Waiting to cut cord?

[Jenniflower]

I'd wait longer than an hour. I dont like the idea of traction at all.

Well yea, but an hour is usually a guideline for how long they let it stay in until they get worried. So say you convinced them to even let it stay in for 1 hour and 30 min. But it still wasn't coming out. What is the lesser of two evils?

 

[Mervs Mum]

That's so sad My hospital and Birth Centre births were both delayed clamping.

 

[Jenniflower]

I asked a few times in hospital and had it on my birth plan which they told me in labour they dont do that. so I didnt get that. I know this is home birth but its great home birth I think as you can choose to do that. I wish my hospital had done this.

That's horrible they wouldn't listen to you about that!

 

[Mervs Mum]

I'd wait longer than an hour. I dont like the idea of traction at all.

Well yea, but an hour is usually a guideline for how long they let it stay in until they get worried. So say you convinced them to even let it stay in for 1 hour and 30 min. But it still wasn't coming out. What is the lesser of two evils?

The Mws at the last HB I was at were happy with 2 hours....not that it was needed.

If you are asking me my opinion for me personally, I'd wait 2 hours and then try a few different positions. Get on the loo, squat, more breast feeding etc. then maybe some very gently massage of the tummy/uterus and finally the injection rather than traction. That's purely ME. I just couldnt stand them pulling. It think I'd puke or pass out at the thought!

 

[PeanutBean]

Having read about a woman's uterus being inverted by a careless doctor I'd definitely go for the shot! I had to have it last time anyway because of blood loss from the epis.

 

[Dragonfly]

I asked a few times in hospital and had it on my birth plan which they told me in labour they dont do that. so I didnt get that. I know this is home birth but its great home birth I think as you can choose to do that. I wish my hospital had done this.

That's horrible they wouldn't listen to you about that!

"its not normal practise" was the answer I got when begging in labour. They said they try and meet your birth plan as best they can. Just not what you want I take it. Seems to be get baby out fast as you can. I didnt get Alex for a good half an hour later but William got him within minutes also wouldnt do the delay. I didnt even know what they gave me in labour I found out later it was what was making me and Alex sick and alex was asleep and couldnt feed for 2 days nearly. Not having any more any way so no next times.

 

[indigo_fairy]

I've been reading up on the cord clamping and how beneficial it is to have the baby get the blood instead of it go to waste as such, and I want to delay it. The only thing I'm worried about as my first labour went from wanting totally natural birth to emcs (took a long time to accept that but it WILL be different this time) is that even if I have any kind of notes on my 'birth plan' they won't be taken notice of again..

I'm not sure what my maternity unit's policy is for waiting time, they usually just seem to want to rush through the 3rd stage though from what I've heard from friends.

If I'm delaying the cutting of the cord I don't want the injection to speed up the placenta do I?

I also read that the baby needs to be lower than the placenta so gravity can do it's job to get the blood back to baby, so would lying down with baby BF not work as well?

 

[helen1234]

my hospital will assist, well at vbac clinic she said they will and she had statistics on it regarding Alzheimer's reuction,and autism in boys

x

 

[broodylocket]

wow, i didnt know u didnt have to cut the cord straight away, i would of waited but as my son needed oxygen i couldnt of done but will do next time i hope

 

[SIEGAL]

I was considering doing that but my husband really wanted to do the cord blood banking and I wasn't gonna argue with "if she god forbid needs it in the future you'll never forgive yourself" but i do think its a great idea otherwise.

 

[NaturalMomma]

Yes that's what we did. We waited until after the placenta was born.

 

[Jenniflower]

I've been reading up on the cord clamping and how beneficial it is to have the baby get the blood instead of it go to waste as such, and I want to delay it. The only thing I'm worried about as my first labour went from wanting totally natural birth to emcs (took a long time to accept that but it WILL be different this time) is that even if I have any kind of notes on my 'birth plan' they won't be taken notice of again..

I'm not sure what my maternity unit's policy is for waiting time, they usually just seem to want to rush through the 3rd stage though from what I've heard from friends.

If I'm delaying the cutting of the cord I don't want the injection to speed up the placenta do I?

I also read that the baby needs to be lower than the placenta so gravity can do it's job to get the blood back to baby, so would lying down with baby BF not work as well?

It's crazy how beneficial it is and how it's not really common practice.
You should talk to your midwife about how important it is to you, and though I know she won't be there on the day but she can help you find your voice to let those midwives who will be know. In addition just make sure you go through your birth plan with the midwife as soon as you get into hospital. Don't worry at all about what they think. It's not your job to analyze how they perceive you. It's their job to help you achieve your birth. I think to often women worry about what the midwives will think of them if they seem to pushy or needy (myself included in this). We should all stop worrying about it though.

I would say if you're going natural then go natural with your third stage as well. I have in my birth plan that I would like a physiolocical third stage. They'll wait up to an hour to deliver the placenta and if after that time it hasn't come then I am ok with getting the shot so long as the cord has been clamped. My midwife mentioned it can take anywhere from 15min-45min for the cord to stop pulsing.

And though you've heard from friends that they just seem to want to rush through the third stage that doesn't mean that they won't know what to do when you ask for the cord to stop pulsing. I've been learning that it's becoming more and more a practice of waiting so you'd be surprised. One simple mention of "I would like the cord to stop pulsing before cutting" and I'm certain the midwives would be fine with this. It's only if there's an emergency should they need to cut it sooner.

 

[Mervs Mum]

Broodylocket all the time your son was attached to the placenta, he WAS getting oxygen.

The baby doesnt need to be lower than the placenta. That's not true. The cord is that length so the baby can reach your breast.

