Delayed cord clamping

[GreatSoprendo]

Does anyone know what the current guidelines are?

I asked my NCT tutor and she said there had been trials and they were expected to change the guidance (to cut within 30 seconds) soon. My friend Google has loads of hits saying that the RCM will issue guidelines at their conference in November 2012 advising midwives to delay if mothers request it - but I can find anything post November saying they did roll out the new guidelines.

Can I ask for (or even insist on) this regardless of the guidelines? Any experiences?

Your body your choice :-)

I delayed cord cutting - seems really daft not too, and we were both absolutely fine.

In hospital for DS1 they cut it straight away automatically. At home for DS2 my midwife automatically held off without me asking. It may have been because I had a waterbirth at home so maybe they just assumed or maybe all community midwives delay clamping normally. Anyway, if you ask there shouldn't be any problem with it at all unless the baby needs urgent care away from your side.

Forget guidelines, ask for what you want. Hold firm.

Ask for what you want, and put it in your birth plan. I waited for it to stop pulsing both times. I think they are changing the guidelines but there are very clear benefits so I would definitely push for what you want.

Not sure if this counts: [[http://www.rcm.org.uk/college/policy-practice/guidelines/practice-guidelines/ Guidelines for
Midwifery-Led Care in Labour 2012]] click on third stage of labour. Very interesting reading!

The 2007 NICE guidelines recommends active management but supports women who want a physiological thrid stage.

delayed clamping should be standard IMO! for CSs too! and EXPECIALLY when the baby needs some resusitation (there are resus tables in some areas that can facilitate it)

was in my birth plan, everyone happy to do it, but because I pushed during a shift change it didn't get handed over. gutted!

You can do both, I had delayed clamping with DD as in we waited until the cord was pale and empty and had stopped pulsating. I then had the jab to get the placenta out as my blood loss was a bit more than was ideal. From what I remember of my research, delaying the use of the injection didn't affect how effective it was in controlling bleeding and getting the placenta out, so from my POV there was nothing to be lost from waiting for a bit to see how it was going.

In retrospect I think the midwife was a bit jumpy due to a previous PPH so I might have been ok to wait a bit longer but as the cord wasn't pulsating I wasn't too bothered about the jab, DD had had all the blood.

my birth plan was medically managed 3rd stage (previous PPH) and delayed clamping, noone at any point said that the two were mutually exclusive.

Didn't have delayed clamping, but I'm RH- and they needed to get a decent blood sample from the clamped umbilical cord - however if this applies to you they may be able to delay for a bit and still get a decent sample.

When my midwife asked me all the questions re: birth plan, I asked her specifically if I could delay cord cutting and she wrote it on my notes.

The hospital I gave birth in does delayed clamping as a matter of course. We were told about it at the antenatal classes. Didn't happen for me in the end as DD was in distress (cord around neck) and they had to whip her out quick to resuscitate (sp?).

Thanks very much for all the replies - seems like a resounding yes, so it's going in the birth plan and DP is being briefed to insist if I'm not up to it (as I hear its not routine at my local hospital).