Optimal Cord Clamping

(Sometimes known as Delayed Cord Clamping)

In TV and movies, the first thing that happens once the baby is born is that their umbilical cord is clamped and cut. BUT WAIT! Around a third of baby’s total blood volume is still int he umbilical cord and placenta at birth. That’s a crazy amount!

It’s because of this that current recommended practice is to “wait for white” wherever possible; for the cord to have stopped pulsating and to be completely empty of blood, all of which will have been taken into baby’s body.

You also don’t need to use the typical clamp, either; some people feel that they’re too hard (hard plastic against baby), and prefer to use cord ties or even ceremonially burn the baby’s cord. Have a look into the other options, and feel out what’s right for your family!

Lotus Birth: Did you know that you don’t need to cut baby’s umbilical cord at all? Some families opt for a “lotus birth”, waiting for the cord to detatch naturally as it dries up (around 3-10 days after birth). This involves leaving the placenta attached to baby, usually carried in a bag alongside, and usually rubbed with salt and herbs to help preserve it (the placenta is a strong, not unpleasant smelling organ at delivery, but understandably lotus-birthing can be a bit of a pungent process!)

In the unlikely event that baby needs some medical help after being born, this can be done alongside you without the cord being cut; if this is important to you, make sure it’s in your birth plan and your midwife or medical professional is aware, as usually they’ll cut the cord for this unless you’ve been clear about not doing so.