A week or so ago we had asked Jane’s Twitter followers when does the umbilical cord fall off? We received many answers ranging from 2 weeks all the way to 2 months and everywhere in between. Well, today Monkey decided to answer our question and this morning! Shortly after Jane changed Monkey she noticed his umbilical cord was just hanging on a thread and getting close to falling off.
Jane was really careful putting a new shirt on Monkey, making sure that she didn’t touch or bump his umbilical cord. She then picked him up, placed him in his swing and whooop! His umbilical cord fell off!
So how long did it take baby Monkey to lose his umbilical cord? It took 17 days for him. Now of course the amount of time that it takes for a baby’s umbilical cord to fall off will vary baby to baby, but he did it in just over 2 weeks.
The above picture is baby Monkey’s umbilical cord next to a quarter and the photo below is of his belly button right after the umbilical cord fell off. Note that he is a little red there because Monkey was not happy about being changed and got a little upset at Mommy. :)
Wow. This is a big day. It’s like baby Monkey is officially a baby on his own. He’s officially a baby man. Losing his umbilical cord is like him leaving home to go to college. His visual tie to his Mommy has fallen off, showing he’s ready to see the world on his own!
OK, well I’m stretching it a lot here. LOL But seriously, it’s a big step for our little guy. His umbilical cord was his lifeline for the first nine months of his life. It was his food and oxygen source. It was his visual direct tie to Mommy Jane. And It was a constant reminder of the moment when I cut his cord and looked over at Jane with my eyes full of happy tears as she looked back at me with a smile and her own tears of joy flowing down her face.
I don’t know about other parents, but for Jane and I, baby Monkey losing his umbilical cord today was such a huge thing for us. It also served as a reminder for us to savor each and every single moment with baby Monkey that we can. It reminded us that he’s getting bigger and bigger everyday and already growing up and he won’t be a baby for too much longer.
Time moves so quickly during this phase. You really have to do whatever you can to savor each and every moment with your baby. You need to hold them, put them on your chest, sing to them, smile at them, look into his or her eyes, talk to them, read to them, and even just watch them sleep.
Sure, life is crazy with a newborn baby. Sure there are loads of laundry to do, dishes to clean, floors to vacuum, things to pick up, grocery shopping to do, but for a moment, all of that can wait. For a moment, none of that matters. For a moment, all that matters is the little life that you brought into this world and the time you have to savor each and every second with your little one.
Babies quickly grow into toddlers and before you know it you’re reminiscing with your spouse about how much easier it was when they were a baby because they weren’t running all over the place and getting into things. Part of you will miss the short amount of time when your baby needed you for everything. You are his or her entire world. You are their everything.
But as they grow up and become more independent, you soon realize that the small blip of time that you barely remember because you were so tired was one of the most special times of your life. Those precious few weeks are something you can never get back. Those first few weeks of your baby’s life may be tough at times for everyone, but sometimes we need to step back and forget about all the other things going on around us. Forget about all the things you should be doing while your baby is finally sleeping after a marathon feeding. Forget about everything else and just watch your baby sleep.
Listen to his or her little sounds. Watch your baby breathe. Touch his or her silky hair on the top of their head ever so gently. And do everything you can to take that moment in. It’s moments like this that make you realize that your little precious miracle is your everything. You created him or her. You brought this life into this world.
Sure, some parents may not think too much of their baby’s umbilical cord falling off. Some may even be happy about it so that they have one less thing to watch out for while changing and dressing their baby. But for me, I’m both sad and happy. Sad that my son is already growing up so fast and how fast time is going, and at the same time happy and excited that he’s growing up because of all the things I can’t wait to do with my little buddy.
Who would have thought that your baby losing their umbilical cord would be such a milestone?
Do you remember when your baby lost theirs?
Also, what do you do with your baby’s umbilical cord?
We have no idea if you’re supposed to keep it or throw it away! LOL
P.S… Stay tuned! I will FINALLY be posting a blog showing pictures of our baby boy’s nursery!
You might also want to read:
- New Baby Monkey Photos! OK guys, I was able to get Jane to give me the OK to share some baby pictures with you!
- 30 weeks pregnant: Banking cord blood – Who’s doing it?
- At roughly this exact time last year, we made a little Monkey.
- The BIG question pregnant parents ask each other 1,273 times… at least
- 10 ways our baby has told me how much he loves me and how to tell if your baby loves you!
= a post from Mommy Jane 
= a post from Daddy Tarzan
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Do you remember when your baby lost theirs?
Darling Girl lost hers when she was exactly two weeks old. The afternoon of her 14th day, I went in to change her diaper, noticed it was hanging on by a thread, called Mr B in to show him, he had to touch it and off it came! Don’t ask me why I remember that, but I do!
