Is there anybody has birth plan like delaying clamping the cord?

[first_time_mum]

At 36week appt will there be birth plan speaking because I want to delay the clamping cord a few minutes. I s there anyboyd used this method?

[georgiepinkfeet]

I specified that I wanted to delay the cord being clamped on my birth plan but after discussing my plan at the 36w appointment with my community midwife she informed me that it is standard practice at our hospital..x

[limeewor]

I wanted delayed cord clamping too and was told it was standard practice too (Berkshire) so hopefully you won't have any problems.

[BubbaG]

Hi ya,

DrFluffy on here had it if my memory serves me correctly and recommended it.

I spoke to my midwife about it and she said it is standard procedure but due to my low iron count being low it might not be possible... But yes it is meant to be good for the baby

[CardiffBump]

Hi, can i ask why you would delay clamping and what the benefit is?

[melanie22282]

Up to 40% of the baby's blood remains in the placenta and cord at birth. Not clamping immediately lets them empty and the blood drain into the baby. It has been shown to at least increase iron levels and therefore reduce anaemia for years to come in the child.

[moy-doula]

It is very important that babies get their full quota of blood after birth, this as mentioned previously, is cycling between the baby and the placenta- the baby pumps de-oxygenated blood and waste products through the two arteries in the cord (pulsating in rhythm with babys heart) to the placenta, and fresh blood full of oxygen & nutrients is returned 'passively' from the placenta via the umbilical vein, on transition (from foetal -placental dependant oxygenation to neonatal- independent breathing & lung circulation of oxygen) the pressure closes the umbilical arteries and no more of babies blood is sent to the placenta (some residual placenta blood may still drain back to baby through the vein for a while). On transition a large volume of blood is needed to fill the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the lungs which form a 'skeletal network' that serve to expand and hold the lungs 'open' and expel the residual water within them, if the cord is clamped and the baby deprived of its full blood volume then blood will be sacrificed from other parts of the baby to help achieve this. Gentle transitioning at birth means that babies do not have to fight for life as they do if the cord is cut early (before pulsation has stopped) as the placenta is still functioning as it did when they were still inside you. The 40% mentioned by Melanie is a ball park figure, might be slightly less if the cord is clamped right after a contraction (which squeezes blood down the vein) or much much more if baby is premature or oxygenation has been compromised by a tight cord or a difficult birth - in these circumstances it is even more important to leave the cord intact allowing circulation to re-establish naturally with far less risk of neurological and irreversible damage to baby (resuscitation if deemed necessary by medical staff CAN be done with the baby still attached to mum - resuscitaires have wheels and tanks of air for this purpose (all but the most enlightened staff will freak though). Sorry this is so long but it is really important parents know this stuff! Evidence is everywhere but here's a useful site to start with cord-clamping.com/ xx :0) Ps cord clamping is associated with irreversibly lowered IQ & learning difficulties as well as iron deficiency :0(

[NanKing]

Hi, I had a natural third stage (so cord wasn't cut until placenta was out) with my last two. Prior to that I had been induced (which made it impossible - or at least very, very ill-advised!) and with the second had a low lying placenta so agreed to a managed third stage (with the injection and cord cut straight away). I would probably have risked delayed clamping in this case as placenta was at a 'safe' distance by term but had a home birth and had had a big struggle to get it already! Once I knew some of the stuff which moy-doula has written here it made no sense to me whatever to cut the cord straight away unless there was a major compelling reason - the practice of cutting the cord so that the baby can be rescucitated is, as she says completely illogical when the baby is still receiving oxygen from the placenta! For me the only reason to not go for a natural third stage is that it can take a bit longer but delaying the clamping is the obvious choice then as the injection can be given after the cord has stopped pulsating and been clamped. The main benefit of just waiting for the placenta to my mind was that my baby was still attached to me and no-one was going to whisk him off to weigh or examine him - it guaranteed my skin to skin time with him. So I liked the all natural approach to third stage but delayed cord clamping could be for you if you are worried about waiting too long or have midwives who are anxious about letting nature take it's course (of course you have the right to insist but may not want to have a row at that point!).

[CardiffBump]

wow, i wasn't aware of that, thanks very much Melanie22282.

[CardiffBump]

Thanks All.

[first_time_mum]

thanks all for the answers

[beancarrier]

Wow this has been a great post, not something i knew much about but worth asking my midwife about, cheers ladies

[DrFluffy]

Haha! My usual DCC schpeal has already been taken care of! I will now bow out ;-p

Xxx

[Dungenness]

Lots of hospitals do this as standard now - but put it on your birth plan as one of the things you’d like. There’s lots of research to suggest it’s good for baby .

[roxannacar in reply to Dungenness]

I think it's a bit late for that ... The post is 7 years old 😂