Make sure the stump dries properly after your baby's bath. Gently pat it dry with a towel or soft cloth. Fold the nappies down so that the cord isn't covered and allow some time to air dry it if the weather is not too cold. If the stump gets poo or wee on it, wash it off with clean water, or soap as needed.
Allow the cord to be exposed to air as often as possible. This allows the base of the cord to dry and will decrease the amount of time that is required for healing to occur. Using newborn diapers that have a special cut out or folding your baby's diaper down will help keep the cord from becoming irritated.
When the umbilical cord becomes wet with urine, gently clean the base of the umbilical cord with mild soap and warm water. Rinse the area and pat it dry. Keep the belly button area dry. You may need to fold the top of the diaper down.
Can You Bathe Your Baby While the Umbilical Cord Stump Is Still Attached? During your baby's first few weeks, while the umbilical cord stump is still attached, you should only give sponge baths. A sponge bath is as simple as wrapping your baby in a towel, and wiping her with a damp washcloth and soapy water.
It's best to sponge-bathe your infant until the umbilical cord falls off and is completely healed. After that, you can place your baby in the water, making sure to support the head and neck at all times. Your baby doesn't need a bath every day. Most babies do well with 2 or 3 baths per week.
Choose a time when you're not rushed or likely to be interrupted. Some parents opt for morning baths, when their babies are alert. Others prefer to make baby baths part of a calming bedtime ritual. If you bathe your baby after a feeding, consider waiting for your baby's tummy to settle a bit first.
But for most families, bathing the baby two to three times a week is plenty after the first couple of weeks of life. In fact, we recommend delaying your newborn's first full bath for at least two weeks.
Signs of an Infected Umbilical Cord Stump
A smelly yellow discharge from the stump area. A reddening of the skin around the stump. Swelling of the navel area. Your baby crying when you touch the stump, indicating it is tender or sore.
Keep the cord as dry as possible. You may wish to use a nappy which has been specifically shaped to fit around the cord, or you can fold down the front of your baby's nappy so you don't cover the cord. Keep the cord and area surrounding it clean. Let the stump fall off naturally.
If the area around your newborn's umbilical stump doesn't heal properly, your GP or health visitor may recommend treating it with salt. This is an effective and safe treatment that you can do at home.
An umbilical cord may become compressed or damaged before or during childbirth. Common signs of umbilical cord problems include an irregular fetal heartbeat and decreased or low fetal movement.
The main cause of omphalitis is exposure to any bacteria during delivery, when the umbilical cord is cut after birth or a few days later at home.
There are no set rules about how long to wait before taking a newborn out into the world or when to let people near the baby. Some doctors recommend that parents wait until their baby is a few months old before going to crowded public places (like malls, movie theaters, and airplanes).
Following your shower, gently dry the inside of your bellybutton with another clean, dry swab or the corner of a towel or washcloth.
The stump of a newborn's umbilical cord is usually yellowish green at birth. As the stump dries out and eventually falls off — usually within two weeks after birth — it'll change to brown to black. In the meantime, keep the stump clean and dry.
Use comfortably fitting—not tight—onesies, or just dress baby in diapers and T-shirts. Don't clean the stump unless it comes in contact with stool or other potential infectants. In that case, clean it with water and a mild soap, and dry it thoroughly. Leave it alone.
Parents were once instructed to swab the stump with rubbing alcohol after every diaper change. Researchers now say this might kill bacteria that can help the cord dry and separate. Instead, expose the stump to air to help dry out the base. Keep the front of your baby's diaper folded down to avoid covering the stump.
After the cord has fallen off, the navel will gradually heal. It's normal for the center to look red at the point of separation. It's not normal if the redness spreads on to the belly. It's normal for the navel to ooze some secretions.
At first, the stump might look shiny and yellow. But as it dries out, it may turn brown or gray or even purplish or blue. It'll shrivel and turn black before it falls off on its own. Usually, it comes off between 10 and 14 days after your baby is born, but can take as long as 21 days.
A jelly-like substance surrounds the cord. After childbirth, your provider will clamp the cord and then cut it, leaving a stump (umbilicus) behind. Between one to three weeks, the stump dries up and falls off. As the stump dries, it shrinks and changes in color from yellowish-green to brown to black before falling off.
After birth, the cord is clamped and cut. Eventually between 1 to 3 weeks the cord will become dry and will naturally fall off. During the time the cord is healing it should be kept as clean and as dry as possible. A sponge bath is the best way to clean your baby until the umbilical cord falls off.
Bath time might be part of your nightly ritual, but doctors actually don't recommend daily baths for babies. Excess exposure to water can zap their skin of moisture and worsen conditions like eczema. Then again, not bathing your baby often enough can also aggravate eczema, plus lead to other infections.
A bath 2-3 times a week is enough to keep your newborn clean. But if your baby really likes baths, your baby can bath once a day. Bathing more than this can dry out your baby's skin. You can keep your baby's genitals clean between baths by using warm water and cotton wool.
Contrary to popular myth, it's impossible for parents to hold or respond to a baby too much, child development experts say. Infants need constant attention to give them the foundation to grow emotionally, physically and intellectually.