Cutting the Umbilical Cord

[JoMarie]

Hi all

Just wanted to find out if anyone has any info about the cutting of the umbilical cord. I read somewhere that delaying cutting the cord gives the baby extra nutrients, and that you should wait until it stops pulsing.

I want to gather some info about this and speak to my Ob about it.

Anyone??

[Trillian]

It does give the baby the 'maximum' amount of benefits by delaying the clamping until it stops pulsing. Kelly has an article about it here somewhere, I'll see if I can find it for you.

OK, Kelly has posted an article HERE on the forums, and this article on the BellyBelly main site Natural Approach to Labour I HTH

[BellyBelly]

Yep there have been a few of studies saying that waiting until the cord has stopped pulsating results in lower rates of aenemia for bubs and gives them iron stores for 6-12 months. Makes sense to give them all the blood they had - its actually alot if you see a placenta left in a dish after being cut right away.

[chocolatecatty]

Also important to know is you can't have the injection which expuls your placenta quicker (syntocinin?) IF you want the cord to pulse...so be ready after the birth to say 'no' to it when (or if) they ask!
I wanted the cord to pulse and my midwife knew this but after the birth she trickily asked if I wanted the injection to which I replied 'why not' (not knowing one would stop the other)....so the cord was clamped

[JoMarie]

I read the article, thanks for that. If I ask not to have the injection, does that increase any risk of not being able to deliver the placenta? From what I understand from the article, you should remain upright so that gravity will assist in the delivery of the placenta, but I am a bit concerned about not being able to deliver it, and then what happens?

I will definitley be discussing this with my Ob, I just want to have as much info as possible before I go there.

DP and I are also going to look into storing the cord blood. As far as I can tell, there is only a place in Sydney that does this, noone in WA yet. Has anyone else had this done?

Jo

Thanks everyone.

[christy]

Jo, I asked to delay the injection until the cord stopped pulsating. So the cord stopped 15 minutes after birth and then they gave the injection (because I was bleeding quite a bit at that point in time) and the placenta was delivered 2 minutes later... so the injection actually wasn't necessary in the end.

[BellyBelly]

If you want to store the cord blood, the baby cant have it - they cut the cord right away. Also, trust your body, it can birth a baby, its also designed to birth the placenta. Its a normal, natural process which is only complicated by intervention. On the odd occasion there are problems, but for the vast majority having a normal healthy birth, it is not a problem.

[kerry]

I delayed the cord cutting until it had stopped pulsing, about 5mins and delivered the placenta in about 3mins without the injection. While waiting for the cord to stop pulsing they were able to do both lot of apgars and give me a cuddle time so I found it no issue at all. My OB actually encouraged it, he is a bigger advocate of delayed cord cutting than he is of storing the core blood.

[Fi]

One could be quick to jump to the conclusion that Miss Shannon is pretty passionate about this one
Its my first question at my 38w appt on Friday. I have already asked the question of the birth centre, and been told that they leave the cord til it stops, but I want to double check with regards to the injection as well. I'm pretty sure they try for natural third stage since they are a natural birhting clinic, but it doesn't hurt to ask

[Roryrory]

I was real keen for a natural third stage due to the pulsing blood thing but ended up having the injection after a delay because my placenta was in 2 distinct halves and apparently at risk of breaking up sooooooo I had the injection to assist. But I had an OB delivery - that is another story!! - next time I will try for natural 3rd stage delivery for reasons mentioned above.......

[Fi]

I signed the consent form with my midwife today stating "no oxytocic injection to be administered in routine birth conditions".
Apparently thats all I have to do! Its witnessed, and in my file.
Gosh its lovely to be prepared with all this stuff. Adn to know that all the midwives that will be looking after me will be happy to encourage a normal physiological third stage

[BellyBelly]

Can take 1 minute, can take 3, can take more. But most are pretty quick.

[christy]

It took around 10 minutes with Jovie I think... can't remember much anymore

[melissa.r]

I did not cut the cord for 2 hours with DD1 (this labour was induced) and 1 1/2 hours with DD2 (HB babe). I am not sure how long it took for the cords to stop pulsating. I chose to have natural third stages. During this time I breastfed my baby and we spent time as a family. I then cut the cord, weighed and dressed our baby. I am not quite sure of the hurry. It has been suggested to me on more than one occassion, that hospitals often want to give the injection to move women out of the delivery suite more quickly. Why does the medical establishment always need to interfere?

[BellyBelly]

Because they are in the mindframe of running a business hahaha.... whatever is quickest, easiest and saving money. It's one big production line... gosh how would they cope if women were all labouring naturally, they would lose so much money! I can just hope women keep asking for this stuff and demanding it, only then will it change.

[Trish]

My cord (or should I say Tehya's) took approx 20 minutes to stop pulsing. By this time Tehya was lovely and pink

[kiki]

There has been some research to suggest that leaving the cord to pulsate and therfore give the baby all the blood it is meant to have increases the baby's IQ later in life as the extra blood bathes the brain and stops neurons shutting down. I can only speak for myself but I have a 2 year old reaching 3 year old milestones and she had all of her cord blood.

[Trish]

Kiki, maybe that explains some things for me about Tehya then too