NFL player and wife on ESPN describing birth of baby at home...

[brush]

Her contractions began at 3:00 in the morning and became so strong there was no time to get to the birthing center. Dawuane Smoot talked of the baby's head coming out suddenly as his wife was in a squatting position and how the baby's head was six inches from the floor and he held it while helping his wife to recline.

His wife was totally calm and instructed him to call the midwife, which he did, and was told to get a shoestring to tie off the umbilical cord.

My question is to those who know, in this situation I assume the cord is still attached to both the mother and baby, tying it off with the shoestring does what and how and when is it disconnected?











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[underpants]

1. 😆

[Arkansas Granny]

2. Here's an article with a lot of information on the subject.

https://www.wikihow.com/Cut-the-Umbilical-Cord-of-a-Baby

[brush]

5. Thank you. The site has excellent instruction/information and illustrations.

[3catwoman3]

6. I had forgotten, until reading that article, that there are folks who...

...leave the placenta attached until the cord dries up and falls off. The mom carries it around in a shoulder bag.

One of the descriptions I read of this practice noted that "The meaty smell of the placenta attracted the family cat." I'll just bet it did!

[Arkansas Granny]

7. That was a new one on me. I had never heard that before.

[3catwoman3]

8. I first came across this about 5 or so years ago.

It's called lotus birth. Some sites talk about this being a way to honor the placenta by not discarding it. Make take up to 15 days.

I must confess I find the idea completely unappealing. Woo woo stuff. Right along with freeze drying it and eating it.

[Tree-Hugger]

3. Cut when it's done pulsating

Newer (last few decades) research has shown that there is a bigger benefit to the baby to wait until the cord finishes pulsating before cutting it. Those last bits of blood are helpful.

You can use shoestrings to tie it off. This stops blood flow. You tie two a length apart and cut in between. It's not a hard thing to cut - regular household scissors will do it.

The cord can remain attached until after the placenta is delivered as well. Some people do that method on purpose.

[budkin]

4. We had all 4 of our kids at home with a midwife

Just wonderful experiences. I helped catch them as they came out and cut their umbilical cords.