Umbilical cord purpose?

Mojisola

Garethgrew wrote: »

Do during labour the waste switches from going out the umbilical cord to going out the bum. Lots of babies do their first poo on the way out.

The 'waste' that goes out through the umbilical cord is not the same kind of waste that passes out of the digestive system.

http://www.familyeducation.com/pregnancy/fetal-growth-and-development/role-umbilical-cord
The umbilical cord, which connects your baby to the placenta, contains three vessels: two arteries, which carry blood from the baby to the placenta, and one vein, which carries blood back to the baby. The blood in the arteries contains waste products, such as carbon dioxide, from the baby's metabolism. Carbon dioxide is transferred across the placenta to your bloodstream and then to your lungs, where it's breathed out. Oxygen is transported from red bloods cells in your circulation, across the placenta to the baby in the umbilical vein. In addition to oxygen, the umbilical vein transports nutrients from the placenta to your baby.

The digestive system is completely separate and usually only starts to function when the baby is born.

The first bowel movements are not poo as such because the baby doesn't have any bacteria in his/her gut.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/diapers-clothing/Pages/Babys-First-Bowel-Movements.aspx

katglasgow

When we were expecting our first baby my dh (aged 30 at time) started asking me about babfood and it transpired he thought that babies ate proper food as soon as they were born ��