Has anyone done delayed cord clamping??

[MaggiePie]

Was wondering if anyone could share their experience with delayed cord clamping? Am thinking of it this time for bub #3. How long did you wait? How long does it take to stop pulsating? How was it recieved by the doctors, midwives etc?

I am surprised that I am only finding out info on this on BB and it has never been mentioned by medical staff as an option in my previous two pregnancies.

Any info would be great, thanks.

[Arimeh]

We did it with DD2, waited until the cord had stopped pulsating. To be honest, I'm not sure how long it took, I didn't have a clock in the room and I was a bit distracted by what had just happened! LOL

I think it wasn't a long time though - maybe 5-10 minutes? I went to an independent birth centre so my midwives usually follow that practice anyway.

[~Hestia~]

I did this with Moo but can't tell you how long it took! I'm sure it wasn't long.
My midwives did this as standard practice too.

[~ Mylitta ~]

Hi MaggiePie,

We delayed the cord clamping with my son. My obstetrician never brought up the subject, but I had researched it and put in my birth plan that I didn't want the cord cut until after it stopped pulsing. My Ob read the plan and was fine with that (obviously assuming all was well with me and bub).

When I arrived at the hospital in labour the midwives read the birth plan and the only thing they questioned was that I also put in there that I didn't want the synthetic oxytocin injection until AFTER the delayed cord cutting because I didn't want any of it to get to my DS. They said that was not normal procedure so called my Ob to check he was ok with that, which he was.

It can vary greatly how long it can take the cord to stop pulsing. When DS was born it only took about 5 minutes for his cord to stop pulsing though, so then it was clamped and DH cut it.

I feel really happy about our decision to do it all that way, and we'll be doing the same with this pregnancy assuming all goes to plan

Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and good luck for the birth!

[kawazuki]

we did but didnt have a choice, unexpected home birth ambos took 20 min to get there DD2 was born just after firt contact so was 15 min before cord was clamped and cut

[Tuesday's Child]

We also delayed cord clamping for DD. It didn't take very long to stop (5-10 mins?). I was too busy gazing at DD to notice anyway...lol.

I also delivered the placenta in my own time (ie without the syntocin injection). I hadn't had any drugs/hormones during labour so didn't see why my body couldn't do this part naturally too. That only took about 20 minutes or so at most. Would definitely do it that way again if I can.

[My Three Sons]

I also did it with DS3. However it was very quick! It was from birth, till i turned back around (maybe 2 minutes? as i was on all 4's) and as i turned around and sat down, the placenta came out too. (i actually had the injection dispite my original choice not to, i changed my mind, but as they injected, the placenta appeared, so it wasn't even needed!)

Drs i found very funny... The only ones i saw about it were the peads after he was born, who commented on his mild jaundice, and then said, "oh, you did delayed cord clamping... why on earth would you do that?" Which i then told them the reasons why etc and told them that DS1 was more jaundiced and his was not clamped, and DS3's was clamped within their normal amount of time really as his cord stopped pulsating very quickly!
Most of them just rolled their eyes and went on with their baby check.
None of the doctors brought it up prenatally... i was in the know you midwife program, and my midwife was very happy i was doing it

FWIW i had much less bleeding with my 3rd than i did with any of my others too. If i were to have any more, which i am not, i would have done that again.

[human bean]

DD's took about 5mins to stop pulsing, it was in my birthplan but the MW supported it anyways. DD had a pretty short cord so she was laying a bit lower on my chest, and once it stopped pulsing and the MW was going to clamp it, the ends of the clamp looked like scissor handles, and I kept saying 'no no DH is going to cut the cord' and she kept looking at me then going to clamp it, where I thought she was going to cut it! DH finally goes 'chill out it's just the clamp' ha ha I couldn't see what was going on - felt like a doofus! Placenta took about another 40 mins to come out (naturally).

