Many people have asked the question to “who cuts the umbilical cord?” It is a question that has been debated since time immemorial. Today, you will find it common for the father to cut the umbilical cord, but not so long ago it was customary for dad to sit in a waiting room smoking a cigar while mom and baby were taken care of by nurses. There are many reasons why we even cut it – from religious beliefs to medical necessity. Personally, I like the idea of being downstairs smoking a cigar but it is nice to be included.
Who Cuts The Umbilical Cord
We all know that cutting the umbilical cord is an essential part of the birth process. But if you are not medically trained or have never seen it before, it can be difficult to picture who cuts the cord. The Baby’s arrival is completed when the cord is cut and the baby takes their first breath. Historically, Midwives and Nurses did it, then it was moved to dad and when one of my children was born I don’t even remember it happening.
You can discuss this with your doctor and establish how you want this done. I have even heard of grandmother doing. The mother has a lot more say so in this process now than she may have had in the old days.
Why Do We Cut The Umbilical Cord
The umbilical cord is the fetal lifeline. It links the placenta feeding the baby to the womb/uterus and keeps the fetus alive. Cutting it marks life outside of mom. During natural childbirth, this cutting of the umbilical cord is done by the father (although sometimes another relative or friend is selected for the job) and I’ve seen some variation on the actual cutting of the cord. Sometimes a sterile knife or a pair of sterilized scissors is used to cut the cord, other times it is clamped and then cut. This is up to the birthing parent’s preference (again this isn’t my personal opinion but rather what I’ve seen).
What Is The Umbilical Cord
The umbilical cord is composed of two arteries and one vein. Arteries are responsible for carrying blood away from the heart to be distributed throughout the body, while veins are responsible for returning blood back to the heart so it can receive more oxygen and function at its peak. These three parts work together to provide nourishment to the fetus when in the mom’s womb.
Why Does The Father Cut The Umbilical Cord
There was a time that fathers were not even allowed in the room. Then in the late 70s, there was a shift to have the father in the room. Now that they are in the room of course the wife needs to put them to work. Can’t just be standing there watching you need to be involved. That part was a joke but it was shifted to let fathers be more involved.
In truth as I watch the big shift in baby showers to include fathers, I can see how this changed. The mom wanted it and it slowly became the way things are. The older dads I am sure told their sons what are you doing you have no business in there. The son would tell his dad he was to old school and the new tradition was started.
On the flip side, a baby shower is no place for a man. So for all you soon-to-be new fathers, it’s time to put your foot down. Let the women have their little sandwiches and small pieces of cake. If we have to have a man version of a baby shower then let’s do it but it should have a beer and man food. Diaper Party for dads and baby shower for moms. Don’t let them ruin this one for us, fight the fight 🙂
What Happens if You Don’t Cut the Umbilical Cord?
Obviously, there was a time long ago when women had babies and it was in a sterile environment with standard procedures. Therefore if we did nothing with the umbilical cord and it was not cut nature would take its course. In a few hours, it would seal itself off. Then in about a week to ten days, the cord and placenta would dry up and detach themselves.
What Do I Think About It
I have joked about it through this post but I am a father of four. Each birth was a very special moment in my life. Some of them went smooth….wait never mind each one was memorable and never the same. I did cut the cord on all of my children that I can remember. One I may not have because there were some complications. In truth, it wasn’t a very big moment for me and isn’t something I would have felt like I missed if I couldn’t do it. So for me… I say do what you want. If you want to do it go for it. If on the other hand, you don’t want to, well then don’t it won’t make you a better or worst father. In the end, the next 18 years will be full of memories and the cutting of the cord will be a very small one in the end.
Conclusion
The article is about who cuts the umbilical cord and what’s changed over the years. Now it is common for the umbilical cord to be cut by the father but there was a time where dads were sitting in waiting rooms smoking cigars. Why do we even cut it? It marks life outside of mom. It marks the beginning of the child’s life. So it has all kinds of meaning.
Cutting it can be symbolic but also it is important to keep mom and baby safe. For the most part, the reason fathers cut the cord is to make them more included in the process. To me, if you are going to cut it you get the easy part and your wife gets the hard part).
So you can do what you want… but if mom says cut it… cut it 🙂
