# Delayed Chord Clamping?



## NeyNey

Can someone give me the info on this. What does it mean exactly - they delay cutting the chord? How long can it be delayed for and what are the benefits. 

Just thinking about this for our next bubba and after some experiences from those who've done it :) 

Thanks!


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## chuck

The benefits are baby getting all of their blood!

Around a third of babies blood can be in the cord and placenta so if it is clamped and cut immediately baby can loose out on a lot of their own blood so end up low in oxygen iron etc.

Also if baby needs some resuscitation it is far better to have the cord attached and intact as they will still be receiving oxygen from you. There's no reason baby cannot be resused next to you.

You can delay clamping for a few mins or leave it until you deliver the placenta which can be a few mins to an hour, more often then not its only a few minutes.

I missed out on this which I was pissed off about, but I was bleeding and they wanted to give me the injection (not happy about as it increases risk of retained placenta) to reduce it and then without warning pulled on the cord to whip my placenta out (weirdest feeling ever).


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## moomin_troll

i was going to say everything chuck said!

i also had the injection with my first...mw was just rushing me because she wanted to go home. the injection made me feel awful, they dont warn u it can make u sick and feel very dizzy afterwards. i also had the placenta just pulled out which felt really weird.

u can also bf baby to help bring on contractions to birth the placenta quicker


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## moodle

https://academicobgyn.com/2009/12/0...ng-should-be-standard-practice-in-obstetrics/

Here is the same OB talking on video, there are four videos all in all :thumbup:


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## cranberry987

Im rhesus negative and I know that they test the cord blood for the blood type ( I think at least). Seems there must be some other way to do it tho. Sorry to jump in on the thread, any idea how tho?


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## moomin_troll

cranberry987 said:


> Im rhesus negative and I know that they test the cord blood for the blood type ( I think at least). Seems there must be some other way to do it tho. Sorry to jump in on the thread, any idea how tho?

im rhes neg too and they do get the blood from the cord but they dont need as much thats left behind if they clamp too soon. ive just been told they may have to clam the cord just before it stops pulsating to then get the blood


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## chuck

Hmmm I'm Rh - and me wanting a physiological 3rd was never an issue, my MW never said I'd have to have cord blood taken at any particular point.

I never got it at any rate but being Rh - shouldn't stop you getting delayed clamping.


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## lynnikins

i delayed clamping till the cord stopped pulsating with ds2 after just going with what the mw's wanted with ds1 and feeling like a peice of meat , it was lovely and plan to delay cutting the cord till it stops pulsating with this baby too then OH will clamp and cut it


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## caro103

my baby's cord was allowed to stop pulsating (midwifes idea at the time!! was v impressed) so was left in the pool holding him for around 15mins, they then cut and clapmed to get me and him out. After this I had the injection to get the placenta out.

Just though you might like to know they can give the injection after waiting, whereas some midwifes reckon it needs to be given right after the baby is born- not true! :D


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## moomin_troll

im aware that u can wait and then have the injection but after the way it made me feel i really dont want it again so im hoping its not needed and bf helps release the placenta


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## caro103

^^fair enough :), just for others knowledge as wasn't something i was aware of until actually in that situation


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## moomin_troll

its nice that ur mw told u about it tho. some just try and push the injection on to women.
im so glad that with this pregnancy and birth i actualy no more lol


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## lynnikins

moomin_troll said:


> its nice that ur mw told u about it tho. some just try and push the injection on to women.
> im so glad that with this pregnancy and birth i actualy no more lol

with ds1 they didnt even ask it was written in my birth plan that i didnt want it and my Mum and OH knew but they didnt ask and give anyone the chance it just got administered, i did have quite a go at them over that


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## 1hopefull

lynnikins said:


> moomin_troll said:
> 
> 
> its nice that ur mw told u about it tho. some just try and push the injection on to women.
> im so glad that with this pregnancy and birth i actualy no more lol
> 
> with ds1 they didnt even ask it was written in my birth plan that i didnt want it and my Mum and OH knew but they didnt ask and give anyone the chance it just got administered, i did have quite a go at them over thatClick to expand...

WOW, the stories of what they do without even asking are truly scary!

so i am really naive, what is the injection for? i gather helping with the placenta delivery but how? i have never even heard of this... do they do an IV injection?

thanks:D


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## lynnikins

its a quick jab in the thigh normally adminsitered as soon as they deliver the baby that is a synthetic form of Oxytocin ( which your body creates after delivery of your baby and can be helped by BF your baby ) it causes the placenta to detatch and contracts the uterus, having the Injection supposedly reduces blood loss post birth but from my recent research it actually probably doesnt it just traps the blood flow and clots in the uterus so that a few hours later when the woman goes to the bathroom to pee and shower they loose the blood and clots then, i know with ds1 i bled really heavily 4-12 hours after he was born then it stayed quite heavy for 5 wks dropping down only at week 6 before stopping, with ds2 i bled a tiny bit more post birth but not enough to be consider a hemmorage and the bleeding in the following weeks was alot less, i believe it was down to having a physiological 3rd stage with ds2 rather than the managed 3rd stage i had with ds1


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