 

[Bournefree]

I think that it is good to understand that the placenta can take it's time to come away. Before my DD was born, and we were at antinatal classes (both NCT and community hospital), the timings for the 3rd stage were given to us as; 15min for a managed 3 stage and physiological about 30 to 45 min. However, this isn't always the case! Mine took just under 2 hours to come away.. and no one was worried. I would be perfectly happy to wait this amount of time again.

The plusing of our cord took about 20-30min to stop with us.

It is stimulated both by baby and mother. In the first instance by the baby taking it's first breaths - as the babies circulation rapidly has to change from circulating to the cord and the placenta for oxygen, to the plumonary lung circulation. Cutting the babies blood flow just inside babies belly button as the redirection to lung circulation is very very important. Second action to stop pulsation, is the hormonal changes within the mother, as the placental circulation is contracted with oxytocin produced with in the mothers brain. The tissues restrict, initiating the disconnection of the placenta, and the sitimulation of the uterus to contract and deliver the placenta.
So baby will rapidly NOT be receiving any blood from the placenta upon taking first breaths. (even though the blood within the cord is babies blood not the mother's - the oxygen and neutrient exchange point is in the placenta) The remaining plusing of the cord comes from the placental circulation from the mother to the cord, and won't stop until the placental connection has been restricted.
However both stages of this can be delayed.. so until babies breathing is established, and not taking cord blood, there isn't the negative feedback needed (of the blood not circulating t baby) to stimulate the constriction on the uterus at the site of the placenta. It is all very interconnected! I would never, never want to have cord cut before babies breathing was established!! In fact DD was born in water, so it was essential for her to come up for air first - as she was still getting all her needs from me, until those first few breaths, she didn't really know she was born! This in my mind is similar to being on land, and cutting the cord immediatly without established breathing - It is akin to baby suffocating. (not to be too dramatic!)

So in summary, it is better for the mother and baby if cord is allowed to stop circulating blood to baby, before clamping or cutting (if you need to cut at all)
I don't want (and didn't with my first) to have the cord cut at all. Though I have to say, that we did have a cord cut after 30mins with DD as I needed to walk about, as I had the most painful cramp in my whole leg that I have ever experianced!!! Cest la vie!
xXx

 

[Mervs Mum]

I had a 10 min physiological 3rd stage - that's pretty good going. I've seen 35mins to 1 hr 25 mins - even that didnt FEEL long TBH. The hour or so after a baby is born goes soooooo fast!

 

[indigo_fairy]

Thanks everyone for all that info, I feel I'm really in the dark with it all because of my first birth. I never even got to see the placenta or cord (even though I did request it in my birth plan) I guess it changed a bit on the day. I since read that I could've had her straight on to me uncleaned, as I wanted but I didn't get the opportunity to even ask at the time, it was all too quick. Felt like she was ripped out of me and poked and prodded, and wrapped in a rough blanket against her poor delicate skin.

She even got given to DH for what seemed like ages, my body went into shock and I couldn't breathe, as soon as the midwives took notice of what I was saying and saw I was struggling to breath they told him to give our baby to me, which suddenly made me able to breath. So I obviously want to do things very differently this time. Got plenty of time to research and discuss what I want, and it'll hopefully go more to plan (I hope!).

 

[Guera]

I really wanted to delay cord clamping with my last babe, unfortunately I have c-sections, and the Dr. really isnt patient with waiting.
I wonder if anyone has advice on how to ask for delayed clamping/cutting with a c-section.

 

[Annunakian]

Thanks everyone for all that info, I feel I'm really in the dark with it all because of my first birth. I never even got to see the placenta or cord (even though I did request it in my birth plan) I guess it changed a bit on the day. I since read that I could've had her straight on to me uncleaned, as I wanted but I didn't get the opportunity to even ask at the time, it was all too quick. Felt like she was ripped out of me and poked and prodded, and wrapped in a rough blanket against her poor delicate skin.

That's how I feel. My son was born very quickly due to I was throwing up when I was pushing him out. DH said the MW almost dropped him as is because he shot out so fast. I didn't see him AT ALL. They cut the cord, got him on the table, resuscitated him (probably because they cut the cord so fast), poked him, prodded him, eye gelled him and god knows what else since the nurses were hovering over the heated table and I couldn't see a damn thing. Sometimes I look back and think they didn't want me to see what was going on.

 

[indigo_fairy]

Thanks everyone for all that info, I feel I'm really in the dark with it all because of my first birth. I never even got to see the placenta or cord (even though I did request it in my birth plan) I guess it changed a bit on the day. I since read that I could've had her straight on to me uncleaned, as I wanted but I didn't get the opportunity to even ask at the time, it was all too quick. Felt like she was ripped out of me and poked and prodded, and wrapped in a rough blanket against her poor delicate skin.

That's how I feel. My son was born very quickly due to I was throwing up when I was pushing him out. DH said the MW almost dropped him as is because he shot out so fast. I didn't see him AT ALL. They cut the cord, got him on the table, resuscitated him (probably because they cut the cord so fast), poked him, prodded him, eye gelled him and god knows what else since the nurses were hovering over the heated table and I couldn't see a damn thing. Sometimes I look back and think they didn't want me to see what was going on.

I don't know about you but it's taken me a long time to accept that the past can't be changed and it happened, but the same as you when I think back it feels like yesterday and does upset me. At least we'll know more this time round, so it will be a totally different experience I can only pray!

 

[indigo_fairy]

I really wanted to delay cord clamping with my last babe, unfortunately I have c-sections, and the Dr. really isnt patient with waiting.
I wonder if anyone has advice on how to ask for delayed clamping/cutting with a c-section.

I don't see why not, as they can still stitch you up while the baby is connected to the placenta. But I'm not sure, I think it would depend on your surgeon etc... asking can't hurt, and you could explain how important it is to you, and it wouldn't delay them with their job.