Umbilical cord
The umbilical cord is a flexible, rope-like structure roughly 50 to 60 cm long that connects your baby's belly button to the placenta. It contains two arteries and one vein, all cushioned by a jelly-like substance called Wharton's jelly. The vein carries oxygen-rich blood and nutrients to your baby, while the arteries return waste products to the placenta for disposal. After birth, the cord is clamped and cut, leaving a short stump that dries up and falls off within one to three weeks. Delayed cord clamping, waiting at least 60 seconds before cutting, is now recommended by the World Health Organization because it boosts the baby's iron stores.
What This Means for You
Understanding Umbilical cord is an important part of your pregnancy/birth journey. During pregnancy, your care team will use this term regularly. Being familiar with it means you can ask better questions and feel more confident at your antenatal appointments.
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Keep the cord stump clean and dry, and fold nappies below it until it falls off naturally. If the stump smells foul, looks red around the base, or oozes pus, see a doctor promptly as infection, though uncommon, needs treatment.
Related Terms
Source: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/how-your-fetus-grows-during-pregnancy
Always consult your healthcare provider for personalised advice.
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