Also, what do you do with your baby’s umbilical cord?
I thought about saving it, but to tell you the truth it looked so icky that we ended up throwing it away. It lived on the corner of her dresser for a couple weeks before we decided that.
Peeper lost hers at (wait, consulting the blog….) 19 days.
At the time, we stuck it in a basket on top of her changing table, when then got move to a bottom shelf, which I cleaned off last week while baby-proofing her room.
(She’s now 9 months old.)
I found it, put it in a ziplock which I labelled “Peeper’s Umbilical Cord (yes, really!)” and put in her box o’memorabilia.
(In lieu of a baby book, she has a blog and a box.)
For exactly all the same reasons you talked about in this post, I cried.
Both my babies’ stumps fell off around 2 weeks . Braeden at 16 days; Ashlyn at 13 days. When Ashlyn’s fell off, I couldn’t find it at first. I was paranoid that my 15 month old found it and thought it was a leftover snack on the floor….thankfully, a day later, I found it had rolled under the bassinet.
I kept their stumps, put them in ziplock bags, and stored them in their baby boxes. Of course, I must admit, I tend to keep anything memorable….including my son’s circumcision ring!
1st: about 14days. Used alcohol on it most changes
2nd: about 8 days. Used alcohol 5 times, max
3rd: 4 1/2 days or so. Never used alcohol
I have no idea what happened to any of them
Do you remember when your baby lost theirs
#1 – The day of his Bris – one week after his birth. It was oozing, red and we had to call the doctor in a panic before the Mohel came to do the deed. We used a little peroxide on it and some antibiotic ointment.
#2 – We think his fell off a little after his bris, so many 1 1/2 weeks old. Again used peroxide on it to help it look better faster.
Also, what do you do with your baby’s umbilical cord?
We tossed them. Saved their hair after the first cut, but I draw the line here. Of course, TechyDad just found #2’s floating around the diaper changing area the other day. That was the day we tossed it after almost 2 years.
You are so right to cherish these days. They really do grow up before our eyes. I am still in denial that my oldest “baby” is going to be 6 next Monday and will be in 1st grade. Oy!
My little guy is only 2 months old, so I definitely remember the umbilical cord milestone. It was when he was just 8 days old, and I remember because it was our first outing, to church, and in the middle of the service I looked down and his little t-shirt had come up and I saw the cord was no longer there! I’m freaking out a bit that the gross little stump is rolling around under the pew and some little kid is going to pick it up or something, and I whisper to my husband what happened- at which point he says casually, oh yeah it fell of this morning when I changed him. Thanks for informing me, dear! I had no thoughts about keeping it- first haircut I understand, but the umbilical cord, eww!
My little girl took forever to lose hers. It was hanging by one tiny thread, but I was so afraid to even do the slightest movement. After 21 days of it still being there we decided to take her to the doctor. I was afraid we had did something wrong. The pediatrician took it off and said we was doing everything right and it was ready to come off. I was afraid it might be getting infected or something like that. Imagine my surprise when I found out she was just fine. I know what you mean by it being joyous but sad at the same time. But, I was also so happy to be able to give her her first bath. It’s sad, but I love all the firsts I have with her. Her first, smile, giggle, rolling over, words, walking; these were only the beginning of her firsts. I’m so glad we got all of the pictures and recordings of them. Now, we have our little man. Umbilical cord looks like it will be a bit before it comes off, but it’s still all so new. I didn’t keep it (ha ha but I do have both pregnancy tests) but I remember it very well.
For my baby girl it was about 2 weeks when hers fell off.
We were so excited because we wanted to test out her whale tub.
Don’t worry, we won’t be keeping ours. It looks like a dried up black hot pepper, doesn’t it? LOL
And you know what? I didn’t even think about this milestone also meaning that we can give Monkey his very first bath!!! Although we’ve all been having fun with his sponge baths.
Do you need to wait for his belly button to heal before a bath? If so, how long? Sorry, Jane may already know this but I’m on night duty and Jane is sound asleep.
My little guy’s cord fell off after a week. But he had a lot of crusty stuff still caked in his belly button, that we were instructed to clean out with alcohol and it healed into a perfectly formed little belly button.
When it fell off I cried, it scared me, even though I knew it was going to come off, it was part of him at the time and I was afraid it hurt him and I was always worried if it looked normal. I still have his cord in a plastic baggie…Call it gross or weird, but it’s going in him baby book.
