My personal experience with delayed cord clamping
You can see the difference from left to right where my baby’s cord had been clamped.
Evidence shows that delayed umbilical cord clamping has many benefits* and yet some practitioners still immediately clamp the cord before birthers even know it happened. Some may continue to practice this way out of habit or some may fear the risks. However, the research shows that the many of the risks assumed to be associated with delayed cord clamping are not supported by evidence. The only risk related outcome that has been shown is a small increase in jaundice: “There is a small increase in the incidence of jaundice that requires phototherapy in term infants undergoing delayed umbilical cord clamping. Consequently, obstetrician-gynecologists and other obstetric care providers adopting delayed umbilical cord clamping in term infants should ensure that mechanisms are in place to monitor and treat neonatal jaundice.” *
After reviewing the research, you should decide for yourself if this something that is important to you and talk to your provider about it. For me, delayed cord clamping was an important part of both of my birth wishes. In 2015, during my pregnancy with my first child, I spoke with my OB-GYN about it at a prenatal appointment, and he assured me that he delays and it wouldn’t be a problem. He was also supportive of many of my other natural birth wishes. Come time for my birth, I was pushing and then birthing my baby just 30 minutes after getting to the hospital. The sheer shock and awe of everything didn’t allow for me to have the clear thinking head I thought I would have to monitor the cord clamping. For a long time, I thought my doctor hadn’t clamped the cord until my husband was handed the scissors to cut it, many minutes after birth. From what I saw at my vantage point on the bed, and in many close up photos, the cord was limp and pale. It wasn’t until years later, around the time when studying to become a doula, when watching a short video clip of the cord cutting, that I realized the cord beneath the clamp was still quite red. I was very disappointed and felt angry at my doctor. I had assumed he’d delay long enough for the blood to stop pulsing, and the whole cord would have been limp and pale.
I have had to use my discovery, paired my doula training and experience, to reframe my mindset. First and foremost, I have chose to validate my own feelings of disappointment while also recognizing that my baby was still totally healthy and it really was just one small part of my, overall, very positive birth experience. Also, I really do not know how long he waited to clamp the cord, and remembering back, I don’t recall if we had ever discussed an exact amount of time to delay the cutting. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists* recommends a delay of at least 30–60 seconds after birth. The World Health Organization recommends clamping “not earlier than one minute” as a lower limit.** If various, world wide health organizations can’t agree on an adequate amount of time, of course there will be variance among providers. Perhaps my doctor clamped immediately, or waited those 30-60 seconds, I really don’t know. I had expected, or assumed, he’d wait the extra few minutes at least. I hadn’t yet realized the importance of getting into VERY specific details with your providers at your prenatal to make sure you are completely on the same page and understanding. “Delay” in particular can mean very different things to two people. Now, as a doula, this is knowledge I bring with me to help my clients. Make certain your partner can help to remind you and your provider of your wishes during the birth. Your partner and doula can also be an extra set of eyes to ensure you know what is happening to your body and your baby, especially in the post birth haze!
* (ACOG)
**WHO
