Your belly button is the small, round scar in the center of your stomach where your umbilical cord was attached before you were born. When a baby grows inside its mother, it can't eat or breathe on its own yet, so the umbilical cord delivers oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the baby. After birth, doctors clamp and cut this cord because the baby no longer needs it. The small piece that remains dries up and falls off within a couple of weeks, leaving behind your belly button.

Most people have an “innie” belly button that goes slightly inward, while some people have an “outie” that sticks out a bit. Both types are completely normal. The medical name for your belly button is your navel, though almost everyone calls it a belly button in everyday conversation.

Every mammal that develops inside its mother has a belly button, including dogs, cats, dolphins, and elephants, though theirs are much harder to see than ours. Your belly button is a permanent reminder of the amazing connection you had with your mother before you were born!