Busting Umbilical Cord Myths

Myth 1: If the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck, it is an emergency that requires a NICU stay or emergency c-section.

Did you know that an estimated 20-30% of babies have a cord wrapped around their neck at the time of birth? Yep, that’s a lot! And the vast majority of those babies have zero problems because of it. It is rare for a nuchal cord (cord around the neck) to cause problems. If it does, it’s usually because the cord is wrapped multiple times and/or is very short. This may lead to the baby’s heart rate dropping during labor. The good news is, this doesn’t happen very often and it certainly isn’t worth worrying about because we really have no control over what the cord does while the baby is still inside.

So how do we usually handle it? We simply feel for the cord with our fingers after the baby’s head emerges, loop a finger around it and gently ease it over the baby’s head. Or, if the birth is happening fast, we can simply unwrap the baby by doing a somersault maneuver as the baby comes out. This last week I attended a beautiful waterbirth at my client’s home where I did just that.

Myth #2: The cord must be cut immediately after birth.

For a long time doctors participated in immediate cord clamping and cutting, which became the standard that is often used in hospitals today. Now we have a plethora of research that shows that delaying this process is actually quite beneficial, so it may be worth asking your doctor if they will participate in delayed cord clamping. If you have a midwife, chances are high that she already does delayed cord clamping as a standard.

Benefits to your baby include:

• 30% increase in blood volume
• Better temperature regulation
• Increased oxygen flow
• Better cardiovascular function
• Increased hemoglobin and iron levels
• Even more benefits for pre-term babies, such as: 30% lower chance of neonatal death, and fewer NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) stays, less hemorrhaging and fewer transfusions needed.

Helpful tip: Most doctors that say they do delayed cord clamping will only wait 60 seconds. After all, time is money? Try asking your doctor to wait 5 minutes or until the cord stops pulsing and turns white, so your baby gets the full benefits. Make sure you talk about it will them before the big day.

That’s all for today! Stay tuned for more blog posts!