I dutifully pickled and preserved my first (hospital born) daughter's cord.
 It stayed attached for 2 1/2 weeks.  On the advice of my midwives with
babies 2 and 3 (born at home) I did nothing to the cords after the midwives
initially cleaned and annointed them with whatever they used. The cords got
real stinky and fell off in a few days.  I've seen many babies in my clinic
who were 3 weeks + who still had perfectly preserved cords.  These moms are
all very conscientious (really clean!) and most would rather die than buck
the cant on getting those cord stumps wet.  I loved Heather's presentation on
re-birthing in the tub, and I've got a tub in my clinic I'm dying to use.
 Wish we could get clinical data on some of the belief system stuff.  There
is a good reason to be careful with cords.  The Third World deaths from
neonatal tetanus are frightful, but balance is important, and in the US we
are perhaps off the deep end on cord care.

I want to share some fun news.  I just got an invitaiton to speak to a
psychology class on human sexuality at a local college.  They are looking at
reproduction and are actually seeking info on breastfeeding!  Niles Newton, I
hope you can hear me up in heaven:  I can't wait to turn these people on to
your work.

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSE, IBCLC
priv. pract. in Austin, pickled cord care capital of Tx