Meconium stained liquor

[PeanutBean]

Hi ladies. Whilst dropping off the homebirth kit my mw felt the need to mention that meconium in my waters would be an indicator for transfer. I realise it can be a sign of distress but recall reading some blogs about it saying it shouldn't necessarily be a dreadful sign for example if the bowel movement is once the head is out.

I just want to prepare myself a little for this circumstance, just in case. Does anyone have any experience or info?

 

[birdiex]

Homebirth.org.uk - Meconium
Midwifethinking.com - The curse of meconium-stained liquor

And and old B&B thread on this subject Here

 

[PeanutBean]

Guess I should've looked down the board! Thanks for the links.

 

[mandy121]

hi hun just wanted to say i had home birth with my 6 week old girl and it was fab but she did mess in me and swallowed alot bad and needed to be resusated as she wasnt breathing but i didnt have to go hospital at all and she is fine . but i think usally u have to go hospital . x

 

[birdiex]

hi hun just wanted to say i had home birth with my 6 week old girl and it was fab but she did mess in me and swallowed alot bad and needed to be resusated as she wasnt breathing but i didnt have to go hospital at all and she is fine . but i think usally u have to go hospital . x

Wow that's really wonderful, just shows it can be dealt with at home!

Peanutbean - That's fine Here to help!

 

[PeanutBean]

I just want to be properly informed so we can make a decision if it happens. No idea why my MW felt the need to point out this single issue out of all the possible complications that could potentially arise!

Sounds like the heart rate is more important. Byron managed 35 hours of contractions, syntocinon and ventouse delivery without batting an eyelid! Lol

 

[birdiex]

That's good, hopefully this one will be just like him in that aspect! Good idea to keep a doppler handy just to monitor things if that does happen, I don't know if midwifes bring them with them (it makes sense that they do but i'm pretty uninformed on what they actually bring with them!)

I think she might have pointed that out though because it's usually reccommended that you transfer with meconium even if it's not really needed, but with other things it could potentially be a "suck it and see" situation rather than policy, because complications differ so much woman to woman. That's all I can think of as to why she mentioned that rather than anything else? x

 

[PeanutBean]

She was behaving a bit oddly I think because I happened to have a doula with me at the time! Yep they bring a Doppler with them, they bring everything!

 

[birdiex]

Well then, she should be plenty prepared to deal with meconium should you chose to stay at home! Don't let her browbeat you in to transfer should it happen, keep a cool head and make sure you're informed. A good idea is to make sure any birth parteners are well filled in too, just in case you're not feeling like an argument or not in the right frame of mind to really push your point. Have your birth parteners do the arguing for you, you're the one doing all the hard work!

I wonder why she was acting funny because of the doula? Hmm.. I'd love to hire a doula, they seem like such wonderful support. I'll have to look in to it when my time comes that I'll actually need one!

 

[pimento1979]

Can I say though, that if you're planning a waterbirth, to make sure to remind them that you're having one so that they can bring a waterproof doppler! My MW knew I was planning a waterbirth and STILL brought the non-waterproof one. Thankfully she went and got one but that would have pain a right pain in the butt if I had to get out everytime she wanted a listen!

 

[Bournefree]

Really good point Pimento! We did have a water-proff sonic heart monitor.. but I hadn't made any positive steps to plan to make sure that nay MW that attended had one. Was I lucky? Or that my MWs knew that I was having a water-birth and circulated something.. I have no idea?


But I still wouldn't be to concerned. The "old fashioned" horns that can be used for listening to babies HR, are still effective under water, afterall sound travels better in anyother medium other than air.. which is why gel is used. Also for me personally, I really don't want to be overly monitored. What is overly.. that is something very personal.
XxX

 

[PeanutBean]

Thanks pimento. They're well versed in water births in our community team and she was having a good check out of my pool as they have lost a deal getting free pools from pool in a box so she was wondering what my la bassine is like and whether they might be a company they could wangle with! She'd be a dunce indeed not to bring equipment for a water birth!

