Decisions, decisions… before baby is born.
There are a few important things you will need to consider before baby is born, or soon afterwards. Welcome to parenthood and the long, long road of making decisions on behalf of your child!
During your antenatal visits you are likely to be asked about your preferences for labour and birth. A commonly overlooked part of the Birth Plan is the management of the “third stage of labour”- the birth of baby’s placenta. When the question of who will cut baby’s umbilical cord is discussed, it is also important to consider the benefits of delayed cord clamping.
For many birth attendants immediate cord clamping is their standard practise and you may need to specifically request to have delayed cord clamping if that is your preference. The blood in the cord and the placenta is part of baby’s blood supply, and research has shown immediate cord clamping and cutting deprives the baby of about 50 mls of his blood volume. Delayed cord clamping, even 30 seconds delay, has been shown to benefit the baby’s lungs by maximising his circulating blood volume as he makes the
transition to breathing for himself.
The main benefits of delayed cord clamping are:
• The intact umbilical cord provides a “lifeline” to the baby,
and continues to pulsate after the birth providing him/
her with oxygen-rich blood from the placenta while he/
she begins to breathe. Baby is therefore less likely to need
resuscitation after birth, or to experience respiratory distress.
• Delayed cord clamping allows the baby to receive his/
her full blood volume and optimal iron stores, reducing
the likelihood of baby developing anaemia in infancy.
• The placenta is less bulky making it more
readily expelled by the mother.
• Keeping the cord intact ensures the newborn stays
close to his/her mother, helping to initiate bonding
and breastfeeding, and reducing stress.
Visit www.birthjourney.com for more information about physiological management
of the third stage of labour. If you are considering CORD BLOOD COLLECTION for long term storage,
understand that this process deprives your baby of 100 to 200mls of his blood volume
at a critical time of his life. Parents considering “banking” their baby’s cord blood need
to carefully weigh up the benefits for baby of having his full circulating blood volume
intact (when he actually needs it), against the likelihood of “needing” that stored cord
blood in many years’ time. * This is from “Topic 2 – Early Decisions” in “New Baby 101 – A Midwife’s Guide for New Parents” – Visit www.newbaby101.com.au to see what other reliable information resources are contained in the book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jWqIsHa4W0
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