Cord Clamp

[dislocator3972]

How long do you leave on the cord clamp? DH is pretty sure it stays on until the cord comes off, I'm thinking we should just make sure the cord is dry before we take it off.

What did you all do?

[marlygf]

I thought you just leave it on until it falls off. Why would you take it off?
I've always done that and I think the soonest one of my babies cord has fallen off was 4 days old.

[wombatclay]

At the hospital they removed the clamp on Sat evening... so within the first 24 hours. And I remember with dd1 and dd2 that the clamp was removed on the first day as well. Basically as soon as the cord started to dry out.

I'm sure it's ok to leave it on, but unless it's a soft woven "clamp" I think it would be comfier for the babe to have it removed.

[marlygf]

I guess I hadn't thought about different kinds of clamps. Its been awhile since I've done a hospital birth so the ones we have are an elastic band kind of thing.

[Mamatoabunch]

HB's here and we remove clamp around 24 hours. It is dry by then at the end.

[kriket]

we had one that looked like a lock off on a carseat, a true clamp, and it was taken off by staff w/in 24 hours

[Jilian]

MW removed dd's plastic clamp at the 24 hr pp visit. After 24 hrs it should be dry enough to remove. Leaving it just makes an extra place for bacteria to grow,.

[tankgirl136]

We were told specifically when the cord was dry. They sent us home from the hospital with it still on since Ky's cord was still soft, my midwife took it off the next day when she came for his home visit.

[stardust swallower]

ours was one of those enormous plastic clamps. the mw took it off during her home visit on his 4th day. the cord spot did get kind of rank smelling though before it healed completely, so maybe Jilian is right about the extra bacteria growth there. Our mws said there are no nerve endings there, so it doesn't hurt baby at all. apparently we were treating it too gingerly and not getting the inside clean enough. ick. it's totally fine now...