11 Things You Never Knew About The Umbilical Cord

It’s the link from you to your baby that delivers all the essential nutrients – and it’s amazing!

1 MOST OF THEM ARE TWISTED

The cord naturally coils into the shape of a spring as it grows – only 5% of normal cords don’t do this. Left twists outnumber right twists by seven to one.

2 IT VARIES IN LENGTH

The average length of the umbilical cord of a full-term newborn is between 50 and 60cm, but can range between 19 and 133cm. Babies who are more active, particularly in the second trimester, tend to have longer cords.

3 IT’S FULL OF JELLY

Wharton’s jelly, to be exact. This protects the veins and arteries inside from being squashed or creased.

4 IT MIGHT GET TANGLED