The umbilical cord is your baby's lifeline throughout pregnancy. It connects your baby to the placenta and ensures that your child receives everything they need — oxygen and nutrients — for nine months. Yet it's surprising how little many expectant parents know about this crucial connection.

In this guide, you'll learn how the umbilical cord works, what delayed cord clamping means, what the WHO and AAP say about cord blood, and what you should know about possible complications.

What Is the Umbilical Cord?

The umbilical cord is a twisted, flexible cord that connects the baby (via the belly button) to the placenta. It forms around week 5 of pregnancy and grows alongside the baby. At birth, it is usually 50-60 centimeters (about 20 inches) long, but length can vary from 30 to over 100 centimeters.

How Is the Umbilical Cord Structured?

The umbilical cord consists of three blood vessels surrounded by a protective jelly-like tissue:

Two arteries — carry blood with waste products and carbon dioxide from the baby to the placenta
One vein — carries oxygen-rich, nutrient-rich blood from the placenta to the baby
Wharton's jelly — a thick, gelatinous tissue that surrounds and protects the blood vessels from compression and pressure

Wharton's jelly is what makes the umbilical cord so robust. It is smooth and slippery, allowing the cord to be bent, twisted, and compressed without stopping blood flow. It's a remarkable natural design.

The umbilical cord has no nerves. This means neither you nor your baby will feel any pain when the cord is cut after birth.

What Does the Umbilical Cord Do During Pregnancy?

The umbilical cord is the baby's only connection to nutrition and oxygen. Through the placenta and umbilical cord, the baby receives:

Oxygen — the baby doesn't breathe on their own, but gets oxygen via the umbilical vein
Nutrients — everything from proteins and carbohydrates to vitamins and minerals
Antibodies — part of the mother's immune system is transferred to the baby
Hormones — important signaling substances that regulate development

At the same time, the two arteries transport waste products (carbon dioxide and other breakdown products) from the baby back to the placenta, where they are filtered out through the mother's circulatory system.

The blood in the umbilical cord is the baby's own blood — it does not mix with the mother's blood. The placenta acts as an advanced filter where the exchange takes place without the two circulatory systems meeting directly.

Delayed Cord Clamping — What Is It and What Is Recommended?

Delayed cord clamping means waiting to clamp and cut the umbilical cord after birth — usually for at least 1-3 minutes, or until the cord stops pulsating.

Why Is Delayed Cord Clamping Recommended?

When the baby is born, the umbilical cord continues to pulse for several minutes. During this time, important blood is transferred from the placenta to the baby. According to the WHO and AAP, delayed cord clamping gives the baby:

Increased blood volume — up to 30 percent more blood is transferred to the baby
Better iron stores — reduces the risk of iron deficiency in the first months of life
More stem cells — the blood transferred contains valuable stem cells
A smoother transition — the baby gets a gentler start outside the womb

Both the WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend delayed cord clamping for all healthy newborns. You can include this in your birth plan and discuss it with your midwife or doctor.

What Is Standard Practice?

Most hospitals and birth centers now practice delayed cord clamping as standard for healthy births. The midwife or nurse typically waits until the cord has stopped pulsating, or for at least 1-3 minutes after birth.

During the wait, the baby can be placed skin-to-skin on the mother's chest. The cord is long enough for this, and it provides a calm start for both mother and baby.

Exceptions: In some acute situations, such as heavy maternal bleeding or the need for immediate resuscitation of the baby, it may be necessary to cut the cord earlier. Your midwife and doctor will assess this individually.

Who Cuts the Umbilical Cord?

Traditionally it is the midwife who cuts the cord, but many birth units offer the partner or support person the opportunity to cut it. It is a symbolic act that many find meaningful — literally cutting the connection and welcoming the child into the world.

The cord is cut with sterile scissors between two clamps. It does not hurt — for either the mother or the baby — because the cord has no nerves.

Cord Blood and Stem Cell Banking

Cord blood is the blood found in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. It contains hematopoietic stem cells — cells that can develop into various types of blood cells.

What Do Health Authorities Say?

According to the WHO and AAP, private banking of cord blood for personal use is generally not recommended. The reasons include:

The benefit is not scientifically proven for the child themselves
The chance that the child will need their own cord blood is extremely low — estimated between 1 in 20,000 and 1 in 250,000
For diseases like leukemia, the child's own stem cells may carry the same genetic defect and therefore be unsuitable for treatment
Delayed cord clamping provides greater documented health benefits than collecting cord blood

Private cord blood banking is available in many countries, but health authorities note that the evidence for personal use is limited. Collecting cord blood competes with delayed cord clamping. Consult your healthcare provider to weigh the options.

Public Donation — When It Matters

In special cases, cord blood can be donated publicly. This typically applies to families where a sibling has a serious illness (such as leukemia) that can be treated with a stem cell transplant. In such cases, this is coordinated with the hospital in advance of birth. Contact your hospital to ask about public cord blood donation programs.

Read more on this topic in our guide on cord blood stem cells.

Umbilical Cord Complications

The vast majority of pregnancies proceed without cord problems. But there are some conditions worth knowing about.

