Baby: Newborn umbilical cord care

Dilly · 04-19-2007, 01:47 PM

Ok, so I haven't been cleaning the stump with alcohol three times a day, maybe once is more like it. My baby is 7 days old today and at her one-week appt, I asked the doctor if I should be pulling the skin away from the cord and actually cleaning inside of the button folds. She told me YES, I should. So I did when I got home and it started bleeding. Not sure if the cord was trying to come off when I pulled at it and maybe, like a scab, I just pulled at it too forcefully and it pulled away from the flesh ORRRR if it's a sign of infection. The doctor saw it this morning (before I took "care" of it) and said no signs of infection, but I am curious what others might say in light of the fact that it started bleeding. Should I dab the blood off of it or leave it alone. My fear is that if I leave it alone, there is no air in that tight flesh:cord junction and thus, the blood might sit there and irritate the skin and cause infection later. Should I call the doctor back?

Iceman26 · 04-19-2007, 01:53 PM

I would call the doctor. You don't want the advice of anyone else but a doctor in situations like these. When it comes to your kid you can't be too careful. Good luck.

Ash · 04-19-2007, 01:58 PM

If it's just a couple of drops of blood, dab it up with a swab. The stump is basically a scab now and behaves largely as such. If you pick at it (or pull it a tad too much) it can bleed a little. There can be a little bit of blood when it falls off, which is generally somewhere between about a week and a half to two weeks.

It doesn't really sound like a big issue, just treat it carefully, make sure her clothing and diaper aren't aggravating it and keep it clean as the doctor says.

After the stumpt falls off it can still take a little while to completely heal over.

fnlyfrei · 04-19-2007, 02:02 PM

yeah, the alcohol three times a day is a drying agent as well as a way to keep it clean. It hastens the cord stump to dry up and fall off.

**BellaDonna** · 04-19-2007, 02:35 PM

I agree that you should call the doctor, just to be on the safe side. These links might help too:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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Shadows Light · 04-19-2007, 03:03 PM

Alchohol keeps the area sanitary and it's a drying agent. Pulling on the cord may make it bleed.. yes, like a scab. I never pulled on it but gently swabbed the area... and let nature take its course.

Please do call your doctor... so he is aware. its not a silly question. When its concerns your baby and your a new mother ... then there are no stupid questions and you are NOT bothering them. They are also there to educate you.

BornToResist · 04-19-2007, 03:24 PM

Aw, what a sweetheart you are! I remember getting home and trying to clean my son's circumsicion wound and he started crying and I burst into tears because I thought I was a terrible mother. This time is so scary, isn't it? They really should come with instruction booklets.

I wouldn't worry if I were you. If the doctor said there were no signs of infection, believe him. My son's umbilical cord bled all the time. I wasn't rough or anything, that's just what happened. I had alcohol wipe things and I'd just kind of push the cord to the side (a tiny tiny bit) so alcohol would get underneath it. It healed perfectly.

I would keep an eye out for infection...if it's red or hot at all, then there's something to worry about. But it is bound to bleed. If it bleeds a LOT then I'd worry, but it's completely normal.

I'mThatGirl · 04-19-2007, 03:58 PM

You make me smile, Dilly!

If it only bled a little and then stopped immediately, I would continue the cleaning 3 times a day and just keep watch. I agree with everyone else that it does act as a scab. I too never pulled on it much. Just cleaned it and cleaned it and cleaned it. And wallaaa - Finally it fell off!

Let us know if you call the doctor and what they say.

Hugs!

Dilly · 04-20-2007, 05:30 PM

You guys are wonderful!!! THANK YOU!!!

I LOVE BEING A MOMMIE!!!

04-19-2007, 01:47 PM	#1
Dilly Offline Silver Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 938	Baby: Newborn umbilical cord care Ok, so I haven't been cleaning the stump with alcohol three times a day, maybe once is more like it. My baby is 7 days old today and at her one-week appt, I asked the doctor if I should be pulling the skin away from the cord and actually cleaning inside of the button folds. She told me YES, I should. So I did when I got home and it started bleeding. Not sure if the cord was trying to come off when I pulled at it and maybe, like a scab, I just pulled at it too forcefully and it pulled away from the flesh ORRRR if it's a sign of infection. The doctor saw it this morning (before I took "care" of it) and said no signs of infection, but I am curious what others might say in light of the fact that it started bleeding. Should I dab the blood off of it or leave it alone. My fear is that if I leave it alone, there is no air in that tight flesh:cord junction and thus, the blood might sit there and irritate the skin and cause infection later. Should I call the doctor back? __________________ Better to trust and be deceived than to live a life in torment never trusting at all, suspecting and being mistaken. -- Anonymous

