by Laura Falin posted in Pregnancy

I didn't give much thought to my babies' umbilical cords. Sure, I cared for the area carefully for that week or two before they fell off. Once they did fall off, I think I just threw them away.
I didn't think about the deeper meaning behind that tiny cord that tied my babies to me for the nine months prior. I didn't reflect on how that thin, frankly gross-looking little tube was the only thing keeping them alive. It was, quite literally, their lifeline.
In the time since my babies were born, I've noticed that some parents do put thought into their babies' umbilical cords. Many parents save them -- often in a baby album. Some even go so far as to have them made into jewelry (a little too much for me, but hey, you do you.)
Last month, I had a chance to travel to Hawaii, where I wrote about how ancient Hawaiians carved divots and designs to bury their babies' cords near the home of the goddess Pele, in hopes their children would be granted long, healthy lives. It got me wondering how other cultures treat the umbilical cords of newborns. So I did a little digging.
 In Latino culture, it was thought long ago that babies could take in air through the belly button, so it was kept covered. In many places in Latin America, you can still buy ombligueras -- gauze or fabric made for wrapping around the baby's tummy. It was also thought that once the stump fell off, you could prevent your baby from having an "outie" belly button by pl...