Cord blood anyone?

[RodeHoHoHo]

My best friend had her baby girl (Isabelle Holly 8lb8oz if you're interested ) last Thurs and told me today that she when she had her they didn't cut the cord until she'd delivered the placenta (at her request). They cut it when it stopped pulsating so the baby received most of the 'cord blood' which is really good apparently. Never heard of it before (and I thought I was quite clued up). Just wondered if any of you had done that too?

I may be wrong , but think that cord blood is just the same as ordinary blood. The point is that if you cut the cord before ity stops pulsating, some of the blood that "belongs" to the baby gets left behind.

Rodeo, I've posted a message on our postnatal tread about this. I'll try & post some handy links about this.

Here is a good general link about the first hour following birth. here

This is about the third stage & delayed cord clamping. here

If you have a mangaged third stage - ie the injection just after birth that causes the uterus to contract and the placenta to be delivered more quickly - then delayed cord clamping is a bad idea because the baby gets back too much blood and the uterus clamps down and is then more likely to get jaundice later on.

Sounds like a good idea though for a physiological third stage. I have heard a very well respected midwife talk about resusitating very "flat" babies with the cord still intact as this is another source of oxygen. - that would be very unlikely in a hospital at the moment though.

The midwife at my third birth refused to not cut the cord before the placenta was delivered even though it was in my birth plan. I was late to the hospital, dd2 born 20 mins after arrival. Midwife said it was my fault because I was late and she didn't have time to consider my wishes!