AS for the bath, I would wait for his belly button to completely heal. It won’t take long I’m sure, a couple days max. Then have fun with the bath. I loved bathtime (Even though he hated it at first). Once he actually sat in the water (without the baby hammock for the tubs) he loved bath time. I think it’s his favorite part of his day now.
my sons fell off 4 or 5 days after he was born. when we took him back to the hospital for his newborn check-up… the nurse was checking to make sure everything was healing down there, and when she took his diaper off… if fell off!!! even the nurse was amazed that it had fallen off so fast!
and we threw it out.. no need to keep that!
I seriously never knew that you weren’t supposed to bath them until the cord falls off..maybe its a US thing. We bathed and showered Daisy from a few days old, stump and all. Hers fell off around 2 weeks.
Incidentally if you want to be grossed out about stumps/placenta’s, google “lotus birth”.
My babies fell off at 6 days old. We were at the LC appointment and getting him undressed! I couldnt beleive it happened so fast..
OH and we totally kept ours! You know the little clip that was on it in the hospital? When they took that clip off they put it in a litle bag and gave it to us. I have no idea why.. but we just stuck it in there then put it in his memory box with stuff like his hospital shirts (2 of them because he was too big for the first one!) and his hospital hats and blankets.
You should keep it!
My daughter’s took about 2 weeks to fall off, but our son was only like 5 days, which freaked me out. It bled for a few days after and his doctor said that sometimes happens and all was fine.
We did not keep the cords cause to me, that is kinda gross. The cord was gross, the dried up nub was gross… ew, ew, ew!
I love the sweet sentiments about cherishing each moment- you don’t get that much from the men, usually the women. I, on the other hand, am counting down the seconds, minutes, days until they turn 18! LOL
Congrats again and I love your site!
Oh my goodness, 17 days? AH! Ours took 8 days and I thought I was going to die being cautious those last 2 days. I’m glad you guys cherished the moment and took pictures though; I already wish I’d done that…
As for when to be able too give them a bath. Basically as soon as the wound heals you can give them a bath. It only took my daughter about 2-3 days for it to heal. I think heal time is different for every baby. It didn’t take long for it to heal though.
T – The pedi said to give it about 2 days after it falls off before you get it wet. Weren’t you at the appointment with us?! Ha, ha. I’m thinking tomorrow or the next day we can give him a “real” bath in that blue tub. How fun!
Jane, what appointment? LOL Seriously, that appointment feels like it was 8 years ago… or it was a dream. Sorry, don’t remember that at all! LOL
Looking forward to bath time with Monkey. I hope he likes it!
My Megan lost her ambilical cord at about 2 weeks. Kaylin was much quicker and lost her at 10 days.
Each child is different and yes it is quite emotional. I didn’t keep it – it just seemed a little gross for me – like a slice of biltong.
We did take pictures to keep tho.
My little dude’s stump fell off when he was six days old. I toyed with the idea of keeping it, and it lived in one of the pouches of his pack n’ play for a couple days, but then I got worried one of the dogs might find it and eat it or that a cat would abscond with it… EW. We did keep the little clip they put on it at the hospital though.
I kept my son’s. I am not sure why… but throwing away something that was, literally, a part of him just felt wrong. I wrapped it in paper towel and tucked it into a keepsake box.
Fast forward 7 or 8 years… I was newly re-married and my husband was helping me sort some things after moving and we came across the keepsake box. I opened it up and was showing him everything… and when we got to the umbilical cord, I think he wanted to die. LOL He was completely grossed out. I just laughed and stuck it back in the box.
I did, about 2 years later, throw it away… my husband is a happier man knowing there isn’t a bit of old ’stuff’ in a box in our garage!
My son is 10 years old now and I am expecting a baby. My third child… my husband’s first. I can’t WAIT to see what my husband gets sentimental over.
My nephew Solomon’s umbilical cord fell off 2 weeks to the DAY after he was born.
One thing I learned about DIAPERING with umbilical cords is that you need a good diaper: PAMPERS SWADDLERS. Solomon started using these in the hospital and they’re the best diapers EVER. They have a little “dip” in them for umbilical cords so you don’t have to do any tricky folding-technique to keep the diaper away from the sensitive umbilical cord.
He’s now 7 months, a VERY big, tall boy, and is in size 2 Swaddlers –they’re not just for newborns! Other diapers, even more expensive ones, just don’t measure up!
Today was the day for our little Monkey Man, 3 weeks after arriving on the planet. We were nursing, and when I pulled him off my shoulder after burping, the dried up stump stayed stuck to the burp cloth. Since I was in public, eating lunch, it was a little gross. I tossed the stump onto my finished plate, dabbed at the little bit of blood with my napkin, and promptly threw it all away. But MM didn’t even notice a thing. He was just happy to be full and promptly fell asleep. Good thing it came off though, because he’s getting too big for the Huggies Snugglers with the nice little cutout for his cord!
There are lots of milestones every day, but I prefer to chronicle them with photos.