Has anyone done delayed cord clamping??

[~ Mylitta ~]

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.

My DH and I thought long and hard about whether to do delayed cord clamping or to store the cord blood. In the end we decided to do the delayed cord clamping because we tend to think the mother nature generally gets things right, and if she designed the placenta to keep pumping the blood and stem cells into the baby after it was born, then there is probably a good reason for it. I also couldn't help but wonder if some of the medical problems that stored stem cells can help are less likely to occur in someone that had all those extra stem cells in their body to begin with. I'm not trying to persuade anyone either way, but just wanted to express why we made the decision we did.

[Roryrory]

his opinion was that why would 2-5 minutes matter when you have had blood flowing through the cord for 9+ months

This is why : placenta and cord info

Excerpts:

“The suggested neonatal benefits associated with this increased placental transfusion include higher haemoglobin levels (Prendiville 1989), additional iron stores and less anaemia later in infancy (Chaparro 2006; WHO 1998b), higher red blood cell flow to vital organs, better cardiopulmonary adaptation, and increased duration of early breastfeeding (Mercer 2001; Mercer 2006). There is growing evidence that delaying cord clamping confers improved iron status in infants up to six months post birth (Chaparro 2006; Mercer 2006; van Rheenen 2004).”

The baby/placenta has a separate blood system from the mother. The placenta does the job of the lungs by exchanging gas (oxygen and carbon dioxide) via the intervillous space between the baby’s and the mother’s blood system. Before birth, a third of the baby/placenta blood volume is in the placenta at any given time to facilitate this gas exchange.

After birth this ‘placental’ blood volume is transferred through the pulsing cord into the baby increasing the baby’s circulating blood volume. This has two major effects:

1. Provides the extra blood volume needed for the heart to direct 50% of it’s output to the lungs (8% before birth). This extra blood fills the capillaries in the lungs making them expand to provide support for the alveoli to open. It also aids lung fluid clearance from the alveoli. These changes allow the baby to breath effectively.
2. Increases the number of circulating red blood cells which carry oxygen. This increases the baby’s capacity to send oxygen around the body.

This transfer of blood volume from placenta to lungs takes place over a number of minutes following birth. Textbooks will tell you 3-7 minutes, but I have felt cords pulse for a lot longer than that. While these changes take place, oxygen continues to be provided by the placenta until the baby is ready to begin breathing.

Strange that your OB is unaware of these studies....

[*EJ*]

Maggie Pie i could have written the exact same post. I too am expecting my 3rd and was never aware of delayed clamping until recently. Why are we not informed about this from Dr's, Ob's?? So glad i found this and that we both get the information we are searching for from the lovely BB members.

In my Belly Belly group with DS2 one mentioned this but i never looked into it at the time.

It wasn't until i was looking into the stem cell storage (during this current pregnancy) that i became aware of delayed clamping.

So for my 3rd (and final) pregnancy i actually am thinking of going in with some kind of birth plan and will be requesting delayed clamping aswell. Lets hope we both get what we are wishing for

[Schmickers]

We have delayed cord clamping with all three births. We have waited until the cord stopped pulsating - around 15 minutes to 20 minutes if I recall correctly, although we were probably a bit longer because we didn't cut the cord until the placenta was born and DW was almost out of the water.

And yes, there are lots of well understood benefits to delayed cord clamping, although many OBs are still wary of the practice because of a mistaken belief that it increases the risk of the baby developing jaundice.

[mummy of 3 boys]

this is interesting thankyou MaggiePie for starting this thread, i've been wondering these questions also as im thinking of doing it this time around too

*note to self* : must ask my midwife's if they would do this!

[meow]

I also couldn't help but wonder if some of the medical problems that stored stem cells can help are less likely to occur in someone that had all those extra stem cells in their body to begin with.

This is a question for me too- I'd like to see long term studies on the health of people with or without cord clamping.

We intended to delay cord clamping. It was no biggie and no one batted an eyelid about my plan to have a natural 3rd stage. But after about 10 mins I moved and a lot of blood was coming out so we decided to clamp the cord and have a managed 3rd stage. The cord had stopped pulsing anyway so even with a managed 3rd stage for bleeding we were able to wait.

[buliej]

RoryRory - interesting - he's very highly regarded, so my guess is that he probably knows about the studies but doesn't agree with them...but this doesn't mean he's right...anyway, I believe in banking the cord blood for others who may need it to fight serious illness. Science and medicine have given us this pregnancy, I want to give something back (just how we feel).

[CinderToriella]

My DH and I thought long and hard about whether to do delayed cord clamping or to store the cord blood. In the end we decided to do the delayed cord clamping because we tend to think the mother nature generally gets things right, and if she designed the placenta to keep pumping the blood and stem cells into the baby after it was born, then there is probably a good reason for it. I also couldn't help but wonder if some of the medical problems that stored stem cells can help are less likely to occur in someone that had all those extra stem cells in their body to begin with. I'm not trying to persuade anyone either way, but just wanted to express why we made the decision we did.

I agree !!

[MaggiePie]

Thanks so much for an interesting discussion. I looked into the cord blood bank when preg with #1 but you can't do it in the town I am in anyway. So we will do the delayed clamping this time. Funny about the jaundice. My DS was very jaundiced for months after delivery and he had his cord cut straight away. I was worried as it took so long to clear up and was very pronouced when he was born. But the doctors were never concerned and just kept saying 'it will improve' he was never treated. So if they are so 'unworried' about jaundice, why would they be worried that cord clamping could cause it????

Sometimes I think with the Dr's they can't be bothered waiting the extra few minutes it might take for the cord to stop, its easier just to cut straight away. I think this is generally the case with our hospital system (and I work in it) - get them in, fix them up, get them out....

[BekZ]

Yep we did it with number 3. I birthed dd at a public hospital that doesn't do delayed cord clamping as a rule, but I put this into my birth plan and I was lucky to have a wonderful midwife who observed my wishes. I also wanted to birth the placenta without the injection (can't remember name) and she honored that too, even though I had had a retained placenta previously.

I have to say that all up I was so happy with my choices.