Cord Clamping – Why we need to Wait for White, with Amanda Burleigh

Cord clamping is something that you might not even think to consider when it comes to your birth plan, but let me tell that it most definitely is. In today's podcast I want to help you to undersrtand why delayed cord clamping should be an important non-negotiable aspect of the birth of your baby, whether you have a vaginal or c-section birth.



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Today I'm chatting to Amanda Burleigh, who is a well-known UK midwife. I say well-known, because Amanda is a bit of an activist and is very outspoken on this particular topic. She has been campaigning for delayed cord clamping for over ten years and it is in thanks to her efforts that health policies are changing. She is a true hero!

Amanda first started to consider the impact of cutting the cord when she was wondering why so many boys (her sons included) had behavioural issues.

"After talking to teachers who were concerned at the numbers of children with behavioural, learning and medical problems and noticing the same in my friends and colleagues children. The numbers were too high to be ignored and this got me thinking and looking for a common denominator. Informally I looked at many potential causes, caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, sugar consumption etc eventually (in 2005)  I reflected on our own practice as midwives and realised that although we were taught to clamp and cut the umbilical cord immediately, there was absolutely no evidence to support this practice. The cord for 50-60 years and common practice now) is to cut the cord before the baby has even breathed and I quickly realised that this couldn't be good practice. I looked for evidence and found work by George Morley who stated that immediate clamping was the reason for the increase in autistic spectrum disorders and other problems, cerebral palsy. In 2005 there was little evidence to look at to support delaying cord clamping but there has never been any evidence to support immediate cord clamping at all. All the available evidence did point out that immediate cord clamping deprives the baby of at least 30% of their intended blood volume.

I started my campaign from then really and increased as I realised that implementing change (despite it being evidence based change) is really hard to influence.

I did change practice slightly in my own hospital and was then asked to be quiet (in 2012) and then I decided to get louder and I started the facebook page to inform parents and carers and I got a petition up to try and influence NICE (UK guidance) to change practice . This attracted 5.500 signatures from over 44 different countries. I also had articles in the paper."
Delayed Cord Clamping - The Benefits
Delayed cord clamping or optimal cord clamping is associated with:


Increased neonatal iron stores in the neonatal period.
Increased organ perfusion and subsequent cardiopulmonary adjustment.
Increased duration of early breast feeding.
Decreased risk of  feral-maternal transfusion
Decreased umbilical infections
Increased white cells-infection prevention
Less blood splatter-HIV protection
May benefit neurodevelopmental outcomes, particularly in males




One thing that Amanda talked about was the Golden Hour after birth. Here's what se means by that;


Safe environment - warmth, privacy, dignity, respect, quiet and undisturbed
Slow, gentle and peaceful - Less problematic third stage
Raised Oxytocin
Decreased Adrenaline.
Optimal Cord Clamping –ideally the cord should be empty
Immediate Skin to Skin
Breastfeeding
Time alone to bond


Resources and research

Judith Mercer - Rethinking placental transfusion


bloodtobaby.com

Om Podcasten

The Fear Free Childbirth podcast is for parents-to-be who want to take the fear out of pregnancy, birth and beyond. The show is a mix of real-life positive stories, experts sharing their wisdom and Alexia sharing psychology insights to help you to get into a fearless mindset. Mindset is a key aspect that can help to you have a positive experience with all three, and it all starts with preparing for pregnancy and childbirth. One of the biggest fears parents-to-be face is the fear of the unknown. This is where this show can help. By learning more about what to expect, and how to handle it, you can lose one the fear and embrace the journey. It all started when Alexia experienced her first miscarriage and felt relief; she knew something was amiss. She had tokophobia, the extreme fear of pregnancy and birth, which is pretty terrifying. To help her cope with her pregnancy and the thought of the birth, Alexia developed a technique to get rid of her fears and anxieties. She went on to have two amazing births and she now teaches this technique to others that they too can overcome their fears and have the life they want. What started as a maternity leave project, is now an essential resource with tens of thousands now listening to Alexia’s podcast each month as they seek to lose The Fear and prepare for pregnancy, birth and motherhood. The podcast is credited with helping thousands of women around the world in having a positive birth experience. A empowered birth experience is the best way to start the parenting journey because it infuses you with strength and resilience. Alexia is the developer of the healing modality Head Trash Clearance, a coach, speaker, trainer and author of the books “Fearless Birthing: Clear your fears for a positive birth” and “Clear Your Head Trash: How to create clarity, peace and confidence in your life and work”. She works privately with people from all over the world, as well as supporting them with her online products and programs. Fear Free Childbirth is the online destination for women seeking to take the fear out of pregnancy and birth with fear-clearance meditations, online fear-clearance courses, professional training and specialist programs for overcoming tokophobia. Find out more at FearFreeChildbirth.com and Fearless-Birthing.com