Meconium Transfers

So it's policy at the birth center that if there is any meconium when the waters break and the birth is not imminent, that we transfer to the hospital. Usually when a baby passes mec (their first stool) it means that they are distressed. Sometimes this can mean there is something seriously wrong, other times it may have been for just a brief period that the cord was compressed... and sometimes if the baby is just postdates (older than 40 weeks) then they pass it just because there's plenty of it.

Recently we had two mothers who both had mec in their waters. I had not had a chance to meet either of them before their labors. One had quite a long labor at the birth center and was pretty tired, so when her waters broke and there was mec she was ready to transfer to the hospital. The baby was still doing fine and she ended up staying there for another day before delivering a perfect healthy baby.

The second mother never made it to the birth center. Her waters broke at home and it was obvious they were meconium stained. Meaning they had a yellow/greenish tint to them, and sometimes there are particles. So she went directly to the hospital and also stayed for a couple days before delivering.

So in both cases, there was meconium but neither of them needed to have an emergency c-section. One of the things Judi tries to convey is that even if a transfer is needed, that it is still possible to have a natural birth. Most of the reasons we transfer are if the mother is just really tired and needs some relief that we can't give (epidural/narcotics), if her uterus is really tired and needs some extra help (pitocin), or if there is mec in the waters just to be safe. Other than distress the main concern about meconium is that the baby will breath it into its lungs once its born.

Of the 20 births that I have been to I've seen mec in the waters about 4 times and each of those never had any complications. So for now I've had positive experiences around meconium, but I want to stay cautious and prepared.