Birdiex, my DH is VERY well versed in protecting me and questioning on my behalf now. I'll share with him the meconium links too so he is prepared for that. We haven't technically hired a doula. She runs the local homebirth group I started attending - I didn't know she was a doula until a week ago - and is chair of the MLSC amongst other things. She was round doing some birth art with me in the morning and we went on a long time then the MW arrived surprisingly early with the kit. I'd mentioned the homebirth group when I first started going so I introduced them and then my MW was a bit more medical than she normally is. Strange response but I guess she perhaps felt a bit on the spot! The doula was incensed at the comments my MW made about meconium and even more so about VEs and offered for us to call or ask us round if we feel we need another advocate or want to check on any NICE guidelines etc. We are very lucky! Both on here and in 'real life' I've received so much support I'm in awe!

 

[PeanutBean]

Really good point Pimento! We did have a water-proff sonic heart monitor.. but I hadn't made any positive steps to plan to make sure that nay MW that attended had one. Was I lucky? Or that my MWs knew that I was having a water-birth and circulated something.. I have no idea?


But I still wouldn't be to concerned. The "old fashioned" horns that can be used for listening to babies HR, are still effective under water, afterall sound travels better in anyother medium other than air.. which is why gel is used. Also for me personally, I really don't want to be overly monitored. What is overly.. that is something very personal.
XxX

Yes I'm not sure how much I want monitoring but if there is meconium in my waters I'd rather the 15 minute recommended monitoring than a transfer! I'm told that as I'm hypnobirthing the MW will be very hands off so hopefully there will be plenty of space. I have no problem telling them to piss off this time and the doula has given DH strict instructions to let no-one talk to me at all during contractions so they can't try and get round me when I'm off guard.

 

[Jenniflower]

I remember having this conversation with my MW. I told her I was very much ok with going into Hospital if my waters broke before labour started and there was any meconium in there. But if I was in the middle of labour we would assess from there. Because I told her if I was say 8-9cm at the time it wouldn't actually be beneficial to transfer only to distress myself and baby any further and risk possibly delivering in an ambulance all for the sake of something that can be taken care of at home. I did tell her though I was ok with having the cord cut asap if it did occur so that she could do her thing with baby and having the ambulance called to be transferred after in need be. But then I also told her if she felt everything was fine I would really like to just stay home.

I think it's all about assessing the pros and cons (as is everything! haha) Where as meconium is quite a serious deal, the biggest part of it is a distressed baby. Easily monitored with the FHR and as I said before it would be worse for the baby if you are in distress and if you are because of being worried about being transferred then maybe the best thing is to stay put for the time being.

 

[minibeast]

i had been pushing for a while (have no idea how long) when my waters broke and there was meconium in them. straight away they called an ambulance, and even though i begged them not to make me go in they said i had to. they were monitoring my baby's heartrate and it was fine. i can't tell you how afraid i was of being taken to hospital and even though they told me how it could be very dangerous i hate to say it but at that time i didn't care, i was so scared. the ambulance got here and even though i said i didn't want any gas he tried sticking it in my mouth. in the ambulance every time i pushed they were telling me not to. i could go on n on about the things i think they did wrong to me sorry to go off track. in the end my baby was born beautiful and healthy. i admire you for informing yourself so well : ]

 

[PeanutBean]

Oh minibeast How awful! Did you make any complaints?

 

[minibeast]

no... they gave me a date for councelling at the hospital and said they would listen to my complaints but in the end i didn't want to go. now writing that out i kind of wish i had. i'll try and write a letter.

 

[PeanutBean]

It's never too late. I recently saw the supervisor of midwives to go over the care I received during my son's birth over 2 years ago. It took me til this pregnancy to really admit they had done things wrong and it might not have gone so far from plan had they acted differently (and in the first instance according to their own guidelines).

Good luck if you take it further.

 

[indigo_fairy]

minibeast that does sound really scary, how dare they go against your wishes especially when the baby's HB was fine! It makes me so mad to think how they forced you into something which terrified you in the midst of labouring.

 

[lozzy21]

I had a meconium stained pad 42 hours after my waters went, she wasent distressed at the time but did become later on in labour.

I was told the danger was in her breathing in the meconium which can make babys realy ill if it happens.