2 Vessel Cord and induction

LMBecky11

At 20 weeks I found out my daughter had a 2 vessel cord. We've had some extra ultrasounds and for the last several weeks have had NSTs twice a week. I am 38 weeks along today and feel great. I am not really uncomfortable and baby moves around great. The baby is healthy, although kinda small (in the 23rd percentile according to my doctor. She was in the 40th percentile a few weeks before that), and has not shown any signs of distress during any tests done. And she was preforming all the right movements in our last Bio-physical ultrasound. But my doctor told me she would probably want to induce me around 39 weeks. I do not want to be induced and told her so and she said that at 40 1/2 weeks at the latest we'd want to get her out. I am wondering if it is common for labor to be induced with babies with 2 vessel cords, even if they are doing just fine. I had been very much planning on allowing her to come when she is ready, not when the doctor decides she should, but now it doesn't look like I am going to be allowed for that to happen. I mean, I understand if she was in distress or something then I would do whatever needs done to make sure she is born healthy, but there has been no reason IMO for the doctor to decide that. So anyone else have experience with Single Umbilical Artery (2 Vessel Cord) babies and being induced early? Thanks so much!

heie0008

I also have SUA and no mention about being induced for that reason...I can't imagine why they would want to induce for that...I would ask the OB what the reasons would be...

I also have diabetes so they are talking about inducing me at 39 weeks for that...but its not because of the SUA

pag41989

I also just found out I have SUA.. my High Risk Doctor that I go to for HBP said that as long as the baby is growing correctly and has no other symptoms of anything being wrong that I should be able to have a completely normal pregnancy.

Peppernut

With Margaux, my doctor was talking induction if we went past 40 weeks, because her growth seemed to be slowing down a bit too much for his comfort level.  He told me the two-vessel cord can feed the baby okay through most of the pregnancy, but toward the end the placenta ages and loses some of its ability to nourish... so the combination of the two-vessel cord and the aging placenta was what was worrying.

 I ended up going into labor on my own at 39 weeks anyway, but I thought I'd share what my doctor told me.

Ginkeez

I had SUA with my youngest, and I was scheduled to be induced at 38 weeks.  I start having contractions the night before, but still needed the pitocin by the time I went in.  The reason they wanted to induce me was because she was consistently failing her NSTs.  And when she was born, we found out that she did have velamentous insertion of the umbilical cord, which could have been really dangerous.  They also want to make sure she isn't suffering from lack of nutrients due to the 2 vessel cord. 

That being said, it is probably fine if you want to wait a bit longer.  I know that it's more fun  to go into labor without help.  From the beginning my doctor said he would probably not let me go past 39 weeks.  I didn't like it, but I really trust my doctor and know he was doing what was best for my baby, and it really was the right decision since things were even worse than we thought.  I think it's just better to be safe than sorry.

gemini2005

We were also diagnosed with a SUA and the Dr.'s said the pregnancy should be completly normal unless his growth slowed down (he's in the 53rd percentile as of 30 weeks). I had an appointment yesterday and my uterus is measuring over 2 weeks ahead so they are a little surprised. I'm suppose to have another growth/fluid ultrasound this week to make sure everything is okay. A part of me wants to be induced early because I'm so terrified he will be affected by this cord issue.

LMBecky11

So, from the sounds of it, some doctors do want to induce early but some don't think it necessary. I guess it could be that my baby may be slowing down in growth, since she was in the 40th percentile and then was in the 23rd. But the doctor never said that. She simply said that she would probably induce at 39 weeks and didn't explain why. I want to go into labor naturally because that is what our bodies are designed to do and I think if she needs to be in there longer, then I don't want to hinder that. To me, its not being better safe than sorry when the doctor doesn't give me any reason as to why they want to induce except that she has this condition. Because a lot of babies are born perfectly healthy at full term with this condition. If she had said she wanted to induce because the baby's growth was slowing then by all means, I would agree to that. I guess I will just talk to her about it today at my NST. Thanks for your input and good luck on your babies!