Delayed cord clamping or donate cord blood?

Sammy K · May 2015

Our hospital now does free cord blood donation, which I think is a great thing. But it's hard for them to collect if you delay cord clamping. I was planning on delaying cord clamping for 1-3 minutes or until the cord stops pulsing. But I would also love to help out someone else by donating if possible. My OB has no preferences other than she wants the cord clamped at 3 min at the latest due to risks associated with longer delays. And I am fully aware the cord will be clamped/cut in emergency situations.

Thoughts? We delayed clamping with DS but donating wasn't an option at the time. I'm almost leaning towards donation for the good it could do.

KaLikeAWind · May 2015

Donation!

There actually was a really good thread a while back about donation vs banking - which I know is not your question - but in that thread some ladies shared their stories about how donation made a difference to their families. I'm sure you could find it with the search just using keywords cord blood.

I'd definitely discuss with your Dr about your wishes to donate (if you decide to donate) and see how she can help you accomplish both goals. Thanks for considering this! I wanted to donate but am unable to for a couple of reasons (my state does not participate, my husband is adopted so we do not meet the criteria for familial health history).

britneythebridexo · May 2015

I've heard delayed cord clamping has great benefits but I won't be doing it due to my first son who was really jaundiced. It can cause your baby more likely to be jaundiced. Without the delay my son already got jaundice and had awful feeding issues.

Bednarova · May 2015

We can do both at my hospital. Delayed clamping for about a minute, and then donate the rest.

Sammy K · May 2015

I'll have to read that thread. I saw it in my search, but skipped it since I have no interest in banking. I'm sure after a story or two, I will be convinced.

klkonwi · May 2015

https://m.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Timing-of-Umbilical-Cord-Clamping-After-Birth?IsMobileSet=true

Here is an article stating some risks (ie jaundice) and it states that currently evidence is really actually insufficient to say it helps to delay.
The abstract at the beginning is useful and breaks it down a bit.
It does state you cannot delay if you want to bank.

sschwege · May 2015

With my first we were able to do both. We have delayed clamping as first priority then if there is enough donation.

Sammy K · May 2015

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/jul/11/hospitals-nhs-umbilical-cords-babies-delay-cutting

The UK announced recently that delayed clamping will become standard. Sorry I don't have access to the actual research.

The hospital said they can do both but donation is less successful with delayed clamping. I think we will donate, though. I've been blessed with healthy babies and if we can help just one family, it will be worth it.

virginiaunicorn11 · May 2015

My father had a bone marrow transplant in October and is well enough to be visiting me in Germany this coming week! Unfortunately he couldn't find a public match, even after local "drives," but was lucky enough that his brother turned out to be a good enough match, despite terrible odds.

I had never heard of cord blood donation before my father's need. My family has the resources to privately bank, but I will be donating. Obviously you should do what you think is best for your child. I can say that as someone whose family member has been through a failed search for a match, I can't imagine not donating. I am perhaps too emotionally involved, but am personally not even considering delayed clamping - most babies don't have that, and turn out ok. (I know, that's terrible logic for most people. I know.) I personally feel that I owe the universe some cord blood.

I am in NO WAY projecting any of this on you. Just offering a testimonial on the importance of cord blood donation. I really commend everyone who even considers it, thank you.

Maggie0908 · May 2015

My hospital can do delay + donation/banking.

KonaCoffeeBean · May 2015

One factor I've encountered in researching this is that the benefits of delayed clamping seem greater the earleier the baby is born. So, for example, if you go overdue, that may be one more reason to do donation rather than delay.

Frogger5 · May 2015

I am planning on donating. The materials I was given say that many donations aren't actually enough volume to meet the criteria, so I'm interested in the idea that you could do delayed clamping and still donate. Doesn't seem like that would work - anyone else heard that? Seems like you would never know whether they actually banked your donation or not, though. Hmm.

klkonwi · May 2015

According to my ACOG article I posted you cannot do both.

alcrimmins · May 2015

My hospital delays clamping until the cord stop pulsing for everyone unless there is an emergency or you are banking. It does not push banking for some reason. We'll be doing delayed cord clamping.

Sammy K · May 2015

Frogger5 said:
I am planning on donating. The materials I was given say that many donations aren't actually enough volume to meet the criteria, so I'm interested in the idea that you could do delayed clamping and still donate. Doesn't seem like that would work - anyone else heard that? Seems like you would never know whether they actually banked your donation or not, though. Hmm.

The hospital told me they can try but it's usually not successful. She said if you feel strongly about donating, then they don't recommend delayed clamping to increase the chance of a successful donation. It seems consistent with what @klkonwi posted.

pixieprincss · May 2015

Donation isn't on our radar this time around. While it is a lovely idea, and I am so glad that some people have benefited, I believe that we are increasingly learning that the cord blood already has a vital purpose--going to the baby. It may never be used in a banking situation, but it will definitely be used if it goes into my baby. We'll let the cord stay put until it stops pulsing and perhaps until the placenta is delivered.

staceyfern · May 2015

What is delayed clamping? I have never heard of this.

