🪱The Umbilical Cord🪱
So, the cord .
An amazing structure.
In utero, it connects the baby with the placenta and shunts nutrients and oxygenation to the baby
It is genetically part of the baby, and normally contains 3 vessels (sometimes only two , which *can* but isn’t always related to fetal abnormalities).
There is one vein which pumps nutrient rich, oxygenated blood TO the baby and two arteries which transfer deoxygenated and nutrient depleted blood back to the placenta to be REoxygenated/renourished.
The cord usually forms by the 5th week.
The umbilical cord lining is rich in stem cells which are subject to a lot of research regarding their potential for clinical use the treatment of various conditions.
The cord also contains something called Wharton’s jelly, a substance that protects the vessels within the cord from being squeezed by kinks, compression and knotting.
Amazing stuff.
Once a baby is born, the cord will continue to pump blood between baby and placenta for a little while, and go from a plump and blood filled appearance (usually with impressive vessel coiling that gives it the appearance of an old fashioned telephone cord) to a limp and white structure. Once the cord is limp and white, blood transfer has stopped and cutting it no longer leads to blood deprivation in the baby. Most people choose to cut the cord at one point of another and some practice non severance of the cord, also known as Lotus Birthing.
After birth the cord will dry out, shrivel up and turn browny black by a process called dry gangrene.
The cord does not generally need any special care usually other than protecting from being pulled off prematurely, and the process of cord remnant separation usually works smoothly, though can take between 3 days and a few weeks (I think the longest I have seen was 21 days ).
Often, when the cord starts to separate, the area between skin and umbilical cord stump on the newborns abdomen can get a little ‘wet’ and yellow/browny/pinky in colour. There can also be a DISTINCT smell (or stench rather) which is more often than not normal (especially if there is no redness in the skin surrounding the umbilicus, though if in doubt, consult your midwife/HCP of course). The wetness and smell are often a huge area of concern for new parents, but are usually nothing to worry about, though umbilical infections DO exist, so vigilance is a good way to go.
And then, once day, the cord stump will just drop off, people usually find it tucked into the nappy or the baby’s clothes during a nappy change.
The umbilicus may still look a bit ‘unhealed/unfinished’ after that, still ooze a little yellowy fluid, but generally heals beautifully in the days/weeks after separation.
Hey presto, cordless baby .
In the first photo you can see a dried out cord stump with the three vessels beautifully visible. You can even see the thicker vein on the left and the two arteries on the right
Very cool!!
(shared with consent).