Caring for the Umbilical Stump

What is an umbilical stump?

An umbilical stump, also known as an umbilical cord stump, is a small, rounded piece of tissue that remains attached to a newborn’s belly button (navel) after the umbilical cord is cut at birth.

The umbilical cord is the lifeline that connects the developing foetus to the placenta, and it is typically clamped and cut shortly after birth.

After the umbilical cord is cut, the remaining stump typically dries up and falls off within one to three weeks, leaving behind a healed belly button.

During this time, the stump may appear yellowish or brownish in colour, and it may have a slight odour. It is important to keep the umbilical stump clean and dry to prevent infection, and to follow the instructions provided by your healthcare provider for caring for your newborn’s umbilical cord stump.

Once the umbilical stump has fallen off, the area may still be sensitive and require gentle care for a few more days until it fully heals. It’s important to watch for any signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, or discharge, and to contact your healthcare provider if you have any concerns.

Now what do you do in the meantime to care for it to make sure that there are no issues and that it falls off just fine?

Well, there are a couple of things you could do.

One is to keep the area clean.

Years ago we used to use alcohol to clean the area, but that sort of fell out of favour because there were some concerns that it may actually end up killing the good bacteria that’s necessary to help the area heal. It’s recommended right now just to keep it clean.

Two is to keep the area dry.

To clean your baby during this period, it’s best to stick to just giving them sponge baths or using a damp cloth to just sort of clean them without submerging your belly. This should happen until the cord falls off and is completely dry.

There are times where there may be a reason for you to reach out to your medical provider or paediatrician, because you are concerned about some possible infection or an issue in the area.

There may be some ooze in the area that’ll be one sign and there may be an infection.

It’s normal for there to be a little bit of wetness, maybe a little bit of mucus as it heals, maybe even a little bit of blood, like a tinge of blood as it cabs up. Sometimes that cab is disturbed and you have some bleeding.

However, if you have any constant oozing, very foul smell or redness or swelling around the umbilical storm, those are all signs that they may be an infection.

If your baby has a fever, is becoming terribly fussy with all of this and refuses to feed, all those will be signs to seek medical attention right away.

There you have it. That’s how to care for your baby’s umbilical stump. It is super simple: keep it clean and dry and for the most part, you should be just fine.

I have a free resource guide to help you choose the right paediatrician for your baby. A really simple three path framework you can use.

There’s also the Confident New Mom resource guide that goes through some really basic things that every new mom should know as she expects to welcome a newborn. They’re absolutely free to you.

If you need more support, there is the Newborn Preparation Course. This is a super simple four – module course that goes over all the essential things you need to know to prepare for your newborn.

I’ve been a paediatrician for over 17 years, board certified, and I’ve cared for thousands of newborns at this point, and I am happy to share some of my experiences and help you.

Look out for another blog next week!

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