The umbilical cord is the first tangible connection between a mother and baby. For nine long months, the placenta, nourishes and supports the baby in the mother’s womb as it grows.

These photos taken by Denver Photographer Monet Nicole capture the beauty of the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord nurtured and kept your baby alive for 9 months and it is truly amazing, yet it is often not celebrated or photographed.

More and more families are becoming aware of the amazing benefits of delaying cord clamping. When you delay cord clamping, you allow “more blood to transfer from the placenta to the infant, sometimes increasing the infant’s blood volume by up to a third. The iron in the blood increases infants’ iron storage, and iron is essential for healthy brain development.” Some studies have even shown improved neurological function in infants whose cords were clamped after three minutes. 

 Monet Nicole

 Monet Nicole

 Monet Nicole

 Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole

Monet Nicole