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Umbilical Cord

BeebeeBeebee
in Labour & birth
i always have the injection as i bleed heavily anyway. but as long as all is ok with the birth and the baby when it is delivered i don't think there should be a problem to leave the cord til it stops pulsating. you should put this in your birth plan and make sure the midwives are made aware of your wishes when you go into hospital. they are normally ok with your wishes, but like i say it all depends on your birth and condition of baby when he/she comes out.xx

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    BeebeeBeebee
    On one of the tv shows a private midwife was telling this women who was having a home birth about the umilical cord & how it should be allowed to finish pulsating before it is cut.

    Has anyone else heard of this? The mw's idea was that the baby needed the nutrients that were still passing through it & by cutting it as soon as the baby was out (which is a normal hospital practice) meant the baby was missing out on what the cord contained.

    I will mention this in my birth plan as I agree, if the baby didn't need it then why is the cord still passing fluid to the baby but wondered if anyone else had an opinion or knew about this.
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    Suzaie2Suzaie2
    Hi beebee, yes I gave this alot of thought when I was pregnant, I don't know how true it is that there are extra nutrients coming out whilst the cord is still pulsating, but it seems to make sense doesn't it. I didn't get a chance to do it cause I had a c section.

    Your best bet it probably to search the web for info, unless you midwife is very good, because they don't seem to be very clued up on things like that.

    Let me know what you find out.x
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    starflystarfly
    Hi Beebee, i had a waterbirth in hospital and my cord wasn't cut until it finished pulsating. I didn't ask for this in my birthplan, i just assumed it was common practice. Speak to your m/w about it and see what she says but you might find that they actually do wait before cutting the cord. Sarah xxx
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    2BMum2BMum
    Hi Beebee! Im a midwife and too be honest there hasnt been much medical research as to whether it is medicall better to cut the cord instantly following birth or after it has stopped pulsating. It often depends on the midwife. However, I would recommend this as what has been said is true. Having the cord to continue to pulsate is better for the baby, that is speaking from a personall and midwifery opinion. I hope this helps.
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