Will you wait for cord to stop pulsing? (XP from 3rd Tri)

kristin172429 · November 2011

I have been doing a lot of reading about the umbilical cord and when to clamp/cut. So many researchers now say to delay cutting at least a few minutes or until the cord stops pulsing. It is supposed to be much better for baby to receive that blood, especially since it contains stem cells (one researcher calls it "nature's first stem cell transplant"). Since we are not banking our cord blood and can't donate it in our state (no one takes it!), I am definitely thinking we will want to wait for the cord to stop pulsing. I really want the baby placed on my chest immediately after birth anyway, so it's not like he's going anywhere.

What are you planning? Any pros/cons in your book on waiting v. not?

KatelynEA90 · November 2011

I'm pro- delayed cord clamping/cutting.

Shawnee11507 · November 2011

I want to wait for the cord to stop pulsing. It is on my list of things to ask my doctor about at my next appointment. I never thought about it until my sister posted this article:

https://erinmidwife.com/2011/05/30/omg-you-did-not-just-clamp-out-a-third-of-my-babys-blood-supply/

karleegirl · November 2011

I'm donating the cord blood. It will hopefully help give someone else another chance at life.

alysalouton · November 2011

Wow this is all so interesting to me. I had no idea there was a difference when they could cut/clamp the cord. Im glad this is shared so i can learn about it and consider it all! Thanks for posting

mljohnson · November 2011

This is something the L&D ward staff laugh at. But to each his own.

runrinserepeat · November 2011

I won't be making any special requests. After reading several articles (including the one here:https://apps.who.int/rhl/pregnancy_childbirth/childbirth/3rd_stage/cd004074_abalose_com/en/index.html), I don't think it actually makes much of a difference, especially as my child will have access to good nutrition. That said, I will probably be paying very little attention to anything but my little girl at that point, anyway.

kristin172429 · November 2011

mljohnson:
This is something the L&D ward staff laugh at. But to each his own.

Out of curiosity, why would they laugh at this? There are proven benefits to it and the US is one of the only countries that clamps and cuts immediately and they really only started doing it in the mid-1900s because they thought it would help prevent jaundice, which was eventually proven wrong. Would love a little more insight as to why they would find it funny.

jennlin · November 2011

karleegirl:
I'm donating the cord blood. It will hopefully help give someone else another chance at life.

this, however OP said her state doesn't do donations.....

i wouldn't, just because i've read about the jaundice thing (which pp had said it has been dis proven)...but oh well. i'm still lost in that world, and we're donating anyways.

Shmogan09 · November 2011

We put it in our birth plan to wait to clamp but I have no idea if they did it or not. Never thought to ask after and in the moment it didn't cross my mind.

mljohnson · November 2011

kristin172429:

mljohnson:
This is something the L&D ward staff laugh at. But to each his own.

Out of curiosity, why would they laugh at this? There are proven benefits to it and the US is one of the only countries that clamps and cuts immediately and they really only started doing it in the mid-1900s because they thought it would help prevent jaundice, which was eventually proven wrong. Would love a little more insight as to why they would find it funny.

It's just one more thing people but in their birth plan that they saw off the internet. For every proven fact you find you can also find something different. I do not work in L&D but am in the health care field (family and friends work in that department) and its just sometimes funny what people can find. The last thing was pitocin causes autism. But, if thats what you want they are fine with it. It's murphy's law that if you come in with an extravagant birth plan you end up with a c-section.

seriously if this is what you want its fine. I donated my cord blood so thats what I will be doing again. GL

Hunterloren · November 2011

I want them to wait. I have heard good things about waiting. However, if they don't, I'm not going to freak out. However, I do want my way.

nickert2000 · November 2011

You will not notice or care at the time

buckeyebride22 · November 2011

mljohnson:
kristin172429:

mljohnson:
This is something the L&D ward staff laugh at. But to each his own.

Out of curiosity, why would they laugh at this? There are proven benefits to it and the US is one of the only countries that clamps and cuts immediately and they really only started doing it in the mid-1900s because they thought it would help prevent jaundice, which was eventually proven wrong. Would love a little more insight as to why they would find it funny.

