Anticipate & Adjust in Birth

All about the umbilical cord and and how to care for it

Let’s first talk about delayed cord clamping! 

Babies receive 30-50% of their normal blood supply through the umbilical cord after birth if the cord is allowed to finish pulsating before it is clamped. 

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends a delay in umbilical cord clamping in vigorous term and preterm infants for at least 30–60 seconds.

There is a small increase in the incidence of jaundice that requires phototherapy in babies where delayed umbilical cord clamping was the practice of choice. 

Baby should be born in a setting where baby can be monitored and treated if jaundice were to occur.

Jaundice can occur with delayed cord clamping in the case that the extra red blood cells are no longer needed and begin to be broken down and excreted in the feces (poop). The liver, which helps this process, can become overrun by the by-products of the broken-down red blood cells. The risk is to wait too long to clamp the cord (more than 3 minutes). 

Talk to your doctor or midwife about delayed cord clamping (60-90 seconds) for the benefit of your baby.

After the cord is clamped, Dad can cut the cord to be involved. Many dads love being apart of birth in this way.

After the cord is cut, there is a stump that needs to stay dry until it falls off. 

-Give baby sponge baths (no submersion in water)

-Fold diaper flap down under the stump and prevent soiling of stump (stump getting dirty) 

-Don’t pull on the stump (allow stump to fall off naturally)

Now is the time to get ready for your birth journey. Take your next step by download the FREE workbook below to get Annabelle’s 4 Step Process to a birth you will love to remember.

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Disclaimer: This is for educational purposes only. This should not be taken as medical advice or take the place of what your healthcare provider recommends. Please discuss any healthcare information found on this channel with your healthcare provider. Pearently exists as a source of information and knowledge and in no way can we determine whether or not any of the information is specifically best for your individual case. With that in mind, we are grateful to share this information with you and we hope that you find success in your journey to achieve a happy and healthy pregnancy, labor, and birth.

– Sincerely, Team Pearently

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