Does the umbilical cord disconnect between mother and child on it's own eventually if not cut immediately by doctor?
2007-07-06 14:49:25 · 16 answers · asked by Teaholic 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
I find it odd that a natural process such as childbirth would require intervention with tools. What was nature's way of separating mother and child properly before people knew to use tools to cut it? How did our early ancestors even know to cut it?
2007-07-06 14:59:24 · update #1
For those of you who think I want to do this, I don't. My child is already here. I'm just curious about the process, and wondered how it was done in nature before modern medicine.
2007-07-06 15:02:29 · update #2
the cord isnt actually attached from baby to mother. it is attached from baby to the placenta. the placenta is attached along the lining of the uterus and is expelled or "delivered" after the baby. i suppose if you just left the baby attached to the placenta from the umbilical cord it would just rot away. it probably could cause a nasty infection. Ive never looked into it specifically though so I couldn't tell you exactly what happens. Animals have babies w/ cords also, and usually will bite at them. The cord is no longer needed, its a natural thing for it to come off... as long as it doesn i dont think it matters how as long as its in a safe way.
2007-07-06 15:57:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
There is a practice called Lotus Birth in which the cord is *never* cut. Once the placenta is birthed it is cared for (rinsed, salted, wrapped and left in a container) and left connected to the cord and the cord remains attached to the baby until it naturally dries and falls away from the baby's body.
Proponents of Lotus Birth claim that is a more gentle way of allowing the baby to transition from the womb to the outside world.
There are no proven health benefits to this practice, but no known health problems which can arise if proper care is taken of the placenta and both placenta and child are handled with care.
It is impractical, however, and for most people would simply not work. It would not be permitted in a hospital birth setting.
See the links below for more information.
2007-07-06 15:03:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
The placenta will still come out from your uterus as it does whether it is cut or not, it will simply be connected to baby by the umbilical cord. Some cultures (and even some Americans) do leave the umbilical cord intact to the placenta (which is wrapped in cloth) until the cord dries up and falls off as it would a clipped cord. It takes the same amount of time (a few days) and is refered to as a "lotus birth".
2007-07-06 15:00:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
In the 'old days', mom chewed the cord off. With tools, she could cut it, but still didn't cut it until after the placenta came out. It was not cut until after it delivered. Cutting the cord while it was still inside Mom was a creation of the assembly line births of the 40s. Both my grandmothers had their children at home and said that the practice was to wait until after the placenta delivered unless the cord was wrapped around baby's neck or was too short.
2007-07-06 17:39:40 · answer #4 · answered by CarbonDated 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What you're referring to is lotus birth. Lotus birth is the practice of leaving the cord uncut after birth so that the baby is left attached to its placenta until the cord naturally separates. This whole process usually takes 1–3 days.
If you are considering this option, you may want to research it more online before you present this option to your doctor, because it isn't a common practice anymore.
2007-07-06 15:03:56 · answer #5 · answered by just my opinion 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The umbilical cord is connected to the placenta. After you deliver the baby, within 5 minutes later you deliver the placenta (which is about half the size of the baby). The hospital takes care of the placenta (throwing it away or burning it or whatever it is they do). If you have a c-section, they take it out right after they take the baby out.
2016-05-20 02:18:54 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most cut the cord for convienience and to enable the baby to be checked and weighted. Some cultures follow a 'lotus birth' where the placenta and cord is left attatched and left to dry where upon it falls away naturally in 1-3 days.
2007-07-06 14:57:04 · answer #7 · answered by Topaz 2 · 8⤊ 0⤋
It does not immediately NEED cut. It is actually now thought to be betetr if you wait until the blood stops pulsing through it, just a few minutes. It woudl fall off when the umbilical stump falls off if left alone. But woudl smell UNGODLY well before that.
2007-07-06 14:53:59 · answer #8 · answered by Betsy 7 · 6⤊ 1⤋
No, it does not really disconnect.
Don't take chances!
Cut it!
Tie two pieces of string around it - very tight - about an inch apart from each other and cut in between them!
The umbilical cord is attached to the placenta which comes out of the mother after the baby is born - called the afterbirth. Mother and child are still connected until the afterbirth comes out if the umbilical cord is not cut. Sometimes it can be a little while until the afterbirth comes out.
It can be very dangerous if it is not cut.
Don't take chances. A doctor doesn't have to be the one to cut it, but it does need to be cut.
2007-07-06 15:01:23 · answer #9 · answered by orange.boots 2 · 0⤊ 9⤋
The umbilical cord should be cut promptly when a child is born with a sterile knife. If it is not clamped and cut it opens the infant up to dangerous infections
2007-07-06 14:55:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