Delayed Cord Clamping?

[Naisy]

Hi, does anyone know a good source of information on delayed cord clamping? Only just read about it in a cord stem cell thread.

Wondering if it is common and if other woman are actively requesting this as part of birth plans?

[lolo99]

I read about this the other day and I believe it is up for review in November or something. It says now that 3 minutes should be left....I wonder how long it will take to filter through as 'protocol' to all of the Trusts...if ever!!!

[HappyCamel]

I did, there's evidence that it reduces jaundice and anaemia and there aren't really any advantages to cutting straight away. DD's was cut after about 5 mins, I was feeding her and the midwife examined the placenta and finally clamped and cut it when it stopped pulsing. I think that's the guidelines now anyway but I put it in my birth plan. Sorry, I don't have a link to any medical research though, it's just stuff I've read and heard from my mum, who was a midwife. My delivery midwife seemed quite happy with it.

[kellykettle]

I actively requested it in my birth plan. I waited for the cord to stop pulsating and then had it clamped and cut. It's not that uncommon a request (though probably happens even less again).

[Flosie1989]

This is new to me....

What's the benefits of delaying the cutting of the cord? Sounds very interesting!

[lolo99]

thanks for the info happycamel- think i will read up on this a bit more as it seems like a good idea.

[HappyCamel]

Flossie, I guess the advantages (lower jaundice and anaemia) are because while the cord is pulsing it is still transferring blood to the baby (I guess the placenta is emptying of the baby's blood). If that's clamped and cut then the baby has to regenerate that blood volume, which wouldn't be loads but is still an unnecessary extra stress on their body.

[Iheartpasties]

There is a lot of info online about this I will have a look and see if I can find a good link.

[Flosie1989]

Ah I see! Thank you happycamel I might bear this in mind for any future DC's

[Iheartpasties]

midwifethinking.com/2010/08/26/the-placenta-essential-resuscitation-equipment/

I like this blog for info, I hope it helps out a few ladies. It's all about reading and thinking it through for your own personal situation :) (in my humble opinion)

[Iheartpasties]

midwifethinking.com/2010/08/26/the-placenta-essential-resuscitation-equipment/

[Wommer]

Happycamel's right - reduces jaundice and postnatal aneamia in the first few weeks as the baby gets all of the blood.
I had ds 3 months ago and it seems to be pretty standard practice now unless there's a medical reason not to - certainly if you mention it they will make sure it happens.
I had an active 3rd stage as well - they waited for the cord to stop pulsing before they did the injection. So the one doesn't discount the other.

[ZuleikaD]

Yes, if you clamp immediately there can be about half a pint of blood left behind that the baby could really do with! I requested delayed clamping with both of mine (write it in your notes) but to be honest I think the midwives would have done it anyway.

[Bryzoan]

Dd was 6 weeks early (in 2010) and the cord was cut and she was out the room and into Nicu before I could blink. I asked her neonatal paediatrician (who looked after her then and still sees her now) whether if this happened again we could delay cord clamping, and he said absolutely - lots of evidence that this is beneficial with prems as well as term babies as long as they are breathing normally. He said we should put it on our birth plan and be very clear with the midwives it is what we want - and that if they are worried about that if we are early again they should call him.

[Lora1982]

can you still do the cord collection donation thing if you delay clamping? or does it then make donation pointless?

[Bryzoan]

Fabulous article pasties - thank you! One for the hosp bag in case we need it!

[Minty82]

I did it, and requested it in my birth plan, because I thought it would be less stressful for the baby and would mean she had her full quota of blood! It was great, the midwives were totally fine with it, I just cuddled her until it stopped pulsing, then they cut it and I handed her to DH. Had an active 3rd stage too, no injection, just waited for the placenta to deliver on its own. Unbelievably undignified and messy, but great - having got that far drug-free I really didn't fancy an unnecessary jab.

[Loislane78]

My MW did this automatically 2 wks ago. I wasn't prescriptive about anything much in my birth plan but thought I would want her 'cleaned' first. When it came to it, MW put her straight on me and encouraged skin to skin & feeding while she was sorting me out downstairs.

Bit hazy on timings but must have been a good 20-30 mins before she asked DP about cutting the cord and then I had the injection (had to for medical reasons). V good experience with the MW who asked my everything as we went along, don't remember her looking at my notes once (don't think they were even in the room tbh).

GL :)

[TruthSweet]

Lora - You can't do cord blood donation if you do 'delayed' (aka physiologically normal!) cord clamping as the cord blood isn't actually cord blood it's the baby's blood so if you leave the cord to stop pulsing then the baby get's all it's blood and the placenta and cord are pretty much empty of blood.

[kellykettle]

Midwife Thinking (linked above) has a good post on cord blood collection. Something like "Confessions of a vampire midwife".

[Flosie1989]

This is all so interesting. Wish I knew about this before I had my DD!

[backwardpossom]

Me too! DOes anyone know if you can do this with a c-section?

[mayhew]

www.scienceandsensibility.org/?p=5730

This is a good, medically oriented, summary of the arguments for delayed cord clamping.