Purpose

What's the purpose of the umbilical cord? Babies receive nourishment and oxygen in the womb through the placenta, which is connected to the inner wall of the mother's uterus. The placenta is connected to your baby by the umbilical cord through an opening in the baby's abdomen. After your baby is born, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut close to the body in a painless procedure, leaving an umbilical stump.