FYI Those who waiting until the umbilical cord stops pulsing...

vigurl

I just want to make sure that you are aware that if you are planning to wait until the cord stops pulsing before having the doc cut/clamp it you may not be able to hold your baby right away.  You must keep the baby at or below the level of the placenta until the cord is clamped.  I found this out from my obgyn not too long ago and I never even realized that.

So for me giving birth in a traditional hospital setting I would not be able to hold the baby and do skin to skin until the pulsing stops.  Just something for you ladies to think about.  My obgyn further went on to say that sudies have been done that shows the benefits of immediate skin to skin (mother and baby) far outway the benifiths of delayed clamping.

I myself have not done the research yet so I have not made my decision as yet.

blainethetrain

My practice says nothing like this. In fact, both kangaroo care and delayed cord clamping are strongly encouraged. I would do some research if I were you, sounds like hooey to me.

vigurl

I'm not sure what part you are disagreeing with but there are tons of articles stating that the baby must remain at a level below the placenta.  So that's pretty much a fact.  Just google "delayed clamping infant below placenta"  but as I said talk to your OBGYN.

kenyakeetah

WTEWYE book mentions this in their emergancy at home(offic) birth, that if the placenta is delivered before help arrives to keep the placenta and umbilical together (I think put into a towel or something) and have higher than baby.

I have not thought about not getting it cut after birth, But at my hospital they give you the baby so you can hold him and start breastfeeding right away while you wait to deliver placenta. Not sure what they do if you want to wait for the pulsing to stop maybe they collect it and put it above you? like on your pillow... I would ask I am sure there are options

Hallil

My midwife places the baby on moms chest while attached, lets the cord quit pulsing, then cuts it. If indeed your doctor is right, then what's the harm in putting the baby on your chest immediately and leaving the cord just to leave it? If having chest to chest immediately cancels out the benefits of delayed cord clamping BUT does not cause any harm, why not just do that? Then, if your doctor is wrong you may get some of the benefits that most midwives and many obs believe to be true.

helenejr

Hallil:

My midwife places the baby on moms chest while attached, lets the cord quit pulsing, then cuts it. If indeed your doctor is right, then what's the harm in putting the baby on your chest immediately and leaving the cord just to leave it? If having chest to chest immediately cancels out the benefits of delayed cord clamping BUT does not cause any harm, why not just do that? Then, if your doctor is wrong you may get some of the benefits that most midwives and many obs believe to be true.

this!

I've mentioned numerous times that i want skin to skin straight away and that is encouraged by the birth center, i've also mentioned numerous times i want to cord to stop pulsing before it's cut and again it's encouraged..... so unless i'm being mislead i'll be doing both

blainethetrain

The research I'm reading, after googling the exact search terms suggested is that holding the baby below the placenta speeds up the time that it takes for the blood to go from placenta to baby. In the 20something natural births (in hospitals) that I've watched and assisted with, mom holding baby the entire time the cord was still attached and pulsing was not an issue at all. Maybe it's another OB vs.MW thing.

OctoberCAPA

Doesn't the pulsing usually only last like 30 seconds to at most a minute?  Seems like a pretty insignificant timeframe for a pretty significant benefit, even if it can't be simultaneous with skin to skin.  And I agree with pp--OBs and MWs seem to have very different opinions on this.

mesr

this was not my experience at all when dd was born.  as she came out, i pulled her right to my chest, which is where she stayed while the cord was pulsing, then while i cut it, and then while i was pushing out the placenta. 

i think having baby on chest immediately is pretty standard for my mw practice, and many mothers choose to let the cord stop pulsing before cutting.

the only time i've heard of not being able to immediately place baby on chest without cutting cord is if the cord is too short.

jlsimon56

I have a MW too and she is a huge supporter of skin to skin AND delayed cord clamping, so we are doing both.  She said she also "milks" the cord to get everything to the baby so that might negate the level compared to the placenta?  I figure the MW knows what she is doing, I am just along for the ride!  :-)

lily37

vigurl:

You must keep the baby at or below the level of the placenta until the cord is clamped.  

This is true, but holding your baby at your belly or even on your chest usually isn't an issue, especially for the 5 min or less that it takes the cord to stop pulsating.  I have read that it is only a danger if the baby is being held really high up, like above mom's head. 

kimbo1216

I'd be interested to hear Gym's thoughts on this.  I know she wants to do both.  From what I can tell from her post, she's a big researcher too. 

I will talk to my OB.  I plan on doing both also.  I'd really like to keep it that way.

nirern626

In my medical training we have never been told anything like this. Granted we usually clamp and cut right away routinely. But I had one mom ask me to let it stop pulsing and I had no issue with it. As long as mom and baby are healthy, the only other impediment to doing skin to skin and letting the cord pulse, would be a short cord but even then you can usually get baby to the belly. If this is something you feel strongly about, do your research and speak to your care provider about what is best for you and baby.

achowa00

At the recommendation of my midwife, I'll be doing both.  Immediate skin to skin contact (with either my husband or myself catching and pulling him/her out) and a delayed cord clamping.   Seemed to be no problem.

nicsigni

We will be doing both -skin to skin and delayed clamping- and our midwives haven't said boo about it.

It just goes to show that every practice is different and if there is something you want done (or don't want done) you should always talk to your care provider about it to make sure it's possible.

Wymasa

If that was the case, how can they place the baby directly on your chest after he/she is delivered? Then they cut the cord, while on your chest or closer to stomach (so I've seen) so I can't imagine why it would be any different to wait a bit with the baby on your chest.