04-19-2007, 01:53 PM	#2
Iceman26 Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston Gender: Male Age: 31 Posts: 2,904	I would call the doctor. You don't want the advice of anyone else but a doctor in situations like these. When it comes to your kid you can't be too careful. Good luck. __________________ "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." "Pride only hurts. It never helps."

04-19-2007, 01:58 PM	#3
Ash Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada Gender: Male Age: 46 Posts: 1,868	If it's just a couple of drops of blood, dab it up with a swab. The stump is basically a scab now and behaves largely as such. If you pick at it (or pull it a tad too much) it can bleed a little. There can be a little bit of blood when it falls off, which is generally somewhere between about a week and a half to two weeks. It doesn't really sound like a big issue, just treat it carefully, make sure her clothing and diaper aren't aggravating it and keep it clean as the doctor says. After the stumpt falls off it can still take a little while to completely heal over. __________________ Wisdom can come with youth ... my friends here prove it everyday.

04-19-2007, 02:35 PM	#5
BellaDonna Offline Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: U.S. Gender: Female Age: 29 Posts: 6,584	I agree that you should call the doctor, just to be on the safe side. These links might help too: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] __________________ "Well behaved women rarely make history." "Friendship should be a refuge, not an ordeal." Please see the forum rules for posting on enotalone:http://www.enotalone.com/forum/forum-rules.php

04-19-2007, 03:03 PM	#6
Shadows Light Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 2,561	Alchohol keeps the area sanitary and it's a drying agent. Pulling on the cord may make it bleed.. yes, like a scab. I never pulled on it but gently swabbed the area... and let nature take its course. Please do call your doctor... so he is aware. its not a silly question. When its concerns your baby and your a new mother ... then there are no stupid questions and you are NOT bothering them. They are also there to educate you. __________________ "Sit vis vobiscum." "nemo me impune lacessit" "Libera Te Ex Inferis" "Homo sapiens non urinat in ventum"

04-19-2007, 02:02 PM	#4
fnlyfrei Offline Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Colorado Gender: Female Posts: 1,585	yeah, the alcohol three times a day is a drying agent as well as a way to keep it clean. It hastens the cord stump to dry up and fall off.

04-19-2007, 03:24 PM	#7
BornToResist Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 1,846	Aw, what a sweetheart you are! I remember getting home and trying to clean my son's circumsicion wound and he started crying and I burst into tears because I thought I was a terrible mother. This time is so scary, isn't it? They really should come with instruction booklets. I wouldn't worry if I were you. If the doctor said there were no signs of infection, believe him. My son's umbilical cord bled all the time. I wasn't rough or anything, that's just what happened. I had alcohol wipe things and I'd just kind of push the cord to the side (a tiny tiny bit) so alcohol would get underneath it. It healed perfectly. I would keep an eye out for infection...if it's red or hot at all, then there's something to worry about. But it is bound to bleed. If it bleeds a LOT then I'd worry, but it's completely normal. __________________ “Wisdom is nothing more than healed pain.” - Robert Gary Lee

04-19-2007, 03:58 PM	#8
I'mThatGirl Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Somewhere Out There Gender: Female Age: 31 Posts: 4,874	You make me smile, Dilly! If it only bled a little and then stopped immediately, I would continue the cleaning 3 times a day and just keep watch. I agree with everyone else that it does act as a scab. I too never pulled on it much. Just cleaned it and cleaned it and cleaned it. And wallaaa - Finally it fell off! Let us know if you call the doctor and what they say. Hugs! __________________ Never make someone your priority when they only make you their option. Never waste time on someone not willing to waste or share time with you. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein Wonder of these days.... how do they sleep at night? How? Is there something I'm missing? In search of. . . . understanding I guess.

04-20-2007, 05:30 PM	#9
Dilly Offline Silver Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 938	You guys are wonderful!!! THANK YOU!!! I LOVE BEING A MOMMIE!!! __________________ Better to trust and be deceived than to live a life in torment never trusting at all, suspecting and being mistaken. -- Anonymous