Cord blood needs to be collected within 5 to 10 minutes of the baby being born, usually soon after the baby's umbilical cord has been clamped and cut. In the majority of cases (about 96% of births) this is not an issue, because the woman will have the routine 'active management' of the 3rd Stage of labour (or delivery of the placenta). This involves the woman having a
Syntocinon injection as the baby is being born, the cord being clamped and cut within 5 minutes of the birth and the delivery of the placenta being facilitated by the caregiver.
A few women (around 4 to 5 %) will choose to have a natural 3rd stage of labour. This involves waiting for the cord to stop pulsating after the baby is born, no
Syntocinon injection for the woman and the placenta being delivered with the strength of the contractions and pushing of the mother. This process can take up to 15 to 30 minutes. The time delay to facilitate a natural 3rd stage means that the cord blood will clot and be unsuitable for donation (although a few women will have a natural 3rd stage within minutes and may be able to donate). For women contemplating a natural 3rd stage and cord blood donation, they will need to make a choice for one or the other. You may wish to read more in
Class 7- natural vs. active management of the 3rd stage of labour.
The baby - extra cord blood and positioning after birth
There are some issues surrounding whether the baby 'needs' their cord blood. Natural birth proponents believe the baby should receive the extra blood through the cord pulsating after the birth (having a natural 3rd stage), as part of the normal birth process. Medical birth proponents believe the extra blood is not essential and that it can sometimes even increase the baby's chances of becoming jaundiced.
At this stage there is no clear evidence to support that extra blood is beneficial or detrimental for healthy
term babies in Western countries.