# Q - Do You Want to Cut the Umbilical Cord? A - Do I Want to Do What? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 19, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774 "2007-02-19T03:20:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/21 "2007-02-19T15:24:49Z")
Well thank you for the warm regards, you all are too kind. Really. And thanks for the input. I’m glad to hear that I wasn’t the only one who was a bit squeamish with the goings-on. For the most part, I couldn’t bear to watch and turned my head during the more intense pushing phase. I occasionally sneaked a peak which quickly reaffirmed my decision to look away. Such a wimp. Also as a first-time witness to the experience, it can’t be stated enough how every man here undoubtedly bestows an enormous amount of respect to every mother out there. You don’t fully realize this until you’re right there in the midst of the action. Whew. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/22 "2007-02-19T15:31:58Z")
[QUOTE=minlokwat] Also as a first-time witness to the experience, it can’t be stated enough how every man here undoubtedly bestows an enormous amount of respect to every mother out there. You don’t fully realize this until you’re right there in the midst of the action. Whew. [/QUOTE] A friend of mine had a C-section a couple of weeks ago, which her husband was brave enough to watch in its entirety. At home later, when she complained about the discomfort, he said, “well, no kidding…you should have seen what they DID to you!!!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/23 "2007-02-19T15:37:43Z")
I declined at least once, maybe twice, and maybe even three times. It’s all a blur. I don’t think my wife was that keen on my doing it – I’m not sure why, but I think she just wanted to get it over with. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/24 "2007-02-19T15:43:21Z")
[QUOTE=sunacres] the wife’s torn perineum was stitched up. Wow. It looked like someone had tried to stretch a tire over the mouth of the Carlsbad caverns. But I recovered. [/QUOTE] **You** recovered?! ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/25 "2007-02-19T16:54:30Z")
I had planned on it, but like **Sublight** , an emergency C-section got in the way of that plan. I just wish the hospital we went to was more like the one **Sarahfeena** ’s friend used. I wanted to be able to observe our daughter’s removal, but I had to put up a fight just to stay in the OR, next to my wife’s head. They had all view of the operation itself fully blocked off – bastards. I suppose they may have had a father or two faint in the past, so I can understand why they do it, but still – bastards. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/26 "2007-02-19T17:04:51Z")
[QUOTE=minlokwat] Well thank you for the warm regards, you all are too kind. Really. And thanks for the input. I’m glad to hear that I wasn’t the only one who was a bit squeamish with the goings-on. For the most part, I couldn’t bear to watch and turned my head during the more intense pushing phase. I occasionally sneaked a peak which quickly reaffirmed my decision to look away. Such a wimp. Also as a first-time witness to the experience, it can’t be stated enough how every man here undoubtedly bestows an enormous amount of respect to every mother out there. You don’t fully realize this until you’re right there in the midst of the action. Whew. [/QUOTE] I was actually rather fascinated. I almost once joked with a nurse, “Hey, don’t stretch that thing out _too_ much - I’m not done with it!”, but common sense prevailed. 😉 I really liked how the baby had a misshapen head as it came out, then you could watch it as it settled into place. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/27 "2007-02-19T17:35:24Z")
I was asked for all three of our daughters, but only did so on the third. After each of the first two were born, I was too busy trying not to pass out to want to handle any complicated tasks. Plus I was worried the baby would scream just as I cut the cord. On the third, I did cut it. No extra scream, but a huge spray of blood that the OB had to dodge. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/28 "2007-02-19T18:19:01Z")
Wow, I thought my husband was the most squeamish of them all. The doc invited him to cut the cord and he took the scissors and hesitated. The doctor said, “It won’t hurt them” and so my husband cut the cord. He was very pleased to be involved. Our daughter was doing very well, so there was not much rush. I had torn, but was not bleeding so much that there was a panic. For us, this was very nice. He knew from the start that his part was, as soon as she was born, to keep his eye on her. Not to let them do anything of the things we did not want to her, which was mainly to prevent them from feeding her sugar water. I had GD and so this was a real risk. He went with her to get her bathed after I held her and brought her back to nurse. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/29 "2007-02-19T23:19:24Z")