[sasha]

S' cord only took a few minutes to stop pulsing, and then it was cut. T had a very short cord and to save me from too much discomfort (I had a tear and was sitting on a birthing stool, she was kind of sitting up on my knee, and frankly, it was agony) we clamped and cut it before it stopped. Both times it was in my birth plan; midwives were fine with it. Placenta was delivered without injection, both times while babies fed.

[Tegam]

They could have done it without you knowing. Sometimes all things 'new' arent 'new' at all!

All three of mine have had the delay but have all looked horribly jaundice! Never needed lights tho so may have been why????

No real help am i Sorry! and congrats on baby number three. I always say that baby number three lets you forgive yourself of all the 'mistakes' you made with the first two. Means you really really just get to sit back and enjoy! Baby number three really wasnt any extra work either, just weird to get use to the idea that it NEVER gets to sleep when it needs too! But you end up with the most cruzy baby because of it!

[Calluna]

We did.
It took 5-10 mins for the cord to stop pulsating.
Most of the MW's didn't even question it. One did tell me it was extremely dangerous, while also totally dismissing the rest of my birth plan more or less as rubbish. So I requested not to see her again and never had another issue

Isaac was quite jaundiced and extra sleepy for a few days.

[MaggiePie]

Thankyou for all of your replies, glad to hear that there are people out there who support this.

Tegam, thanks for your kind words, I was feeling a bit nervous about #3 thinking 'how am I going to go this?' so your wisdom was very timely. I am certain they cut the cord immediately with both other bubs #1 was quite distressed when she came out and #2 they did it even before I could turn around (was on all fours).

I will talk about it with my doctor at the next visit and put it in my birth plan and discuss it with the midwives at the clinic, and hopefully all will go to plan!!

Thanks again for your insight

[buliej]

Unfortunately, if you opt for delayed cord clamping you cannot donate cord blood to a donor bank. I asked my OB about this because I wanted to donate and his opinion was that why would 2-5 minutes matter when you have had blood flowing through the cord for 9+ months. So we are sticking with our plan to donate in the hope that it may help a sick child in the future.

[CinderToriella]

Yes we did it, did a lot of looking into it before hand and this was right for us..

Im all fuzzy on the birth still, but i remember just before DD was born we told the MW about it and then again when DD was born the DR came in and the MF said to the DR they want to delay cord clamping and it was all fine with them, the MW held the cord and watched it and aited while it pulsed i guess and once it was done DF cut the cord ..I could not tell you how long it took though

I feel very happy with what we did and would do it again

[Tuesday's Child]

Unfortunately, if you opt for delayed cord clamping you cannot donate cord blood to a donor bank. I asked my OB about this because I wanted to donate and his opinion was that why would 2-5 minutes matter when you have had blood flowing through the cord for 9+ months. So we are sticking with our plan to donate in the hope that it may help a sick child in the future.

You raise a very good point buliej. Unfortunately there's no bank for cord blood in SA so we decided that making sure DD got it all at birth was the next best thing for us to do.

[jackrose]

I was unable to do delayed clamping with DD1 as we had a c/sect but did it with DD2 and as the others mentioned, it was surprisingly quick. It just makes me smile to think of all of those goodies that were delivered into my little girl, one last gift before I sent her out on her own into the world

Honestly, after the research I did about it I wonder why there is such a rush to clamp, there are so many benefits to both mother and baby (discounting of course a situation where a baby needs resus which cannot be done on mum's thigh )

I hope that you find your birth team respect your wishes if you decide to go with delayed cord clamp

[{sarah}]

You can have delayed cord clamping with a c/s, we did it with DD. I don't think it completely finished pulsating, but it was delayed for a time, as long as was possible under the circumstances.

[jackrose]

You can have delayed cord clamping with a c/s, we did it with DD. I don't think it completely finished pulsating, but it was delayed for a time, as long as was possible under the circumstances.

oh, didn't know this!! Good to hear though.