S/O Delayed Cord Clamping

MeatballEsq · July 2012

As Aurora mentioned in the cord blood thread, delayed cord clamping is also an option. Any STMs done it before? I was just wondering how open the docs and hospitals are to it. FTR, I'm going to ask at my appointment on Friday.

Anyone else planning on doing it? If so, how long were you planning on clamping it? A certain time? Until the cord stops pulsating (I think that is one of the options anyway)?

tinabean00 · July 2012

I've already talked to my MW about it and that is standard practice for them.

We plan on waiting until the cord stops pulsing to cut.

2poodles2Love · July 2012

Someone please fill me in.....why would I want to do this??

quartz02 · July 2012

2poodles2Love:
Someone please fill me in.....why would I want to do this??

From what I've read, the baby doesn't have its full volume of blood until the cord stops pulsating.

kellelle01 · July 2012

I didn't know about this when I had DS #1, but I'm definitely interested in having them do that this time around.

I plan on talking about it at my next appointment. I hope they're open to it.

VineyardMel · July 2012

I asked my OB about this today. She said the research shows that this is very effective in third world countries, but that results are very mixed in the US. I'm having a c/s, so she didn't feel like it was worth the risk of additional bleeding for me while waiting. If I was having a vaginal I would insist, but I said OK for now, though I'm going to do some more research. My OB is a friend, so I do trust her very much, but I still want to dig around a little bit more.

MeatballEsq · July 2012

2poodles2Love:
Someone please fill me in.....why would I want to do this??

There are several supposed benefits, including higher iron levels for the baby. Here's an article on it https://academicobgyn.com/2009/12/03/delayed-cord-clamping-should-be-standard-practice-in-obstetrics/

TAGSL710 · July 2012

We will be requesting it and DH wants to cut it. There are pictures online of when it is "done". It is white instead of purplish.

MeatballEsq · July 2012

TAGSL710:
We will be requesting it and DH wants to cut it. There are pictures online of when it is "done". It is white instead of purplish.

TAGS - your DH is a firefighter right? Has he had to deliver babies before? My DH has had to do so and cut the cord before so I feel pretty confident he will be able to handle it if he wants to.

Shazzie116 · July 2012

quartz02:
2poodles2Love:
Someone please fill me in.....why would I want to do this??
From what I've read, the baby doesn't have its full volume of blood until the cord stops pulsating.

This is false according to my OB. Babies, like pregnant women, have more blood than they need.

I am not waiting. My OB explained that she does a "transfusion" of sorts (I forget the medical term for it) and quickly physically pushes blood from the cord to the baby so the baby can have immediate skin to skin. When you do delayed clamping, the doctor or midwife has to hold the baby and cord at the same level, below the level of the placenta, until the blood is done pumping and the cord stops pulsing. Gravity does not allow for immediate skin to skin and delayed clamping.

That's how it was explained to me.

gingerfamily · July 2012

Shazzie116:
quartz02:

2poodles2Love:
Someone please fill me in.....why would I want to do this??

From what I've read, the baby doesn't have its full volume of blood until the cord stops pulsating.

This is false according to my OB. Babies, like pregnant women, have more blood than they need.

I am not waiting. My OB explained that she does a "transfusion" of sorts (I forget the medical term for it) and quickly physically pushes blood from the cord to the baby so the baby can have immediate skin to skin. When you do delayed clamping, the doctor or midwife has to hold the baby and cord at the same level, below the level of the placenta, until the blood is done pumping and the cord stops pulsing. Gravity does not allow for immediate skin to skin and delayed clamping.

That's how it was explained to me.

From what I've read and what my OB has told me, I agree with this.

mchupie · July 2012

Shazzie116:
quartz02:
2poodles2Love:
Someone please fill me in.....why would I want to do this??
From what I've read, the baby doesn't have its full volume of blood until the cord stops pulsating.
This is false according to my OB. Babies, like pregnant women, have more blood than they need.
I am not waiting. My OB explained that she does a "transfusion" of sorts (I forget the medical term for it) and quickly physically pushes blood from the cord to the baby so the baby can have immediate skin to skin. When you do delayed clamping, the doctor or midwife has to hold the baby and cord at the same level, below the level of the placenta, until the blood is done pumping and the cord stops pulsing. Gravity does not allow for immediate skin to skin and delayed clamping.
That's how it was explained to me.

Hmm...we did delayed clamping with DD and didn't have to worry about this?

We did immediate skin to skin and cut the cord once it stopped pulsating.

MeatballEsq · July 2012

mchupie:
Shazzie116:
quartz02:

2poodles2Love:
Someone please fill me in.....why would I want to do this??

From what I've read, the baby doesn't have its full volume of blood until the cord stops pulsating.

This is false according to my OB. Babies, like pregnant women, have more blood than they need.

I am not waiting. My OB explained that she does a "transfusion" of sorts (I forget the medical term for it) and quickly physically pushes blood from the cord to the baby so the baby can have immediate skin to skin. When you do delayed clamping, the doctor or midwife has to hold the baby and cord at the same level, below the level of the placenta, until the blood is done pumping and the cord stops pulsing. Gravity does not allow for immediate skin to skin and delayed clamping.

That's how it was explained to me.

Hmm...we did delayed clamping with DD and didn't have to worry about this?

We did immediate skin to skin and cut the cord once it stopped pulsating.

Good to know. I didn't realize it was a one or the other choice, but I'm assuming it varies by OB. I'll have to find out what my OB does.

