I can't find out who talked about that birth on Hollyoaks but it reminded me of a scene in Under The Dome (stephen king book made into a series on tv) anyway, this lady is giving birth and the doctor says the cord is around her neck but the doc is incapaciated (long story) so someone else has to step in and save the day- he cuts the cord whilst it's wrapped around the baby's neck when only the head has been delivered. I'd never heard of this and thought it was bullshit (also laughed at how the doc kept saying 'push' push'! all the time and not waiting for a contraction) anyway I googled it and apparently it does happen on rare occasions, then I came across an article all about how, like many interventions, it's known to cause more harm than good. So, for those of you who are interested here's a link to a birth story of someone who went through it. She campaigns for more awareness now and to educate people/midwives that the cord should not be tampered with.
If you're looking for a natural birth with as little intervention as possible then you'll want to read this. I have, with both previous births, asked for the cord to be left until it stops pulsating to make sure all the blood from the placenta goes into the baby (second time round it was perfect as I was waiting outside the hospital with baby in my arms, cord still attached, so there was plenty of time for that!) This lady also goes on to say how her son has now been diagnosed with Autism and although there are no studies/scientific evidence to link premature cord clamping (and thus lack of blood/oxygen to the brain) with Autism or other developmental disorders, it's an interesting one to think about.
giftedbirthsupport.com/2011/06/01/birth-story-nuchal-cord/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog
I'm certainly going to talk to my midwife about it...