Delayed Clamping

[SamraLee]

I am considering having a natural 3rd stage, but I have a few questions. Is delayed clamping of the umbilical cord only a viable option if you have a completely natural childbirth (i.e. No pain relief or other interventions, forceps, etc.)? If you do have pain relief, are there ones that do effect delayed clamping and ones that don't? Are there any other things to know about delayed clamping and delivering the placenta naturally? I'm mostly concerned about the benefits for the baby, rather than any benefits for me. Thanks :).

I can't help but marking my place as I have similar questions!!!

I'm going to have a managed third stage because benefit in reduction of risk of pph. I imagine if pain relief ok whilst pregnant then delayed clamping after pain relief makes no difference. I plan to also request delayed clamping by a minute or so. At my consultant app today told this is fine but will still double check on this point, and the syntometrine injection passing I imagine takes more than a minute though.

I just remember reading somewhere that if you don't have a natural pregnancy then there is no point in delayed clamping as you lose the benefits, but I wasn't sure.

I had a natural 3rd stage after DS3 despite pph with both DS1 and DS2, but then I had a natural birth with him too. They drew up the injection just in case, as it is the first defense against a pph, but never needed it.

Baby was very pink, which the midwife says is what happens if they get the extra cord blood, but that is not a problem at all.

I don't recall how long they left it, I asked for her not to clamp it until it stopped twitching so that all the blood in it had gone through.

Not sure about how if you don't have a natural birth - I think the whole 'leaving it to nature' thing only works if you have not had to intervene at all as that would override the natural process, so maybe the third stage wouldn't work. Don't know for sure, that's my thoughts.

I think you need to ask your midwife.

In my trust we practice DCC for the benefits.

It's really beneficial to babes, especially compromised ones.

I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to have it regardless of drugs you've had in labour.