Nuchal Cord (Cord Around the Neck)

It is very common for the umbilical cord to be around the baby's neck at birth — this occurs in about 20-30 percent of all births. In the vast majority of cases, this is completely harmless. Wharton's jelly protects the blood vessels, and the midwife easily loops the cord over the baby's head after birth.

Cord Prolapse

Cord prolapse means the umbilical cord slips down in front of the baby in the birth canal after the membranes rupture. This is a rare but acute situation because the cord can be compressed between the baby and the pelvis, reducing oxygen supply.

Signs of cord prolapse:

You can see or feel the cord in the vagina after your water breaks
Fetal heart rate shows changes (detected on CTG monitoring)

Cord prolapse is a medical emergency. Call emergency services immediately if you feel or see the cord after your water breaks. Get into a position with your hips elevated (on all fours with your head down) to take pressure off the cord. Do not push the cord back in.

Cord prolapse occurs in about 0.1-0.6 percent of all births and usually requires emergency cesarean section. The risk is somewhat higher with breech presentation, transverse lie, premature rupture of membranes, or multiple pregnancies.

True Knot in the Cord

True knots in the umbilical cord occur when the baby moves through a loop of cord in the womb. This happens in about 1 percent of all pregnancies. In the vast majority of cases, the knot is loose and causes no problems — Wharton's jelly protects the blood vessels.

In rare cases, a knot can tighten and reduce blood supply. Tight true knots are an extremely rare complication.

Short Cord

An unusually short cord (under 30 cm / 12 inches) can in rare cases cause problems during birth, such as slow progress or early placental abruption. This is usually detected during labor and managed by the birth team.

Single Umbilical Artery

Normally the umbilical cord has two arteries and one vein. In about 1 percent of all pregnancies, the cord has only one artery (single umbilical artery or SUA). This is often discovered on ultrasound.

A single umbilical artery is usually harmless. The baby is monitored with additional ultrasound scans to ensure normal growth. The vast majority of babies with SUA develop completely normally.

What Happens to the Cord After Birth?

After birth and clamping, a small stump of the cord remains on the baby's abdomen — the umbilical stump. It is 2-3 centimeters (about 1 inch) long and held in place by a plastic clip.

The Stump Dries Out and Falls Off

The umbilical stump gradually dries out and changes color from yellow-white to brown and finally black. It falls off on its own, usually after 5-14 days, but can take up to three weeks.

Important for care:

Keep the stump clean and dry
Gently clean with a dry cotton swab daily
Fold the diaper edge down below the stump
Do not pull on it — let it fall off on its own

Read our detailed guide on umbilical stump care for newborns for everything you need to know about daily care, signs of infection, and umbilical granuloma.

The Placenta — What Happens to It?

The placenta is delivered shortly after the baby — this is called the afterbirth. The placenta with the remaining cord is examined by the midwife to ensure it is complete.

Read more in our article on the placenta and the stages of birth.

Lotus Birth — What Is It?

Lotus birth is a practice where the umbilical cord is not cut after birth. Instead, the cord and placenta remain attached to the baby until they naturally dry out and fall off, which can take 3-10 days.

Lotus birth is not standard practice and is not recommended by the WHO or AAP. There is no documented medical benefit, and it can pose a risk of infection as the placenta begins to decompose.

If you are considering lotus birth, discuss it with your midwife or doctor. Most hospitals will not offer this as standard, but may accommodate extended delayed clamping.

The Cord in Your Birth Plan

Several cord-related decisions can be included in your birth plan:

Delayed cord clamping — request to wait until the cord stops pulsating
Who cuts the cord — whether your partner or support person wants to cut it
Skin-to-skin while waiting for clamping
Cord blood — if you have arranged for collection (discuss with your provider)

Use Babysential's birth plan tool to create a complete birth plan with all your wishes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does cutting the umbilical cord hurt?

No, for either the mother or baby. The umbilical cord has no nerves, so it is completely painless. It feels roughly like cutting through a thick rubber tube.

Can my partner cut the umbilical cord?

Yes, most hospitals offer this. The midwife or nurse holds the cord with two clamps, and your partner cuts between the clamps with sterile scissors. Let your care provider know your wish in advance.

Does the baby feel anything when the cord is cut?

No. The umbilical cord has no nerves, and the baby feels nothing. The baby has already started breathing on their own by this point.

What are the benefits of delayed cord clamping?

Delayed cord clamping gives the baby increased blood volume, better iron stores in the first months, and more stem cells. Both the WHO and AAP recommend delayed cord clamping for all healthy newborns.

Can the cord around the neck be dangerous?

The cord around the neck (nuchal cord) is very common and almost always harmless. Wharton's jelly protects the blood vessels, and the midwife easily loops the cord free after birth. There is no need to worry if this is detected on ultrasound.

Should I bank cord blood privately?

According to the WHO and AAP, the benefit of private banking is not scientifically proven for the child themselves. The chance that the child will need their own cord blood is extremely low. Health authorities generally recommend that delayed cord clamping should take priority.

Useful Tools on Babysential

Birth plan — create your personalized birth plan
Due date calculator — calculate your due date
Contraction timer — time contractions when labor begins
Timeline — follow your pregnancy week by week
Checklists — keep track of tasks

Sources: WHO — Optimal timing of cord clamping, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), ACOG — Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping

Last updated: March 2026

The Umbilical Cord: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby's Lifeline