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Contraction of the Uterus after Delivery
After you deliver your baby, your uterus shrinks from about the size of a watermelon to the size of a volleyball. When this happens, the placenta detaches from the uterine wall. At this time, there may be a gush of blood from inside the uterus signaling delivery of the placenta.

After the placenta is delivered, you may be given oxytocin (Pitocin). This helps the uterus contract and clamp down so it won't bleed. Extremely heavy bleeding after vaginal delivery is called postpartum hemorrhage, which is bleeding more than 17 ounces (500ml). It can often be prevented by massaging the uterus and using medications to help the uterus contract.
The main reason a woman experiences heavy bleeding after delivering a baby is her uterus does not contract, called an atonic uterus. Your doctor, midwife or the nurse attending you may massage your uterus after delivery. They may show you how to do it so your uterus will stay firm and contracted. This is important so you won't lose more blood and become anemic.

Cord-Blood Banking
Cord blood is blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born. In the past, the placenta and the umbilical cord were usually discarded following delivery. There is a great deal of interest now about saving cord blood after delivery. Cord-blood banking was called one of the top 10 medical advances of 1996 by the Harvard Health Letter.
Umbilical-cord blood can be used to treat cancer and genetic diseases that are now treated by bone-marrow transplants. Cord blood has been used successfully to treat childhood leukemia, some immune diseases and other blood diseases. At present, research is being conducted in the United States and Europe to use cord blood for gene therapy in a number of diseases, including sickle cell anemia, diabetes and AIDS.

Cord blood contains the same valuable cells that are found in bone marrow. These "stem cells" are the building blocks of the blood and immune systems. These special cells are undeveloped in cord blood. Because they are undeveloped, cord blood does not need to be matched as closely for a transplant as bonemarrow blood does. This feature can be especially important for members of ethnic minority groups or people with rare blood types. These groups traditionally have had more difficulty finding acceptable donor "matches."

Before their baby's birth, parents may request that the baby's cord blood be collected and "banked" for future use. The blood can be used by the child from whom it was collected, his siblings or parents. You also may donate your baby's cord blood at no cost to you, similar to blood banking.

Blood is collected directly from the umbilical cord immediately after delivery. There is no risk or pain to the mother or baby. The blood is transported to a banking facility where it is frozen and cryogenically stored.

The cost of cord-blood banking includes an initial fee of about $1,000, with about a $100-a-year storage fee. As more is learned about blood banking and its use becomes more common, the cost may go down. Some health insurance companies pay the fees for families at high risk of cancer or genetically based diseases. Cord-blood banking services may waive fees for at-risk families who are unable to afford them. For more information about cord-blood banking services, contact the International Cord Blood Foundation at (415) 635-1456.

After a baby is delivered, the mother's body releases the placenta, the temporary organ that transferred oxygen and nutrients to the baby while in the mother's uterus.Donating cord blood is a generous gift from you and your baby that may change someone else's life. Cord-blood banking isn't routine in hospital or home deliveries - it's a procedure you have to choose and plan for beforehand, so be sure to consider your decision carefully before delivery day.