Posted By Henci Goer on 04/11/2007 11:51 PM

What about the baby who needs resuscitation? The usual practice is to cut the cord, and rush the baby away for treatment. This makes no sense. As long as the cord is pulsing, the baby is still receiving oxygen from the mother, and leaving the cord attached provides a grace period. Equipment should be brought to the baby, not vice versa. 

-- Henci

 

Ahhh....but don't you know, after birth the cord does not deliver any oxygen?  I KNOW this is true, because after all, Dr. Amy says so.

 

;-)

 

As if it completely ceases to function in the manner in which it had functioned for the previous 9 months.  Sheesh.  Yes, I know that at some moments during birth the cord may get squashed, so the baby is not getting oxygen through the cord.  And for a normal baby that breaths immediately at birth...they get enough oxygen from their lungs so the cord is not really "needed" for oxygenation.

 

But wait a minute...my first baby had meconium, so they didn't want her to breath until she had been suctioned (a practice that is not supported by research, but ignoring that little detail...), so what did they do?  Cut her umbillical cord.  And they expected her to hold her breath then?  Yeah, right.

 

My next 3 babies didn't breath "immediately."  No harm done, they all seem to be developing just fine.  8 year old just finished 2nd grade with straight A's...she was the smallest kid in the 2nd grade, most of the first graders are bigger than her, but that is genetic, her mother is 5'3" and her aunt is 4'8".  6 year old went to kindergarten having already taught himself to read. He does have a bit of a stutter, but if you really observe him, you'll realize it is because his mind is working faster than he can speak.  4 year old is going to be our challenge child...definitely opinionated!  Questions, questions, questions, he's full of them because he just wants to understand EVERYTHING.  He's also the only one who had his cord intact until the placenta delivered.