Story: Te whānau tamariki – pregnancy and birth

Baby in the womb (1st of 2)

Baby in the womb

This image of an unborn baby (kahu) lying in the womb shows the placenta (whenua) and the different parts of the umbilical cord (iho).  Where the iho connects to the whenua it is called the rauru, and where it joins the baby it is the pito. Traditionally the whenua and the iho were buried with appropriate ceremony. This practice continues in the 2000s.

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How to cite this page:

Hope Tupara, 'Te whānau tamariki – pregnancy and birth - Rites and baby care', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/diagram/27626/baby-in-the-womb (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Hope Tupara, published 5 May 2011, updated 1 Jun 2017