Never had any kids…but congrats on the new little one! I won’t ask for pictures since it’s not MPSIMS… ---
**Author:** ![Joools](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6de8d8/32.png) [@Joools](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joools)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/30 "2007-02-20T03:59:43Z")
I did when my son was born. Less emotional for me than just kind of fun. Something “medial” to do that even I couldn’t screw up. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/31 "2007-02-20T04:38:20Z")
[QUOTE=Renee] Why? Do you keep it in a mason jar full of formaldehyde on the mantle? Really, what does one do with such a thing? [/QUOTE] We keep it in a little box with his first footprint and a lock from his first haircut. It’s not the entire cord, just a dried piece about the size of your little fingertip. Apparently it’s traditional in Japan. My wife still has hers. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/32 "2007-02-20T05:12:08Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] **You** recovered?! [/QUOTE] Come on, it was a joke. It was funny too. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/33 "2007-02-20T05:39:46Z")
I did it. It wasn’t something I’d built up ahead of time, but I knew it was an option, and when they asked me in the delivery room I said, “Why not?” I can’t say it carried a lot of emotional significance for me, but I’m glad I did it anyway. Of course, my mom was an OB nurse and I remember sitting in on her childbirth classes when I was 6 or 7 years old, so there wasn’t a lot of romance or mystery associated with the birth process for me. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/34 "2007-02-20T12:32:36Z")
I was prepared to cut the cords for the si\_kids, but they said the axe wasn’t hygenic enough. sheech. 😛 Just kidding - they gave me surgical scissors. No problem. Si ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/35 "2007-02-20T12:48:13Z")
[QUOTE=Seven] The doctor was fairly absent from the birth. The nurses did all the real work. He came in at the very last minute, put on the catchers mitt, and a moment later my daughter came out. Then the slacker tried to pawn off cutting the cord on me. I said no. He cut the cord, said a few words and left. That’s all we saw of him. If I recall, for his 10 minutes he was paid $1500. [/QUOTE] Exactly, man. In one of my better off-the-cuff lines when the Doctor asked (for our oldest) I replied “Who’s getting paid seven grand for this?” The nurses busted up and Lady Chance punched me. But it was SO worth the pain. The second one I did, though. When he ordered me to do it (not asked) I brought out my swiss army knife and he handed me the knife he had ready. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/36 "2007-02-20T14:35:12Z")
I cut my daughters cord and it wasn’t really a big deal but after 20 hours of labor and 4 hours of sleep in the previous 40 hours things were kind of a blur. I was kind of caught off guard because the nurse had told us earlier that I likely wouldn’t be able to do it since the doctor would probably whisk her away to clear her lungs (there was meconium in the amniotic fluid) before she took her first breath. She let out a nice cry as soon as she was out though and the doctor handed me the scissors. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/37 "2007-02-20T15:42:10Z")
I know I cut it for my oldest kid - 20 years ago. Basically figured it was the kind of thing you only get so many opportunities to do, so you might as well when you get the chance. Same way we asked a whole bunch of questions about the placenta (in the OB/GYN’s words, “And heeeere’s the pizza!”) and he told and showed us a quick lesson. But then after doing it once, I’m not sure if I did it the next 2 times or not. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/38 "2007-02-20T15:55:37Z")
There’s about 10 weeks to go before the first little Torqueling comes into the world. I plan to try to cut the cord, although there’s no telling if I’ll be able to do so when the time comes. Unfortunately, they won’t let me bring my own cutting implement. Come on, how cool would it be to tell people your cord was cut with a samurai sword? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/39 "2007-02-20T16:51:32Z")
I was asked, but declined. My wife had an emergency Caesarean, I was still shaking and I’d heard those suckers were tough, so I left it up to the pro. Did give them permission to draw umbilical blood for whatever reason, though. I knew the question would be coming, unlike the OP, we’d covered it in our antenatal classes. Congrats on the new baby. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774/40 "2007-02-20T19:46:30Z")
NO WAY! Symbolic, my ass. The whole thought of my husband cutting her cord grossed me out. And as a side note, my father in law is an OB/GYN has had folks ask to keep the placenta. (don’t ask, I won’t tell) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-do-you-want-to-cut-the-umbilical-cord-a-do-i-want-to-do-what/392774.md?page=3)