Why Do We Have a Belly Button?

Have you ever thought of the purpose of your belly button? Do you find your navel as a useless part of your body? 

Your belly button is there because it is the spot where your umbilical cord was once attached when you were born. The umbilical cord and belly button were responsible for carrying all essential minerals and nutrients from your mother to you when you were in her womb. 

This tiny belly button can help in fighting various health and skin problems even today as well. It is also serving the purpose of aesthetics for many people as they pierce or tattoo the area. 

In this article, we will be digging deep into the origin of the belly button and how it became a significant part of your body. We will also look at different shapes of the belly buttons.

What is a Belly Button?

The belly button is the hollowed area on the abdomen due to which the fetus receives nourishment. Romans mark the rounded conical stone as the center and beginning of the Universe.

This happens because when a baby is inside a mother’s womb, it cannot breathe or eat food on its own. It not only transfers nutrients but also removes waste that the baby no longer requires.

We denote a belly button as the first scar of our body, which resulted from the Dutchman of the umbilical cord after our birth.

It contains blood vessels that send oxygen-rich blood to the baby’s body and oxygen-poor blood back to the mother’s body. After a person is born, the doctors cut this umbilical cord and separate the two bodies.

The Significance of the Belly Button

It is very important to take care of this overlooked part as well because it reaps so many benefits for your well-being. The belly button is a very soft bendable tube that does not have any biological significance but is still a major contribution to the development of the fetus.

According to Ayurveda, it is the most important Marma point in an individual’s body. In western medicine as well, it is the power hub of nerves that connects over 70,000 nerves.

It is also home to so many good bacterias which are essential for health and immunity. Its well-being can promote digestion, circulation, and eye vision. 

One should gently massage the navel before sleeping for the well-being of various parts of the body. People use different essential oils to cure skin and eye health.

Are All Belly Buttons the Same Shape?

Surprisingly, a person’s belly button size isn’t proportionate to their height or size. A tall individual, for example, may have a small belly button, while a short person may have a larger one. 

Let’s look at the different shapes of belly buttons for your knowledge and reference-

  • Outie

An outie belly button results from the remaining part of the umbilical stump, and it comes out instead of getting in. 

It is a soft bulge and swelling around the navel region. According to the research, around 10% of the population is left with an outie belly button. 

  • Deep Hollow

A deep hollow belly button looks like a shadow right below the belly button and appears a little top fold like an open mouth.

This type of belly button is quite common in people with excess abdominal fat. Most people categorize this type of belly button as “funnel-shaped.”

  • Vertically-Narrow

Many doctors refer to a vertical belly button as a “split” belly button because it resembles a little up-and-down split in the stomach. 

The apex of a vertical belly button has very little hooding like an “I” imprinted in the skin. The most prevalent belly button type, according to research, is a vertical belly button.

  • Horizontally-Narrow

People call it a T-shaped belly button because a major part of this belly button is going towards the horizontal direction. 

It is different from a deep hollow belly button because of the uppermost area of the skin. Here, the sign completely covers the outermost part of the belly button.

  • Round

A Round belly button is quite similar to the Outie belly button in appearance. 

But, it is not alike as it still concaves in an inward direction. It does not have a hooding or covering and is just rounded in symmetrical terms.

  • Bulb-Like

A bulb-shaped belly button has a slight hooding on the top region. The shape appears to be oval that goes narrow at the bottom like the shape of a bulb.

Some people also compare the bulb-like belly button with the wine bottle because it is upside down in shape.

Why Do Doctors Cut Off the Umbilical Cord?

The umbilical cord connects a baby to its mother during pregnancy and is still attached to the baby’s belly button when they are born.

When you were born and the umbilical cord was no longer needed the doctor will cut the cord. When they cut it they still leave part of the umbilical cord attached to the baby’s belly button. This piece of the umbilical cord will naturally dry up and fall off as the days pass. 

After birth, the residual umbilical stump comes off in 2 weeks or sometimes longer. Your navel or belly button is all that is left, a reminder of where, why, and how your umbilical cord exists.

After that, a baby can eat, drink or breathe and get rid of its wastes on its own.

Final Thoughts

Have you seen why people have belly buttons? We can’t neglect its significance as it is the only factor that helped us survive.

Belly button comes in many shapes and sizes like round, wide, deep, bulb-like, and various other variations. 

Several surgical procedures can help modify if you do not like the way your belly button is. But, it is very natural for your navel to vary in appearance. 

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I have always been a shopaholic. A lot of times my questions went unanswered when it came to retail questions, so I started Talk Radio News. - Caitlyn Johnson

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