Lottie
New Member
The umbilical cord is your baby's lifeline, his or her link via the placenta to all the nutrients and oxygen he or she needs for healthy growth in the womb. The cord also transports carbon dioxide and waste products away. It consists of two umbilical arteries and one umbilical vein, and its total length is on average around 50 cm (20 inches).
After birth the cord is clamped in two places and then cut between the two clamps, usually after the baby has begun breathing independently. Your midwife will check on the cord stump each day, and advise you on its care. She will probably remove the clamp after a day or so and tie a piece of tape securely around the stump, which needs to be kept clean and dry, and shouldn't be covered by the baby's nappy. Between the 6th and 10th day after birth, the remaining piece of cord has usually withered and blackened and dropped off.
Source
After birth the cord is clamped in two places and then cut between the two clamps, usually after the baby has begun breathing independently. Your midwife will check on the cord stump each day, and advise you on its care. She will probably remove the clamp after a day or so and tie a piece of tape securely around the stump, which needs to be kept clean and dry, and shouldn't be covered by the baby's nappy. Between the 6th and 10th day after birth, the remaining piece of cord has usually withered and blackened and dropped off.
Source