Umbilical Cord fragments in Bloodborne Bloodborne Guide
Last update: 06 March 2018
While playing, you might have found an item called One third of Umbilical Cord. These items are among the items that you use often, such as Blood Vials or Quicksilver bullets. For this reason, you may view them as artifacts of little significance. However, you need these items, if you want to change the game ending and defeat the "truly last" boss- Moon Presence.
You can find 4 umbilical cord fragments but, this does not affect the ending in any way - you only need to consume three of them, the fourth one changes nothing. Remember that you do that before the fight with Gehrman, whose offer to give him your life you need to refuse. This starts a fight with a single boss and, right after you win, a cutscene starts, after which you fight another one - Moon Presence.
Fragment #1
You find the first fragment at the Abandoned Old Workshop. To get there, you first need to defeat the Blood-starved Beast at the Old Yharnam,. Then, in the Odeon Chapel to the right of the lamp, there opens a new passage to the Healing Church Workshop. There, climb downstairs to the round room full of wooden platforms.
While standing on the main beam, you can jump down, to a location hidden below. You need to keep in mind that you lose some of your health points, as a result. You need to take two jumps, where the first one is more important. First of all, approach the edge on the left, right after you enter, right next to the ropes (the screenshot). Your goal is to jump over to the small platform a bit below (take a small step to aim the jump well). From there, you can jump over to the small platform right below this one (remember to use Blood Vials beforehand), a bigger one this time, and you will have reached a small door to the Abandoned Old Workshop.
Right after you enter, walk into the chapel, nearly identical with the one you found in the Hunter's Dream. On the altar in the center of the room, you find One Third of Umbilical Cord.
Fragment #2
To get another fragment, quite early into the game (starting with the moment of killing Vicar Amelia) you need to talk to courtesan Arianna and send her to the Odeon Chapel. You find her at the Cathedral ward. While in front of the gate to the main yard, climb down on the left. After you defeat the opponents, talk to the person behind the door on the left. As soon as you kill the three bosses, she asks you about safety.
Then, return to the Odeon Chapel after you defeat Micolash, Host of the Nightmare. You will not find Arianna at the chapel then. Therefore, go towards the Oedon Tomb. After you climb down the ladder, into the flooded room on the left, you find the courtesan sitting on the chair, with a strange-looking "child" next to her. Kill the little monster (you automatically kill Arianna as a result) and collect the One Third of Umbilical Cord.
Fragment #3
You find another fragment in Iosefka Clinic. You need to make it there by crossing the cave in Forbidden Woods. Then, after you cross Central Yharnam and enter the clinic through the window, go left. You find a closed door there. Behind the door, climb up the stairs. You find Iosefka lying on the bench, defenseless and neutral. After you kill her, you can pick up One Third of Umbilical Cord.
Note: Make sure that you go to the clinic after you kill Rom, the Vacuous Spider. If you do that earlier Iosefka will be hostile towards you and you will have to fight her. After you kill her, you lose the opportunity to obtain the umbilical cord fragment.
Fragment #4
If you have missed any of the abovementioned fragments, you still can get them. You receive one of them after you defeat the Mergo's Wet Nurse main boss.
Note: If you killed Iosefka before and failed to save Arianna/she was killed by Adella, you will be unable to get the rest of the cord fragments, up until you start New Game+.