Dear Nitin,
Thanks for posting your query to HCM. First of all congrats for would be father in few months of time. Now for your queries:
1. Your doctor is perfect with her diagnosis; she made the right and best thing to go for
sonography (USG) of your wife which gave the most accurate of the diagnosis.
2. At 20th week the fetus is not that big enough to push the placenta downwards, but as fetus grows up, it pushes the placenta downwards. There is difference of 4 weeks or we can say 30 days which is enough of period for the fetus to grow. As it will be growing there would be further descent downwards. As a part of doctor’s profession it is our first duty to reassure the patient and the same is done by your doctor who doesn’t want you to be panicky. Some times excess of worry can induce labor so you should not be worried as well as keep your wife’s moral high so that she should not take any
stress, but with that keep a continuous follow up with the doctor and a watch on any alarming signs of bleeding or discharge.
3. For the third question the fetus is still freely moving in the sac there fore cord around neck is common phenomenon but again should ask your wife to keep continuous vigilance on fetal movements- if she feel excessive movement or dull movements then immediately should report to doctor. Many a times cord is released by itself with fetal movements but it should not be present beyond 28th week. Ask your doctor for further guidance regarding above matter.
4. Normal delivery will be depending on the circumstances after 32nd week and would be almost be clear by 34th weeks but even sometimes with all the normal factor obstetrician has to opt for caesarian section which is a very commonly done Operation. You should keep faith in God and your treating doctor. Also you should put all your queries in front of your doctor who is actually doing the best of the job and will definitely remove all your worries.
With best wishes,
Dr Sanjay K Kanodia
MD (Dermatology & STD/Venereology)