22/05/2026
Delayed cord clamping is such an important topic.
This is also the reason why we on average wait about 30 minutes before clamping the cord after birth at our home births.
It's a special, sacred time. Not just for you, the new mommy and family, but it is also a huge change for baby and we know that this is the best way to give baby time to get used to life outside of mommy while still attached with the cord, to keep on getting oxygen just like throughout the pregnancy and to get all its own blood volume . A healthy start to life outside of mom ❤️
60 seconds is not delayed cord clamping.
Let me say that again: clamping the cord at 60 seconds is NOT true delayed cord clamping.
It's just slightly less immediate than the old practice of clamping within 10 seconds.
Actual delayed cord clamping means waiting until the cord stops pulsing.
Until it's limp. White. No longer transferring blood (like the cord in the photo below).
That can take 5 minutes. 10 minutes. Sometimes 15 minutes or longer.
Why does this matter?
Because that cord is still doing its job. It's still transferring blood from the placenta to your baby. Blood that contains:
- Up to 1/3 of baby's total blood volume
- Oxygen for the transition to breathing
- Stem cells
- Iron stores for the first 6-12 months of life
- Immune factors
Your baby's heartbeat acts like a pump, moving blood from the placenta into their body.
As long as that cord is pulsing, blood is transferring. Why would we interrupt that mid-process?
A 2023 meta-analysis found that delayed cord clamping is beneficial for improving oxygen saturation, APGAR scores, and mortality rates in newborns. This isn't just about blood volume - it's about better outcomes across the board.
"But don't we need to deliver the placenta quickly?"
No. Barring actual emergencies (hemorrhage, true cord prolapse, severe fetal distress), there is NO medical reason to rush cord clamping and placenta delivery.
The only reasons are convenience. Routine. "That's how we've always done it." Provider preference. Time management.
None of those are good reasons to cut off your baby's blood supply before the transfer is complete.
Your baby just worked incredibly hard to be born.
They're transitioning from getting oxygen through the cord to breathing with their lungs. That's a MASSIVE physiological shift.
The cord continuing to pulse means they're getting oxygen both ways during that transition. It's a backup system. A safety net while they figure out breathing.
Why would we eliminate that safety net at 60 seconds just because the clock says so?
At home, we wait.
5 minutes. 10 minutes. 15 minutes or longer. We usually wait until after the birth of the placenta to clamp or cut the cord.
The birth of the placenta isn't hurried. Barring emergencies such as hemorrhage, there's no rush. We let it come when it's ready. However long that takes.
Because there's no arbitrary timeline.
Just your body and your baby, finishing the work they started.
Transferring every last bit of blood that belongs to your baby. Allowing the placenta to separate naturally. Trusting the process.
This is what "delayed cord clamping" actually means.
Not 60 seconds to check a box on a birth plan.
But genuine patience. Waiting for completion. Letting your baby receive everything that's already theirs.
You can ask your provider to wait until the cord is no longer pulsing to clamp the cord. Let them know that you want the cord to be white and limp before they clamp it. It may take a few extra minutes, but it’s worth it ❤️
