hey mum2bee,

I have read that if you dont have the cord cut straight away (sometimes they have to if it is around the baby's neck) it continues to pulse for maybe another 30 seconds and there is alot of iron in that extra blood that the baby gets. Hospitals generally just cut it straight away otherwise.

if you do not get the needle to help the placenta come out, it can take up to 45 minutes for the body to naturally expell it which is fine with me. The needle they give you makes the uterus contract to make it come out quickly after the baby and they sometimes tug on the cord to help it come out too which some friends have told me they really didnt like and may have had more bleeding afterwards because of this. I think this is another thing that if you do not say anything, they automatically give you the needle, it makes it quicker for them to have it out so they can clean you up and get you off to your room...

Cheers
Nets