After your baby is born and while you are still in the delivery room, the doctor will cut the umbilical cord. Once the cord has been removed, the baby will still have a cord stump that needs to be cared for. Now, bear in mind that the cord stump will gradually turn black in just a few days following the birth and it will fall off sometime between the first and fourth weeks of life.
You need to pay particular care of this area of the body to hasten the healing process. You can do this by keep the area dry and exposed to the air. Newborn diapers are often shaped to provide exposure for the umbilical stump and you should be sure to fold down the front of the diaper if it doesn’t to prevent exposure of urine to the area, which may cause infection in the still healing stump area.
You want to avoid any kind of submersion bathing during this period to continue keeping the umbilical stump as dry as you can. You should clean the baby with a sponge bath and avoid sponging over the stump itself. When the stump falls off, you can clean the area as you would the rest of the body.
As a part of your regular cleaning of the stump area, dab it with alcohol on sterilized gauze or cotton balls. The alcohol will help to cleanse the area and reduce the chances for infection, while also drying very quickly. Remember, alcohol evaporates swiftly in the air and thus won’t increase any moisture around the healing stump.
If you notice an oozing or redness around the shriveling stump, contact your pediatrician. It could indicate infection or another problem. Most umbilical stumps shrivel up and fall off without a great deal of specialized treatment. Once the stump falls off – your baby will have a belly button and that too will gradually recede.
Have you had any trouble caring for your little one’s umbilical stump?
Related Articles:
Your Baby’s First Hours of Life
A New Reason to Bank Your Baby’s Cord Blood