Conventional medical doctors know very little about delayed cord clamping. Medical doctors are not known for being patient. In fact, as soon as a baby is born in the hospital, a conventional doctor will immediately clamp and then cut the baby’s umbilical cord.
While immediate cord clamping may be expedient for the doctor, it’s not good for the baby … or the mama.
More likely to survive with delayed cord clamping
According to two new studies, a newborn is more likely to survive when the doctor waits to cut the cord.
These studies, both meta-analyses were published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal, the Lancet, in December 2023.
Conducted by an international team of scientists, these studies reviewed the existing literature on cord clamping. The scientists examined data encompassing over 10,000 births.
They found that there is strong evidence that premature babies are less likely to die if the cord is not cut right away.
And, according to one of the studies, the longer the delay, the better.
These two Lancet studies add to a growing body of scientific evidence in favor of delayed cord clamping, as I explain in this Substack article.
So if you want your birth attendant to practiced delayed cord clamping, what should you do?
1. Consider home birth
Homebirth midwives know to wait until the cord stops pulsating, which can take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours. The best way to make sure you don’t have unnecessary medical interventions is to have a home birth.
2. Consider a birth center birth
Not ready to have a home birth? Most stand-alone birth centers also practice delayed cord clamping. Birth centers connected to hospitals may as well.
3. Talk to your doctor and everyone on your birth support team
Find a gentle obstetrician who practices science-based medicine. Make sure the doctor understands that you do not want the cord cut right away. While you’re at it, make sure your doctor is on board with you moving during labor, birthing in a standing position, having skin-to-skin right away, and never being separated. If the team feels uncomfortable with this, or any of your other wishes, fire them.
Also be sure that your friends and family who will be present at the birth know this is what you want. If they see a doctor trying to cut the cord too early, tell them to speak up.
Related articles:
Born Too Soon
Zero Separation: Why Newborns and Mamas Need to Stay Together
What If I Poop While Giving Birth?!
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