delayed clamping and gravity

MitoRachel · February 2013

I should probably just ask my OB about this in more detail, but I was also wondering what you ladies thought... my OB said he is happy to delay clamping the cord for however long, but that he wants to keep the baby below the placenta during that time. He said that he is always worried about putting the baby on the mom's belly before clamping because the baby might lose more blood to the placenta then is going in the baby due to fighting gravity. I had never heard this before and now I am wondering if what he really meant is that it takes longer for the cord to stop pulsing when the baby is on the mom's belly? Just curious if anyone else had heard this or considered it.

aylafsu88 · February 2013

I have not heard of this. My OB let me hold LO on my chest while he waited for the cord to stop pulsing. After a few minutes he clamped it and H cut the cord. I am interested to see what others post about this.

MrsBigTime · February 2013

I have kind of heard of this from friends who thought I was crazy for wanting to delay clamping. I don't know what the research is though. I'd definitely ask your doctor for more information and for me personally, I'd want immediate skin-to-skin more than I'd want delayed clamping, so if I'd have to choose, I'd choose having LO on my chest.

Delaying is standard practice with my Midwifery group, as is immediate skin-to-skin on mom's chest. I delivered standing up and grabbed my baby and put her to my chest, even when standing. Once I got into the bed she stayed on my chest while the cord pulsed. After it was done, DH cut the cord and the nurse was able to get enough blood out of the cord so I could donate as well.

LaurelBee · February 2013

It seems silly to me to believe that gravity is stronger than the pulse is. My head is above my heart, yet blood is still pumped to it!

Celyn · February 2013

The easiest way to appease an OB who insists on this (which is not evidence based, by the way -- when we stand up, all our blood does not pool at our feet...), is to deliver on hands and knees (which is one of the best ways to minimize tearing too, so it's one of my favorites).

MitoRachel · February 2013

Celyn:
The easiest way to appease an OB who insists on this (which is not evidence based, by the way -- when we stand up, all our blood does not pool at our feet...), is to deliver on hands and knees (which is one of the best ways to minimize tearing too, so it's one of my favorites).

Good idea! I wonder if he says this to everyone, or if it is because I have dysautonomia which makes my body have a hard time getting blood to my brain when standing and we don't know if there is a possibility I will pass this trait on to my baby. My legs sometimes hurt a LOT because of blood pooling in them and my heart rate can get really fast attempting to keep blood going to my brain. All the more reason to deliver on my hands and knees vs. squatting or standing!

Celyn · February 2013

I need to change my anecdote! (but he probably does say it to everybody. I hear it a lot). Good luck!

JCWhitey · February 2013

Delayed cord clamping has happened at all of the homebirths I have attended and each time the mom had the baby on her chest. The cord only pulses in one way so I don't think there's anything to back up his claims of the placenta getting more of the blood. But I'm also not a doctor and have never researched this.

danuli8 · February 2013

Mark Sloan wrote a great article about common objections to delayed cord clamping on the Science and Sensibility blog. Your question is answered under #7: https://www.scienceandsensibility.org/?p=5730

briannabeebug · February 2013

Uhhh what?? Skin to skin contact is being regarded now as one of the most important procedures to do immediately after the baby comes out as it regulates the baby's heart rate/body in general. I find it strange that an OB would say this, considering once the cord hits the air the cord sends signals to the placenta that it's purpose is no longer needed and so the placenta and cord starts to die, pumping the remaining blood from the placenta/cord to the baby. Also send him all the info you can about delayed cord clamping. Sounds like someone needs to do a bit more research!

stahlop · February 2013

I hate when doctors say this because it sounds so uneducated to me. The umbilical cord is like your arteries. No matter what direction you are in it will continue to pump the blood into the baby. Here is a blog article my midwife did about umbilical cords, complete with pictures of what happens to it after the baby is born.

https://www.nurturingheartsbirthservices.com/blog/?p=1542

(Sorry, don't know how to make clicky).

MitoRachel · February 2013

Thanks for the links and advice. I think part of the problem came from the fact that I was so uneducated about how the placenta to baby relationship works that I couldn't ask good questions. Now I feel like I have a better grasp of how everything works.

headgear03 · February 2013

I have delyed cord clamping with all three of my kids and plan on doing it agian with my fourth. We wait till the placenta is delivered and then the cord turns white before we clamp . If you wait till the cord turns white then there's no blood left to be moved . None of my kids have ever had issues and we always did skin to skin after birth .

bunniekrissy · February 2013

My ob said this to me (after I delivered the baby and he wasn't handing him to me on my chest like was in my birth plan that he had read and, I thought, agreed to.) I had both delayed cord clamping and immediate skin to skin on my birth plan and he never said anything about this being a problem until the baby was born. Not having LO on my chest immediately is probably my biggest "disappointment" about the birth... I'm finding a new OB next time around.

abell77 · February 2013

I've never heard that. Both of my babies were placed on my chest and we did delayed cord clamping.

A37licia · February 2013

That's bunk...I'll see if I can find a link to research on that. I've read about it before!

ETA: I see someone else posted the link. What your OB told you is a common misconception and/or excuse to get you to do what they want, in all honesty. It's longer for them if you want this, but you're the customer here and you're the parent. I commend you for wanting to delay the clamping.

Want a personalized experience?

delayed clamping and gravity

Re: delayed clamping and gravity

Choose Another Board

Search Boards