Serenamarr · May 2015

@staceyfern rather than immediately cutting the umbilical cord as soon as the baby is delivered, waiting even just a few minutes allows for the transfer of blood from placenta to baby and back to complete its cycle naturally. After a few minutes, the change in the umbilical cord is visible- it goes from full and taut to limp and empty. Some moms feel that waiting to cut until this point benefits their baby.

HoosOnFirst · May 2015

At our labor class, this question was asked and the nurse said there's no conclusive evidence either way if it benefits a full-term baby. She was a pretty "natural" crunchy-granola-type on everything else so I take her word on this one. Basically the hospital will do whatever we want, but if there's no medical certainty then we will cut when they say to, and rather donate to the common pool to help others.

peggy630 · May 2015

Thanks for this post. We were going to do delay clamping after receiving some brief info at our prenatal class. Then when we went to the OB's office last week, my husband asked the doc on her thoughts of delayed clamping and she said it's only really beneficial if baby is born pre-37 weeks or if we live in a 3rd world country. With add'tl info and her point of view, we are going to donate the cord blood.

finchfeeder80 · May 2015

If my hospital did donations, I would gladly. I've been a regular blood donor since I was 17. However, according to bethematch.org, my hospital does not participate. I will ask my doc Wednesday, just to double check. It seems crazy that I'm going to the hospital that delivers more babies each year than any other in my city doesn't participate with cord blood donation.

Kbchavez23 · May 2015

My daughter is a leukemia survivor so I highly suggest doing whatever is possible to donate! You can save lives!

klkonwi · May 2015

.

klkonwi · May 2015

Does anyone care if this thread would go die now?!?

MixedCurlsXo · May 2015

@finchfeeder80 I'm running into the exact same problem! I was just on that site & it didn't list my hospital even though it's one of the biggest in the state. I'm pretty disappointed.

dkleid · May 2015

MixedCurlsXo said:
@finchfeeder80 I'm running into the exact same problem! I was just on that site & it didn't list my hospital even though it's one of the biggest in the state. I'm pretty disappointed.

The hospital that I am delivering at while it does not provide you with the materials will do it if you bring them with you or have them sent to the hospital before you deliver. I would love to donate but I am 37 weeks, and I've had a transfusion so i cant.

Maggie0908 · May 2015

That ACOG article is from 2012 which is light years ago in medicine. Time for them to reference something new...

Early cord clamping (ECC) was started without any evidence base. Looking at all other mammals delay seems to be the way to go, and many physicians will agree regardless of the ACOG stance.

My major university hospital will do delay and then I'm donating to a bank for research. I would say if you can delay (and want to) and still bank do it. Otherwise it is a very personal decision and you would need to weigh the pros and cons of each after doing your own research, particularly since there still isn't a general consensus among healthcare practitioners on ECC vs DCC.

MixedCurlsXo · May 2015

@dkleid do you know of any organizations that will send you a kit & pick it up? Or does it depend on your location? I've come across a couple that provide the service but it's for private banking only. I should probably start making phone calls.

klkonwi · May 2015

@Maggie0908 would you like to post a newer ACOG article ?
It's the newest ACOG article I could find at this point.

HayesRN13 · May 2015

You can of course try to do both, and yes they will collect.. But chances are there won't be enough. So I recommend one or the other. I will say there has been an increase in babies requiring phototherapy since delaying has become more popular.... The benefits just aren't there for me to delay, I will be donating. In response to Maggie, saying physicians agree really isn't a valid statement (no sass intended), the opposite is actually true in my experience.

dkleid · May 2015

MixedCurlsXo said:
@dkleid do you know of any organizations that will send you a kit & pick it up? Or does it depend on your location? I've come across a couple that provide the service but it's for private banking only. I should probably start making phone calls.

I don't, I want to donate but I have had blood transfusions and I am to far along within my pregnancy to qualify (37 weeks 2 days). You can probably call your OB/Midwife/Hospital and Im sure they will know of a few. When DH and I took a class at the hospital they mentioned this and I just googled Cord Blood Donation but every site told me that I don't qualify so I haven't been able to get that far.

knwilliams01 · May 2015

None of the hospitals in the city where I delivered did public cord banking.

Since LO came at 36 weeks we opted to delay cord clamping after talking to the NICU doctor. He felt very strongly about delayed cord clamping in babies less than 37 weeks.

finchfeeder80 · May 2015

www.bethematch.org

I'm sure there are others, but it's one of the big ones.

Want a personalized experience?

Delayed cord clamping or donate cord blood?

Re: Delayed cord clamping or donate cord blood?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards