Umbilical Cord

The umbilical cord is one of your baby’s major lifelines while she is living in your womb, the other one is the placenta. The umbilical cord, which is fully formed by week 5, connects your baby to the placenta via her belly button and is considered to be a part of your baby as much as your arms and legs are a part of you.

Did you know? That even though there may only be one placenta in a multiple pregnancy there will still be one umbilical cord for each baby!

The umbilical cord is your baby’s main source of nutrients and is composed of two arteries and one vein, which are encased in Wharton’s jelly, a gelatinous substance that is basically a complex carbohydrate structure. The arteries pump the deoxygenated, nutrient-depleted blood and other waste products back to the placenta, while the veins carry oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood from the placenta to your baby’s liver and heart and nearer to the end of your pregnancy they will carry important antibodies for your baby’s immune system. The length of the umbilical cord throughout your pregnancy usually equals your baby’s crown to rump (head to bum) measurement each week and is about 20 in./50 cm. long and ¾in./2 cm. wide at birth.

What happens to the umbilical cord after birth?