pfluby, the article I linked to in my original post includes an explanation of why backflow bleeding is extremely unlikely in an uncomplicated birth (I think it's objection #7).
I
poked around some more and found this article from the July/Sep 2012
issue of the Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing:
http://www.nursingcenter.com/prodev/ce_article.asp?tid=1409724 These
sentences from the abstract really made me sit up and pay attention (emphasis mine): "Delay of cord clamping substantively increases iron stores
in early infancy. Inadequate iron stores in infancy may have an
irreversible impact on the developing brain despite oral iron
supplementation. Iron deficiency in infancy can lead to neurologic
issues in older children including poor school performance, decreased
cognitive abilities, and behavioral problems."
So, in short, I
have this wonderful one-time opportunity to ensure my baby has enough
iron for his brain to develop optimally. Why the heck would I pass that
up?
I think the root of the problem is that I am expecting my OB
to think and act like a midwife, and she just plain isn't one. It's like
buying a cat and expecting it to bark at strangers who come to the
door. I have decided to make the switch to a CNM, and I think everyone
will be much happier that way.