delayed cord clamping with C section? - Page 2

[mrsfru]

Originally Posted by claddaghmom

Ok but is 30 seconds to a minute too much to ask?

In my experience of 2 c-sections (albeit w/compromised preemies), yes, it would have been. Even if I had full term babes, all of the docs I saw would have said they couldn't do it--that it would deviate too much from their standard practice, amongst other concerns. Not that I'm saying I validate all of their "concerns", anymore than I validate their belief that a VBAC after 2 c-sections isn't safe! But in so many cases, we already have to fight so hard for docs to treat our c-section births as the births that they should be, as opposed to just surgeries.

mrsfru

[honeybee]

I've seen a presentation by Dr. Morley (one of the great cord-clamping researchers) about his daughter's c-section, where they allowed baby to get all the cord blood (which only takes about 2 minutes). He monitored the birth and took pictures, showed how the blood levels in baby changed dramatically. The docs performing the c/s had never seen such a pink, vigorous baby. He went through a lot of hoopla to get them to "allow" this, and it pretty much only happened because he is an OB himself. Docs still refuse to look at the evidence of the benefits of delayed cord clamping in any situation. Thankfully, there are people like Dr. Morley who continue to try to educate people.

I think the benefits to baby for a slightly delayed clamping (even 1 minute) would probably outweigh the possible increased infection risk (which I wonder is how much for 1 minute??), but nobody is doing them to see the great potential health benefits for baby.

Babies in trouble in normal vaginal births would do better to continue receiving chord blood, and be worked on my neonatal resuscitation while still attached to mom.... but getting anyone to change the cut and whisk away policy is the difficulty.

Established procedures are VERY slow to change.

[momofmine]

That is awesome to hear! Thank you for sharing that!

[mamatoElias]

Honeybee, interesting information. I'm going to go look-up Dr. Morley. I agree that established procedures are slow to be changed. Unfortunately that means hospitals policies are often not evidence-based. Maybe when my babies are having babies delayed cord clamping will be standard of care. As things stand now, I couldn't get the doctor to delay cord clamping at my son's vaginal birth. (He agreed to it, but accidentally clamped the cord out of habit.)

If I were having a cesarean birth, timing of cord clamping would be way down the list of battles I would be willing to fight, but that's just me.