Can you exercise with the umbilical cord around the neck?

Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
Updated on September 19, 2024
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When a nuchal cord occurs, one should not have too much psychological burden, as it is a fairly common situation. The prognosis should be determined based on the specific circumstances of the nuchal cord, including the number of loops and the tightness of the loops. If the cord wraps around once or if there is a loose knot, appropriate activities can be undertaken. However, if the wrapping is tight, or if there are multiple loops, one should regularly visit the hospital for prenatal check-ups to understand the safety of the fetus in the womb. In such cases, it is necessary to reduce activities to avoid increasing the risk of nuchal cord complications, which could cause fetal hypoxia or even suffocation.

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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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Can you have a natural birth if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck twice?

The umbilical cord wrapped around the neck twice is something that can definitely be attempted, meaning a trial of natural delivery, or vaginal trial. Clinically, there have been many cases where the umbilical cord was wrapped around the neck twice, and the baby was delivered smoothly. Therefore, it's unnecessary to avoid a trial of delivery and opt for cesarean section just because the umbilical cord is wrapped around twice; that would be somewhat excessive. Of course, when the cord is wrapped around the neck twice, since the wrap is relatively tight, the remaining length of the cord might be short, and when the baby's head moves downward, there could be changes in the fetal heart rate, but not necessarily in all cases. Therefore, for pregnant women with the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck twice, doctors will closely monitor changes in the fetal heart rate during the delivery process.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Does an umbilical cord around the neck always require a cesarean section?

When nuchal cord occurs, it is not always necessary to perform a cesarean section, because sometimes the cord may be loosely wrapped around, even if only for one loop, and in such cases, natural childbirth is still possible. However, if the nuchal cord is wrapped more than two or three times, and is tightly wrapped, and if there is fetal hypoxia inside the uterus, then a cesarean section must be performed to quickly terminate the pregnancy. Nuchal cord is a common cause of difficult labor in pregnant women. Therefore, during the later stages of pregnancy, regular prenatal check-ups should be carried out to monitor the fetus's health. If any abnormalities are detected, it is urgent to admit to the hospital for delivery to avoid potential impacts on the baby, such as hypoxia or asphyxiation.

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Written by Zhao Su Min
Obstetrics
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How to correct the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck once?

The umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck once, and there is no way to correct it; it cannot be rectified by changing position or through medication. The umbilical cord being wrapped around the neck once can be due to the umbilical cord being relatively long, or the fetus having a large range of movement within the womb. During pregnancy, as the fetal movements change, it might wrap around twice or even three times, although it's also possible that there will be no wrapping of the umbilical cord around the neck by the end. There is no need to panic if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck once. Pay attention to fetal movements and attend regular prenatal check-ups. If there is an increase or decrease in fetal movements, it is important to visit the hospital promptly to have an ultrasound, listen to the fetal heartbeat, and check for any signs of fetal hypoxia. If fetal hypoxia is present, oxygen therapy should be administered, and pregnancy termination may be necessary if 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.