Natural 3rd stage - When to cut the cord??

[mama2moo]

Im due tomorrow with dc2 and want to have a natural 3rd stage this time.

My question is - When do they cut the cord if you do it this way? I want dc cleaned up a bit before I hold/feed her so can they cut the cord straight away and then wait for the placenta the same as if you have the injection?

Thanks

i had a physiologcal third stge

they waited until the cord had stopped pulsating and then cut it

i was holding DD

i then got out of the pool and delivered the placenta with some contractions

We did this - we asked for the cord to be left until it had stopped pulsating, so DS could get the maximum benefit. They then deliver the placenta and can give you the injection then if you want it, or leave it for a natural third stage.

I had a natural 3rd stage with DS1.
They left it until it went totally white and apparently if they do it this way, all the blood goes into the baby - but they later told me this was the reason he was severely jaundiced and spent his first 2 weeks in hosp. It took 90 mins for the placenta to come away without the injection.

With DS2 I asked to have it clamped and cut immediately so as not to risk this happening again, and instead I had a major heamorrage (sp?) The placenta came away 10 mins later with the injection.

I thought 'I just can't win' and was advised again to have it clamped and cut straight away with DS3 and all was ok this time, but there was meconium in his waters (D'oh!) so every time I have had to stay in!

Thanks, I was thinking about leaving it to pulsate.

I guess they can wrap the baby in a towel with the cord attached??

Its really weird but I just dont want to hold the baby straight away without a towel or blanket - I was the same with dd

with dd i had the injection (against my wishes but that's a whole other thread) and i had a severe haemorage and a chunk of retained placenta.

with ds1 i made it very clear before the birth i wanted a physiological third stage and they said ok but they then proceeded to cut the cord before i had delivered the placenta (although in fairness to them it had stoped pulsing and turned white) and one of the mws actually tugged on the cord to pull the placenta out as it was taking too long

for ds2 i was at a differant hospital and the very lovely mw let ds2 stay attached and waited patiently for 59 minutes before asking me if i could give a bit of a push and see if it would come out. once the placenta came out the cord was cut and ds2 was weighed. ironically he was the one who had to spend 5 days in SCBU as he'd gotton a faceful of my blood at the moment of his first breahte and ended up with pneumonia!

with none of the three i had contractions for the third stage, the placent just sort of dropped out with a bit of a push once it was loose enough

Thanks all. My main worry is a retained placenta. A few friends have had retained placentas from the midwives breaking the cord from pulling

I am going to see how it goes but will have the injection if needed.

mama - if do get retained placenta anyway (I did ) then it's worth asking the MW to catheterise you to empty your bladder. Sometimes it can make it difficult to deliver the placenta, and this can help.

Thanks pureastehcolddrivensnow I will do that.

I didnt have it with dd but after hearing friends stories of the removal I am scared sh!t less.

Left it to pulsate and then clamped/cut. I was told this was why DD2 has less jaundice, compared to DD1 who had her cord clamped & cut instantly and was jaundiced for at least three weeks......

Didn't realise how close you were to your due date - good luck, hope it all goes to plan

Thanks! I think I am in for a bit of a wait for this one though!

With ds1 the student mw was so excited to be seeing a natural third stage, she was a 2nd year and told me the student in the next room was 3 weeks from qualifying and hadn't seen one yet and was very

Be warned, the mws are usually fairly accomodating even if they're but the doctors on the maternity ward will get a bit hysterical about it. I was trying for early discharge with ds2 (before we realised he was sick) and the doctor basically told me i was likely to bleed to death at home because i hadn't had the 'medicine' i needed post birth i had to sign disclaimers and on them he'd scrawled 'Mother has not received medicine!' (he was foreign tbf, but still!

Have you had the baby yet?

[just in case you're not getting enough of that from your Mother/MIL/friends etc etc

Seriously though, hope all is progressing nicely x

No, still waiting

I am not used to this, dd was 2 days early.

How are you doing, mama2moo?

Hi Pureastehcolddrivensnow - I had a girl last Tuesday morning. She is perfect! I didnt get my natural 3rd stage because she pooed on her way out so the mw wanted everything checked. Im not worried though, the cord was so long I would have been there for a week!