Umbilical cord
The umbilical cord connects the placenta to the baby it’s THEIR lifeline.
A vein carries oxygen-rich blood and nutrients from the mother to the baby, and 2 arteries that return deoxygenated blood and waste products from the baby through the placenta for the mother’s body to eliminate. These blood vessels are surrounded by a sticky substance called Wharton’s Jelly which prevents the umbilical cord from forming too tight a knot. The umbilical cord continues to transfer oxygenated blood, making sure the baby has enough oxygen whilst their lungs are starting to expand (this happens as soon as the baby feels a change of temperature on his skin).
The cord contains a third of the baby’s blood volume.
The cord blood contains vital vitamins and stem cells which should be transferred into the baby. Hence delayed cord clamping & massaging from mum to baby.
NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) guidelines support DCC and in an ideal situation, cord cutting would wait until the cord stops pulsating and changes colour from purple/blue to white.