placenta question

[CherryBombMama]

i asked a few questions a while back, but i thought of one more:

when the baby is born and still attached to the placenta, when the does baby stop receiving oxygen from the placenta and start breathing on its own? right away? after it stopped pulsating? after its cut? at the hospital, my ds cord was cut right away so i have no idea ...

i know many of you have waited many hours to cut the cord, what was the purpose? did anyone cut the cord right away? i think i will wait until it stops pulsating ...

thanks mamas

[kavamamakava]

you have a lot of questions i can answer about the placenta - basically if you let the placenta and the cord alone until the cord stops pulsing you'll likely have waited for an equilibrium point when the baby's body has the blood it needs and the rest is left in the placenta.

[Mother Cake]

In addition to what the pp said about the blood volume equilibrium, this is some of what I know about babies getting started breathing.

The transition from baby receiving oxygen through the cord to breathing on it's own is just that, a transition. Babies usually start breathing on their own within the first 30 seconds after birth, while the cord is still pulsating (if it's left intact). The baby needs to be breathing well on it's own by the time the cord stops pulsating. This usually occurs with little or no outside help in babies born to undrugged mothers--meaning mom had no pain-meds during labor.

If you cut the cord right away, then the baby has to start breathing on its own right away. This creates an abrupt, rather than a gradual transition from receiving oxygen through the cord to breathing air.

[MsBlack]

Some babies come out yelling (which is *very* vigorous breathing ) within seconds--I've even seen some to start coughing or vocalizing with only head out, body not yet born. If your baby is born like this, chances are you will have no worries about breathing and the timing of cord cutting!

Most come out more quietly though, and take up to 2-3 min to really establish breathing. I mean, they will usually initiate some kind of respiratory activity within the first 30 seconds or so, though you might not be able to see it, it might be subtle and/or have a sporadic quality at first. What you are more likely to see is that the baby changes color--from a lavender/bluish color (normal right at birth) to pink/red. In a healthy baby you will also see other signs of health--eyes opening (or screwing shut tightly against the light), arms waving/hands clenching, face grimacing, a little cough, sneeze or cooing....

But as pp pointed out, inflating the lungs fully, and really relying upon breathing for oxygen, is a gradual process. If you have a cord that is still blue/purple and pulsing quickly (hold it gently to feel this), then all is well and you don't have to worry or do anything special. You can just touch/hold and enjoy your baby, talk or sing or just stare in wonder as baby's transition from your womb to your arms unfolds

[gossamerwindweb]

Henry started breathing right after coming out. We left his cord attached until after the placenta was born. The cord wasn't pulsating anymore, but we just took it easy and went slowly. My daughter was a hospital birth, and she came out SCREAMING... of course they clamped and cut instantly, but I wish I could go back and make sure she got all of her cord blood. Hindsight and all

[CherryBombMama]

that is exactly what i needed to know, thank you everybody!