Possible Umbilical Cord Prolapse ?

Ok, so I am 37 weeks, just about, and my baby's head is yet to engage. I am seeing an obstetrician as well as a MW due to other health issues, but generally all looks ok. However, my Ob said today that if by next Weds' MW appt when - according to her - I'll be 38 weeks, if bubs still isn't at all engaged, she wants me to come into the hospital for monitoring until a) waters break b) labor starts or c) head engages (and I can go home again!). The reason being is that if the water's break and the head isn't engaged, then the cord can come first and if bubs puts pressure on the cord and cuts off the oxygen supply it can be fatal. Often needs a c-section. According to wikipedia (just doing my own research, so not necessarily 100& accurate) the chances of this range from 0.14% and 0.62% - so not very high.

I'm wondering if anyone else has ever been monitored for this, or had the possibility of it mentioned and what was their experience? Eg, at what point did they want to monitor you? Were there any other reasons? Did you have any problems?

I think perhaps she's a bit more concerned as we live quite a way from the hospital(?)

I was never told that this could happen, didn't even know about it to be honest and some babies don't engage until you in labour so not being engage can be normal so neither my midwife or myself were concerned.

Anyway, baby #3 ended in a c/section due to cord prolapse, i was put under general as it was that urgent...quite scary considering i had 2 normal drug-free births prior. If they monitor you i suppose they could try and stop it from happening but im not sure, ask next time how it would go. Theres not really much of a chance of it happening but it can happen.

Im sure it will be fine, just talk with your ob/mw over their concerns.

Yeah, it's odd...she's just being precautionary because if it DOES happen (as rare as it is) it is, as jaylea found out, a medical emergency. So, if I live at least 40 mins from the hospital and my waters break and baby's head's not engaged then I would apparently have to ring 111 and practically stand on my head (and get DH to shove fingers inside to keep baby's head off the cord!)! And it's very dangerous for bubs hence they usually end in C-sections pretty quick.

I'm just confused if she's being this cautious because of the distance away from hospital I am. Although she said it was a pretty standard concern. Oh well, I just hope the head does engage by next week - don't fancy sitting around in hospital (I don't even want a hospital birth!)

I do wish that Ob's could all be on the same page sometimes! lol - it's hard to know what to think sometimes

My DD2 didnt engage until I was well in labour and my midwife had discussed the possibility of a cord prolapse with me, especially as I was an hour from the hospital and 40 minutes from the nearest birthing centre.

All I had to do was have a ultrasound at 39-40 weeks which was to check that there was nothing stopping her engaging (such as the placenta) and to see where the cord was (it was well out of the way though, no where near my cervix). They also checked everything else for me (growth, waters etc) so it saved me having to go for a post dates scan. I had no extra monitoring that I wouldnt have had post dates anyway.

Beyond that, my mw said to me if my waters broke at home and there was 'something' sticking out, get on hands and knees with my bum in the air and call an ambulance.

I ended up going into labour at 41+3 and delivered at 41+5, and she still didnt properly engage until the synto drip forced her too. We had no issues with the cord either - my girl was just being stubborn!

I think she is probably being a bit over cautious but a bit of extra monitoring cant hurt just in case

DS1 wasn't engaged until after I had been in labour for days - and he was 16 days overdue too - and was delivered about 15 minutes later. No one ever mentioned the risk of cord prolapse to me even when I was overdue and he wasn't engaged - but that was in the UK so maybe the policy is different.

I am now 37 weeks with DS2 and I am also seeing an OB as well as a midwife. At my appt yesterday my mw said that my OB may want me to come in for monitoring as we get further on but I can't remember the reason for that - certainly cord prolapse wasn't mentioned.

So as others have said, I agree your OB is probably being supercautious and I wouldn't worry too much about it. A hassle to have to go in for monitoring etc but better safe than sorry :)