It's just one more thing people but in their birth plan that they saw off the internet. For every proven fact you find you can also find something different. I do not work in L&D but am in the health care field (family and friends work in that department) and its just sometimes funny what people can find. The last thing was pitocin causes autism. But, if thats what you want they are fine with it. It's murphy's law that if you come in with an extravagant birth plan you end up with a c-section.

seriously if this is what you want its fine. I donated my cord blood so thats what I will be doing again. GL

Haha I thought this was my theory They should do a study about the increase in c/s with moms who have birth plans.

lindsayandjamie · November 2011

It is standard practice with my midwife to delay cord cutting until it stops pulsing unless you plan to bank the blood. We cannot afford to bank the blood and donation is not an option yet, so we will be delaying.

FWIF, birth plans vs birth preferences are two totally different things. In Canada, preferences like delayed cord cutting, immediate skin to skin, and immediate breastfeeding are recognized as the mothers right to choose barring a medical emergency. These preferences are not considered a laughing matter, and if it were, I would be searching out another hospital.

Shmogan09 · November 2011

In response to the comments about birth plans...

Our birth class instructor was a L&D nurse and she told us these things to make the nurses not roll their eyes at you...

No more than 1 page, if not half a page.

Preface everything with "if possible" so they know you aren't going to fight them when it is really necessary.

Bring a small gift for each L&D nurse you get. (seriously, we got little boxes of sees candy)

Like PP said, as long as they are all preferences... for example I said I would not like to be offered an epi and that I would like mineral oil and hot towels during pushing, those things they followed. But I also said I wanted immediate skin to skin and they told me since he was grunting instead of crying they needed to check him first and I immediately said okay.

I think simple birth plans are a good idea for things like wanting the cord to stop pulsing as long as you are not going to freak if something doesn't go the way you said. You won't remember to ask for what you want during labor, so at least you have something they might follow.

aly&ky · November 2011

Shawnee11507:
https://erinmidwife.com/2011/05/30/omg-you-did-not-just-clamp-out-a-third-of-my-babys-blood-supply/

Thanks for sharing this article. We are planning on delaying clamping and her take on it is very approachable.

kristin172429 · November 2011

Oh, I'm with you on the crazy stuff people find and put into a birth plan. Extravagant birth plans are kind of crazy. You can't dictate how the experience will go and to hand anyone a five page list of your every whim and desire for birth is just absurd. We actually chatted with the nurses when my SIL was in the hospital and they said a birth plan is fine, but if it is 3 pages long, they probably won't read it all. They really advised just highlighting the big things that are important to you.

My rough draft of my "birth plan" is seriously about 10 bullet points that take up half a page. Things like skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, no epidural, etc. I also wrote it in a tone that is not demanding (it is amazing how far common courtesy gets you in this world!). I am actually thinking of including a little note at the beginning of the list that says something like:

"Below is a list of things that we would really like to achieve during our birth experience. We write this list with the understanding that every situation is unique, things change in an instant, and medical necessity may override a wish from our list. We are flexible and open to whatever is needed to safely bring our child into this world and are happy to discuss any alternatives to what we have listed below. Thank you for helping us meet our child!"

susie2242 · November 2011

This was our only request as far as a birth plan last time. I went with the flow on everything else. My OB was fine with it, she said she had no feelings on it either way and if thats what we wanted she was fine to go with our wishes. So were the L&D nurses and the on-call doc. If they laughed at me, I don't care.

mixedqt21 · November 2011

Because of Murphy and my bad luck, I am really just going with the flow. I have a few ideas of what my preferences are, but I don't know how things are going to go so I don't want to try and have a million Plan Bs.

nonoemily · November 2011

mljohnson:
This is something the L&D ward staff laugh at. But to each his own.

This is why I'm choosing a birth center and midwives over a hospital. Indifferent

tahitiandreamin · November 2011

lindsayandjamie:
It is standard practice with my midwife to delay cord cutting until it stops pulsing unless you plan to bank the blood. We cannot afford to bank the blood and donation is not an option yet, so we will be delaying.

This exactly. I'm also in Ontario and I know that L+D staff will abide by these preferences where possible.

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