Have you had a delayed cord clamping?

jasperc0748

I have seen a lot of talk of delayed cord clamping. It sounds like a good thing to do. I'm wondering though, what it is like. Do you just sit there for four minutes with the placenta still in you and holding your baby? Do you deliver the placenta and someone stands by holding the baby? I'm a first time mom, and in general really don't have a good idea of what all is going down in the delivery room anyway, but this one really has me wondering what happens.

Thank you

bewilderingstar

From what I understood the placenta doesn't come immediately after the baby. So a few minutes while holding your baby should be enough for the cord to stop pulsing. We are going to wait on cutting the cord too.

Totally tell me if I'm wrong though STMs.

ncbelle

That's pretty much it.  Normally there's a break between baby and placenta and normally there's enough cord that baby can be on your chest while you are waiting.  If you had a case where the cord was short and wanted to wait, you'd need someone to help hold the baby if baby couldn't reach your chest.  It really happens pretty quickly still though

frasey

jasperc0748 said:

I have seen a lot of talk of delayed cord clamping. It sounds like a good thing to do. I'm wondering though, what it is like. Do you just sit there for four minutes with the placenta still in you and holding your baby? Do you deliver the placenta and someone stands by holding the baby? I'm a first time mom, and in general really don't have a good idea of what all is going down in the delivery room anyway, but this one really has me wondering what happens.

Thank you

Yep, pretty much! We did this with DD, and it all seems hazy now, but as pp said, there seemed to be quite a bit of time between baby and placenta coming out. It only takes a few mins for the cord to stop pulsing. Sounds gross, I know, but you won't even notice. 

We did this with DD and will absolutely do it again. 

lifeisbetteronthered

My understanding (from actual peer-reviewed medical research articles) is that delayed clamping decreases the risk of infant anemia (low red blood cell count), but increases the risk of jaundice (which comes with a whole host of it's own problems).  As well, that in North America, where maternal nutrition is less of an issue, it may have less of a benefit (overall lower risk of infant anemia in the first place) at the expense of the higher risk of jaundice.  Therefore we chose not to do it.

Jbosarge85

We delayed cord clamping, I didn't even notice, they had her on my chest and was checking her out and doing apgar and then after DH cut the cord they rubbed her down with a towel. They were doing things with her while she was on me, so it wasn't like I was just sitting there looking at the cord coming out of her or anything.

Jbosarge85

TomW&JennD said:

My understanding (from actual peer-reviewed medical research articles) is that delayed clamping decreases the risk of infant anemia (low red blood cell count), but increases the risk of jaundice (which comes with a whole host of it's own problems).  As well, that in North America, where maternal nutrition is less of an issue, it may have less of a benefit (overall lower risk of infant anemia in the first place) at the expense of the higher risk of jaundice.  Therefore we chose not to do it.

Stuck in quote box here is what I've found about cord clamping and jaundice :

"Babies are no more likely to become jaundiced by delaying cord clamping and there is no relation to jaundice and the time of the cord being clamped. In the studies, the bilirubin levels were within normal range no matter when the cord was clamped. (Excess bilirubin levels are what is associated with jaundice"

And here are some benefits

Increased levels of ironLower risk of anaemiaFewer transfusions, andFewer incidences of intraventricular haemorrhage32% more blood volume

SaranJonathan

I am a big advocate for donating cord blood for bone marrow transplants. Obviously we can't do delayed cord clamping. I am not worried about anemia since maternal stores are present for 4 to 6 months. At 6 months I chose to give meat as babys first food.

SaranJonathan

funnibunni80 said:

SaranJonathan said:

I am a big advocate for donating cord blood for bone marrow transplants. Obviously we can't do delayed cord clamping. I am not worried about anemia since maternal stores are present for 4 to 6 months. At 6 months I chose to give meat as babys first food.

I am too, unfortunately, it isn't an option around here anymore.  (So sad!)  So I am considering delayed clamping this time around - never done before.  I wonder how my OB feels about it...

That's too bad I noticed my state only has three hospitals that participate. I wonder if its too costly or what to have more participate.