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Delayed Umbilical Cord Cutting Info
With Ethan's birth, we waited till
the cord was limp and flacid for well over and hour before cutting, but I went ahead & used the braided cord ties I'd
made out of embroirdery floss (and pre-sterilized, dried and sealed in a package). In the end, I was glad we did use the ties,
because there was still a little bit of blood in the cord when I cut it.
What I did was tie the cord ties about 2-3 inches apart with the one closest to the baby being about 2-3
inches from the naval. The cord shrinks and dries pretty fast without the triple dye many hospitals still use, so it won't
stay thay way long. After I had put the ties on, I cut right in the middle of the cord ties with regular kitchen scissors
that were pre-sterilized, etc, along with the cord ties.
I'd put a bit of peroxide on the cord when Ethan peed on it, and then let that dry before covering him,
but that was it...plus maybe one or two squirts of breastmilk at some point. His cord fell off about 3 days later with the
tie still on it. I saved it--the only one I never lost! ;)
I used three colors of embroidery floss to make the ties--about 3-6 strands of each color. I made mine about
4-5 inches long and only tied them once and pulled them super tight, so they didn't need to be knotted, since the braided
material holds tight--but if you want to knot them, make the ties about 9-12 inches long.
If you use the clamps that come with the birth kit, and they look like a hospital clip, you will not be
able to remove it without an expensive pair of special clippers made specifically for this purpose (without risking possible
injury to the baby with some other kind of clippers). Basically, you'd have to have access to those clippers, or the clip
would stay on till the cord fell off (or the clamp slid off the end, which sometimes does happen). This is why we opted for
braided cord ties--plus they are so cute & soft & fun to make. :)
My husband cut Owen's cord, about
20 mins. after he was born, which happened to be just before the placenta arrived, but the cord was done pulsating. Some women
choose lotus birth, and don't cut the cord at all. Other women choose to wait for a while. First though you must clamp the
cord some way before cutting it. Anyway that you decide you normally cannot go wrong there.
Tina Mom to Quentin 3/4/97,
Ashton 6/23/99, Owen 4/11/01 first UC, due again May
I had planned on a lotus birth but when my placenta took that long, I was trying lots of different positions
to try & get that sucker out :) So we cut it about 1.5 hours after birth. I really liked watching it go from big &
fat & blue to limp & white :)
Aubrey
We did, but won't next time...
I think I cut the cord. It was pretty tough, and we both (DH
and I) took a crack at it, but I think I was the one who finished it. Next time we'll not cut it right away, but may cut it
just for convenience well after it's stopped pulsing, hours later, or the next day.
Kiley
Since this seems to be the Number One Question we get about UC (go figure!), I think that I will
have Dora (who will be about 2 3/4 years old) cut the baby's cord next time-- then I can say "ANYONE can cut the cord, even
a toddler!". But we are planning a Lotus Birth, so won't be cutting the cord...
So, you (Mama, Papa, Brother, Sister,
Whoever) can cut the cord when it stops pulsating and becomes limp and white-- just tie a string (braided cotton embroidery
floss is nice) around the cord a couple of inches from the baby's belly, then cut on the other side of it. Or you can wait
until the cord is very dry (usually the next day), and simply snip it without tying it off.
Or do what our closest
animal relatives (the chimpanzees) do, and don't cut it at all-- the cord will separate on its own in a few days. You can
dust the placenta with powdered rosemary and/or sea salt to help it dry up and smell better, or you can leave as is, and the
aroma will fade into the background of your consciousness. Some keep the placenta wrapped in cloth, and change them as they
get damp, others use a bamboo steamer basket to hold it, and let air circulate. Lotus birth helps the family to slow down
and appreciate the magic of the first days of a baby's life out of the belly-- and it will probably make you keep visitors
from piling in for awhile.
Whatever you do, treat the placenta with respect, and be sure to thank it for a job well
done-- after all, it is a part of your baby, and nurtured her through many months...
Beatrice-- mama to Max (6, CNM
hospital birth), William (4, LM home waterbirth), Dora (2, family UC), Wee One (in belly, arriving late-Winter, UC)
*Bee's
Official Disclaimer: All of my answers express my own personal opinion, and as I am not a trained birth professional, but
better, an experienced mother, none of it ought to be construed as medical advice.*
After it stopped pulsating dh cut it...
It doesn't really matter to either of us who does
it. I am not into lotus birth.
Annabelle Mom to 4 girls and a boy! Makaley 2/24/94, Arden 2/24/94, twins by c/s, Anniston
11/12/95, HB w/ midwife, Taegan 12/30/98, UC, and Balen 12/7/00, UC.
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