreover, even if you want to do something about it, you are powerless. It's not something that the pregnant woman herself can improve. Besides, there are cases where the umbilical cord is wrapped around two or three times, and they have given birth as well, so there is absolutely no need for anxiety.