the importance of delayed cord clamping
In honor of getting yelled at by an OBGYN this past weekend for stopping him from clamping a client’s dark purple, pulsing cord immediately after birth, I figured I’d write a post about the importance of delayed or optimal cord clamping.
Delayed cord clamping is not just a preference. It’s a necessity for your baby. Your baby either gets all of their blood or they don’t.
After your baby is born, the umbilical cord continues to work. It’s still transferring blood, oxygen, and stem cells to your baby while he adjusts to life outside the womb. It’s God’s wise design that protects your baby while he transitions to using his lungs for the first time.
1/3 of baby’s blood has to return to his body after he’s born. It’s not extra blood. It’s his blood that he needs. To deny a baby of this is denying them of:
· 1/3 of their blood volume
· an increase of red blood cells by 60%
· an additional 40-50 mg/kg of iron
· an infusion of stem cells which play an essential role in the development of the respiratory, immune, cardiovascular, and central nervous system
· a decreased risk of needing resuscitation.
Delayed or optimal cord clamping is especially important for many babies who take time to transition (which is totally normal although hospital staff will be freaking out if they take more than two seconds to cry). Keeping the cord attached prevents oxygen deprivation and serves as baby’s lifeline.
So what gives? Why are doctors and nurses rushing to clamp and cut the cord?
1. It’s protocol and that’s what they’ve been taught. On average, it takes 17 years for research evidence to reach clinical practice. I talk about this with clients frequently: our medical system does not abide by current research. Not even close. The OBGYN who yelled at me for interfering with his clamp moving towards the cord has been practicing for 24 years. I’m doubtful that he’s read anything that isn’t from the 80s or 90s.
2. The hospital’s main goal is to limit liability for them. It’s a self-serving system tied to capitalism. Their protocol is designed by organizations like ACOG, governed by other older medical doctors of obstetrics and/or gynecology whose primary training is in the pathology of birth, not the physiology of.
3. Hospital staff is HANDSY. They feel that if they are not actively doing something to mom or baby then they’re not helping. In reality, the less they do, the more helpful they’re being (the vast majority of the time).
So what can you do?
1. Ask your provider prenatally what they do to support delayed or optimal cord clamping (delayed = however long you want, recommendation for all the benefits listed above is until it’s white and has stopped pulsing. Optimal = until placenta is out). Remember that “delayed” is subjective. Some hospitals market themselves on offering delayed cord clamping but when you ask them exactly how long that is they reply, “about 30 seconds.” That’s their version of delayed.
2. Put it on your birth plan. Unfortunately, this is not the end-all/be-all for some hospitals whose staff won’t review your birth plan before continuing to follow protocol without thinking about it. But it’s a great start and it certainly may help.
3. Have an advocate/bodyguard. You can instill this in your partner to watch and protect your cord, but this might be difficult if he’s the only one coaching you through birth. He might also forget everything once he sees his beautiful baby for the first time – understandable. You can also hire a doula. I’m certain that any doula would be happy to be the “bad guy” for protecting your cord and your birth space in general even if it means dealing with inappropriate or aggressive confrontation. I know I would do it a million times over!
4. If you have a provider who doesn’t respect the process of your baby receiving all their blood and cares more about protocol than your baby’s wellbeing, it’s never too late to change providers. You can even switch in labor! Midwives are usually more well versed in the physiology of birth but if they work in a medical setting they are still bound by hospital policies – “medwives,” if you will.
5. Consider home birth. This is literally never an issue or even a second thought with homebirth midwives. There are countless other benefits to staying home for all low-risk pregnancies.
I end with a direct quote from the OBGYN who inspired this blog post:
“You must know more than me!” he yelled sarcastically.
If you do not know the benefits of delayed cord clamping….yes.
It still makes me giggle.
Hope this helps someone somewhere somehow. Happy birthing!