Newborn Care: 3 Things to Know About the Umbilical Cord Stump
Before birth, babies receive all their nourishment through the umbilical cord, a tube that runs from the placenta, on the inner wall of the uterus, to the baby’s navel. This is how the baby gets all her food, liquids, and oxygen, and it remains quite literally her lifeline until she enters the world. Cutting the umbilical cord is one of the first things that happens after birth, and clamping it shut—which, along with the cutting, is painless as there are no nerves in the cord—happens soon thereafter, leaving the baby with a Read More