Holly_1007 · July 2012

we did not do it with DS, I hadn't done enough research at the time to make an educated decision. that being said, I have done the research this time around and if you do delayed cord clamping then you cannot donate your cord blood (or bank it privately) because there is no blood left.

DH and I have decided we would rather bank the blood than do delayed cord cutting.

terri_doula2010 · July 2012

With DS, we were planning on delaying at the birth center, but when we ended up with a c-section it totally didn't cross my mind.

I plan on delaying with this one.

There is no need for holding baby and cord below placenta or any of that...just some patience on the part of the provider.

Unem · July 2012

tinabean00:

I've already talked to my MW about it and that is standard practice for them.

We plan on waiting until the cord stops pulsing to cut.

This. It's standard at my birth center.

cmarie520 · July 2012

I haven't talked to my OB about this yet (I keep forgetting) but would anyone care to share their sources. I'm having a hard time finding good information (ie: actual research) on this topic that isn't just a blog or an opinion.

hmp1 · July 2012

cmarie520:
I haven't talked to my OB about this yet (I keep forgetting) but would anyone care to share their sources. I'm having a hard time finding good information (ie: actual research) on this topic that isn't just a blog or an opinion.

Here are a couple of studies. There is not a ton of research but there is also not a lot to show it harms the child in anyway (with the exception of maybe jaundice). I don't think there are any studies that follow the kids past the age of one at this time. My OB had no concerns with delaying clamping and said it is a pretty common request. We didn't wait until we were completely sure it stopped pulsating (like 15 minutes) but we did delay for 5 minutes. I was able to have DS handed to me for skin to skin contact without waiting to cut the cord.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/189803.php

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7612098

Also, DH is very very squeamish but he was able to cut the cord.

wannabigfam · July 2012

The only downside is that it might (key word) be a bit awkward to hold your baby while it finishes pulsating. Depending on how long your cord is...if it is short like mine was, I had to kind of lean forward in order for it to not pull on my placenta.

Everything happened so fast with my first that we forgot to follow through w/ this request re: delayed cord cutting (I barely made it to the hospital and only pushed for 10 min, so it wasn't fresh on my mind). However, after my husband caught the baby, I held the baby for a little bit (I don't know how long, less than a minute or two) and I remember having to reposition b/c it was tugging on my placenta if I sat comfortably back in the bed.

Our plan is to delay cutting the cord this time around.

jlh2716 · July 2012

My mw said that delayed cord clamping is standard practice for them. We'll wait til the cord stops pulsating.

I've heard from a few friends who wanted to delay it that it wasn't an issue in the hospitals they were at--they just stated that's what they wanted, so that's what happened.

terri_doula2010 · July 2012

wannabigfam:
The only downside is that it might (key word) be a bit awkward to hold your baby while it finishes pulsating. Depending on how long your cord is...if it is short like mine was, I had to kind of lean forward in order for it to not pull on my placenta.
Everything happened so fast with my first that we forgot to follow through w/ this request re: delayed cord cutting (I barely made it to the hospital and only pushed for 10 min, so it wasn't fresh on my mind). However, after my husband caught the baby, I held the baby for a little bit (I don't know how long, less than a minute or two) and I remember having to reposition b/c it was tugging on my placenta if I sat comfortably back in the bed.
Our plan is to delay cutting the cord this time around.

Cord length is a potential issue, but that also depends partially on patience (but this time of the mama, which I imagine being much more difficult/pertinent!) I want baby placed on my stomach initially, and the cord would be fine for that. From what I've seen as a doula and what I've read, I'd say average cord length will reach the breast (it goes back to pre-medicalized-birth days....our bodies are made to breastfeed our babies soon after birth when no one thought to clamp/cut so immediately). Some are crazy long, some are really short. I'd imagine if I ended up with a short one and just wanted my baby in my arms, the length of the delay is something I might change my mind about. Delayed clamping will be in my birth "plan" but as always it all depends on how the birth goes.

cmarie520 · July 2012

hmp&mrj:
cmarie520:
I haven't talked to my OB about this yet (I keep forgetting) but would anyone care to share their sources. I'm having a hard time finding good information (ie: actual research) on this topic that isn't just a blog or an opinion.
Here are a couple of studies. There is not a ton of research but there is also not a lot to show it harms the child in anyway (with the exception of maybe jaundice). I don't think there are any studies that follow the kids past the age of one at this time. My OB had no concerns with delaying clamping and said it is a pretty common request. We didn't wait until we were completely sure it stopped pulsating (like 15 minutes) but we did delay for 5 minutes. I was able to have DS handed to me for skin to skin contact without waiting to cut the cord.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/189803.php
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7612098
Also, DH is very very squeamish but he was able to cut the cord.

Thank you!

Manx4 · July 2012

Shazzie116:
quartz02:
2poodles2Love:
Someone please fill me in.....why would I want to do this??
From what I've read, the baby doesn't have its full volume of blood until the cord stops pulsating.
This is false according to my OB. Babies, like pregnant women, have more blood than they need.
I am not waiting. My OB explained that she does a "transfusion" of sorts (I forget the medical term for it) and quickly physically pushes blood from the cord to the baby so the baby can have immediate skin to skin. When you do delayed clamping, the doctor or midwife has to hold the baby and cord at the same level, below the level of the placenta, until the blood is done pumping and the cord stops pulsing. Gravity does not allow for immediate skin to skin and delayed clamping.
That's how it was explained to me.

This is what my OB said to me as well. She "milks" the cord and then cuts.

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