Benefits of a physiological third stage????

[Fleur]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I am wondering if maybe we can delay the cord clamping for a bit and then have the needle etc if it seems necessary? I don't know how long I'd leave it though, or what hosp limits would be before they deemed it necessary.

2 hours does seem a bit long...

[Taurean]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I am wondering if maybe we can delay the cord clamping for a bit and then have the needle etc if it seems necessary? I don't know how long I'd leave it though, or what hosp limits would be before they deemed it necessary.

2 hours does seem a bit long...

Yeah, good questions. I don't plan on delaying cord clamping (no one shoot me!) so providing the shot is given to me after the cord is cut, then the drugs can't be transferred to the baby.

Would be interesting to check with your midwife/OB as to how long you can wait though.

I was suprised by the 2 hour marathon as I don't think it's all that common, but it really made me think twice about it. Each to their own I guess

[Sequoia]

I was holding DS on my chest when the MW asked me to give a little cough and the placenta came out all by itself.

All I could think about later was how I didn't I cover my mouth when I coughed!

[Cheeky_Monkey]

Please excuse my ignorance - I didn't do a lot of research while pregnant with DS.. just assumed the midwife knew what she was doing. Bit naive I guess.

My question is this - Is it the "norm" to have the injection to birth the placenta?

I ask because my midwife had just transferred to Aus from NZ and told me that she is used to doing things a little differently from the rest of the midwives in the hospie. Everything was fine and she always consulted me about what I wanted in accordance with my birth plan.

I didn't have anything in the birth plan about the placentas delivery though. Once I was cradling DS she put a little bit of pressure on my uterus with one hand and a slight little tug on the cord. It didn't budge so she said "We'll give it a bit longer" and tried again in about 10 minutes, this time it moved so she told me to give a little push and out it plopped.

So - is this normal or would any other midwife insist I have the shot?

Sorry bit long winded.

[Taurean]

Midwives are probably more likely to avoid the shot I'd say - just to give you that chance at the full 'drug' free birth. They tend to avoid any intervention where possible. Sounds like you had a wonderful middy to be honest!

[Fleur]

Cheeky monkey - no need to feel ignorant - I haven't looked into any of this until now, and this is bub number 4!

I am assuming I had a managed third stage with the others, I think I did...TBH I really wouldn't know...so how's that for ignorant!

[BellyBelly]

You'd be surprised, I have seen many a hospital midwife do the whole super fast third stage thing. One of my clients had a quick pushing stage and the midwife whipped out the syntometrine shot, and my client said with horror, OMG whats that for (we'd not had a birth plan meeting, it was all very last minute but she had an awesome birth!) and before the midwife answered she'd already put it in her leg and then said, to stop a haemorrhage. Hmmmmmm.