"Cord Care" Product

When I was actively midwifing, we would wait to cut the cord until after the
placenta had been delivered. This is probably the "most natural" way, if
you think about what a woman who was birthing alone would do: she'd pick up
the baby, push out the placenta, and then probably start thinking about how
to separate the baby from this extra piece of meat. This method assures
that the baby gets just the right amount of blood from the cord and the
placenta (i.e., the amount nature intended), and we never jaundice or other
problems, as the medical literature fears.

There are several advantages to waiting until after the placenta is out to
cut the cord. One is that it encourages the placenta to detach from the
uterine lining, and it provides the baby with more oxygen-rich blood than
with immediate clamping. And by waiting until the mother asks for the cord
to be cut, she is put in charge and we're not interrupting her bonding
experience for an "intervention."

The final benefit is that it results in cords that usually fall off by the
second day! But regardless of when the cord is cut, the most important
thing about cord care after birth is to keep the cord stump above the
diaper, where it will stay dry and allow the air to dry it more quickly
through a gauze pad and a "onesie" rather than staying wet behind a thick
diaper. It has been my experience over the years that it isn't necessary to
do anything else. But in answer to your question about powdered herbal cord
care, Cascade Health Care sells a combination of goldenseal and Oregon grape
root (barberry) specifically for this purpose. You can find it online at
www.1cascade.com.