cutting the umbilical cord
Newborn's first independence
Cutting the umbilical cord is the act of severing the tissue connecting a newborn to its mother's placenta, performed shortly after birth.
Figuratively, it means breaking a dependent relationship, especially between parent and child: Going away to college finally meant cutting the umbilical cord.
The phrase suggests a necessary separation that allows independence.
- placentaFetal nourishment organ
- neonateInfant under 28 days
- individuationDistinguishing one from many
- independenceFreedom from external control
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
emancipation · leaving the nest · obstetrics · naming ceremonies · doulas · ancestral traditions · self-reliance · spiritual cleansing · midwife · clamp · liberation · cesarean section · separation anxiety · letting go · postpartum · detachment · birth canal · first breath
cutting the umbilical cordclinging
Gripping without release
holding on · tethering · codependency · enmeshment · codependence
cutting the umbilical cordhelicopter parenting
Excessive involvement in children's lives
smothering · coddling · overprotecting · enabling · babying