# Delayed cord clamping

**Should we ask for delayed cord clamping?**

Whether to wait a short time after birth before the umbilical cord is clamped, so more blood passes from the placenta to the baby.

In short: Parents choose between 3 main approaches: Immediate; Delay 30-60 seconds; Longer delay. Evidence: well established. Guidance and evidence agree. The real question is whether you'll follow it. Best settled: during pregnancy.

- Area: Pregnancy, birth and arrival
- Evidence: Well established
- Best settled: During pregnancy
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/pregnancy-birth-and-arrival--delayed-cord-clamping

## Delayed cord clamping: what are the options?

1. **Immediate**: The cord is clamped and cut right after birth.
2. **Delay 30-60 seconds**: The care team waits half a minute to a minute before clamping.
3. **Longer delay**: The care team waits longer, often until the cord stops pulsing.

## Delayed cord clamping: what does the evidence say?

**Well established.** Guidance and evidence agree. The real question is whether you'll follow it.

ACOG (Committee Opinion 814) recommends waiting at least 30-60 seconds in term and preterm infants. In term babies it raises hemoglobin at birth and iron stores over the first months, which may help development; in preterm babies it is linked to fewer transfusions and less bowel and brain-bleed complications

Sources:

- [ACOG](https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2020/12/delayed-umbilical-cord-clamping-after-birth)
- [Contemporary OB/GYN](https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/view/acog-updates-clinical-guidance-on-delayed-umbilical-cord-clamping-in-preterm-neonates)

## What else is worth knowing?

After birth, blood continues to flow from the placenta to the baby for a short time. Waiting before clamping lets more of it reach the baby. It is now standard in many hospitals, though it can be shortened if the baby needs immediate help.

## Questions to ask each other

- Have we told our provider this matters to us, and how would they handle it?
- Would we want it even if we are asked to be quick?
- Is there any situation where we would want it skipped?

---

General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=pregnancy-birth-and-arrival&topic=pregnancy-birth-and-arrival--delayed-cord-clamping