Prolapsed cord

nocturnalnurse · Feb 28, 2013

thankfully they aren't common. I've been in L&D going on 6years and have yet to have one. our facility doesn't deliver thousands of baby's or anything but we usually see 1 a year. rarely is a cord presentation felt without BOW being ruptured but occationally suspicion can be braught on by careful vag exam prior to ROM-we had one that was caught in office, sent in, US confirmed, primary c/s scheduled for the next morning...translady partsl US should be done STAT with any question of feeling something "abnormal"...vasa previa scares me more than a cord prolapse. With ROM, you will almost without question have a change in your FHR that is very concerning, which would then prompt you to perform a careful vag exam, where you would feel a cord prolapsed through the dialated cervix or running across it. rope like, usually with pulsation. elevate that presenting part, call for help, get to OR. maybe someone who's "been there" can give some more advice. can have an "occult cord" too, where the cord is low lying and gets pinched, there you would not feel it on vag exam but your FHR would be concerning and they'd likely find it when they did the c/s for heart tone issues.

Sezza83, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2013

Might have one once a year, if that. Normally happens with a high head and artificially ruptured membranes. We sometimes rupture membranes in the OR if docs are really worried.

But from personal experience with the birth of my daughter.... High head, smallish baby, spontaneous contraction, stood up to go to the bathroom while in hospital, waters broke and.... Bam! Felt something odd.... And a quick feel and felt the cord. Pressed the emergency call bell myself. She was born 3 minutes by stat cs. She's completely fine :)