Once the placenta has separated, the cord is usually clamped twice before it is cut. The first clamp is the baby's plastic cord clamp that stops any blood from oozing from the baby's umbilicus once the cord is cut. The second is a metal surgical clamp that the caregiver uses to reduce the amount of blood coming from the other end of the cord once cut (this is not a problem but is done to reduce the 'mess' this can produce). The cord is then cut between the clamps.
Image 7-05 shows a typical plastic cord clamp.
Clamping the cord
Cutting the cord
Reasons to cut the cord early
Clamping the cord. Your caregiver will place a special plastic cord clamp onto the cord about 1 to 3 cm away from where the cord attaches to the baby's belly. This will remain on the baby's cord until a few days after the birth. It takes a day or two for the cord to dry and then the midwife will remove the clamp.
A second surgical metal clamp is placed a few centimetres further away from the plastic clamp nearest the baby. Before this is placed on the cord the caregiver will normally 'strip' the blood down from this small section of the cord so that it is less likely to 'spurt' any blood when cut.
Image 7-06 shows the cord being clamped with the plastic cord clamp and the surgical metal clamp.
Cutting the cord. Surgical scissors are then used to cut the cord between the 2 clamps. The consistency of the cord can be likened to tough calamari. It can feel quite 'rubbery' or tough to cut through and may take a bit of effort on the part of the 'cutter'.
If you or your partner or support person wish to cut the cord, let your caregiver know beforehand or write your request in your
birth plan. The caregiver will normally place their hand between the baby and the cord, where it is to be cut, to protect the baby from the scissors (we don't want an unintentional circumcision!).