Newborn cord care appears to be a topic of conversation for new mothers.
Cutting the cord, homebirth style
After the birth the cord remains attached to the placenta, if you decide to have a lotus birth then you don’t cut the cord. The vessels have usually shut themselves off between 20/30 mins later and it is of course up to you if you decide to separate the baby and placenta.
Cord drying with process of dry gangrene
For those who do, the drying up (process of dry gangrene) and dropping off of the cord stump can take anything from 3 to 15 day, in the main they have dropped off by the end of the first week. Use of antiseptics can delay this process.. I did read on Dr Spock’s web page that anything from 4 to 6 weeks was ok and then people would be concerned. I have never experienced more than 2 weeks and I think I would be wondering what the issue was if it were still there after 6 weeks!!!
Cord dry and hanging by a thread
In developing countries neonatal tetanus is still a problem but this is mainly caused by unhygienic practices and some traditional cord care rituals.
Cord infections are rare in the western world. Making sure that the cord remains in the air is the most important thing. Leaving a very long cord anectodally has shown to encourage them to drop off quicker. I also make my own cord ties with platted silks. They are then sterilized and I also have a sterile scissors for cutting the cord which my clients then get to keep.
This piece of research shows that a ceasarian section can delay separation of the cord along with daily bathing. To be fair done a long time ago.
J. N. Bhalla1, N. Nafis1, P. Rohatgi1 and J. Singh1 (1)
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical College,
Kanpur Received: 21 June 1975Conclusions The time of separation of the umbilical stump was analysed in 840 newborns and related to various causal factors. It was found that factors like umbilical infection, delivery by caesarean section and giving the baby a daily bath delayed the separation of the umbilical stump.
lotus birth anyone?
WHO’s recommendations are really simple, use a sterile instrument to cut the cord and keep the area clean and dry until separation.
If a woman is worried then first call is always to put some breast milk on it. All lotions, potions, and powders are a no no and keeping your baby with you at all times is essential. This encourages the early colonization from non pathogenic organisms and helps prevent cross infection. Lots of breast feeding also gives your baby natural antibiotics to help ward of any potential infection.
So to conclude, minimum handling and good hygiene will ensure early cord separation.
The only exception to these guidelines is for sick and premature infants .It must be stressed that the complications of infection, although alarming, are very rare. In the developed world, the overall figure is 0.5% (McKenna H, Johnson D 1977). Even in the urban slums of India, a rate of only 3% was found (Singhal P K et al 1990).
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I’ve never seen a cord from my clients babies stay on longer than 10 days. Most of the cords fall off within the first 3-5 days. I credit this to delayed cord clamping.
Lisa can you tell more about the plaited silk you use as a cord tie. I racked my brains trying to think of and find something suitable for my last babies homebirth but resorted to a clamp which I was unsatisfied with.
Thank you and have a wonderful time in Glasgow.
Janie
Nice blog Lisa, I see you use silk tie, what do the main stream hospitals use? also if they use clamps when do you take the off? or do you leave them to fall off with the cord?
I have never seen a cord stay on longer than 10 days.
see you in Glasgow
All the hospitals use sterile clamps. One hospital policy is not to remove the clamp. I only help with hospital birth if it’s a transfer. I do have cord cutters. I have seen a 14 day cord – it was my own child 15 years ago. I think it stayed on so long because it was too short and had a clamp. This changed my practice, then with the advent of lotus birthing I have found big differences. I always leave the cord extremely long but as you can see in the pictures it shrivels up very quickly and becomes pretty small. The average for my clients is 5 days.
i also use sterile gauze strips (dont have enough time to plait as yet!)they are long and thin. you can also use a safety pin to just flick open a cord clamp!
I want to share my first sister’s baby. Yes I heard this cord. After 7 to 15 days it is drop it. So nice of it I watch each and every day and I see all the days. After 10 days the cord is drop. So I am happy to handle my sister’s child. She is cute and sweet.
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rose76
luxury silk ties
luxury silk ties