One of the more different and distinctive things that I have witness while studying at ACAM is the process of cord clamping and cutting. At ACAM the cord clamping is a gentle process that feels like it is safe for the mother and baby and puts their best interest at heart. This was not the feeling that I got when witnessing hospital births in the US.

When a baby is born at ACAM, there is not a rush to cut the cord. They let the cord continue to pulse until its stops on its own. This is so good because here in rural Guatemala there is a high prevalence of anemia. Research shows that allowing the cord to pulse even for 90 seconds longer can help the baby replace 1/3 of the blood volume back in its body.

When tying the cord, the midwives at ACAM use a string, knotting it three times, in a special and very tight way. Then they cut and burn the cord with a candle flame. There doesn’t feel like such a rush with the cord, the rush is more about how mom and baby are doing, and the cord gets cut when both are stable. We feel the cord for pulse, and watch it change color before cutting it.

When the cord is cut, the placenta is stored in a bag and given to the family to take home with them. Many bury it in the earth under a tree, or burn it in a bit of a ceremony. The whole process of cord clamping feels gentler and not rushed or hurried. Taking a more relaxed way of cord clamping can not only help the energy in the space of the birth, but can help the baby’s health, and is the easiest way to combat anemia for the child’s future. Such a simple solution!!