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The topic is about how to take care of the newborn umbilical cord? For a mother, it’s an amazing feeling of holding a newborn in her arms. Just a sight of our newborn makes us forget all the stress of having troubles for nine months. All mothers forget even the pain during childbirth. We are so excited when we have our child in our lap.

umbilical cord stump

umbilical cord stump
umbilical cord stump
umbilical cord stump

In the midst of the excitement we just confused how to take care of toddler’s Umbilical Cord. Have you touched it? How do you feel? 

Mothers are confused does newborn feel pain when we touch the umbilical cord! How do we take care of this sensitive part of our child?

These are the questions roaming in the mind especially for the First-Time mom. But nothing to worry within the article I try to write all dos and don’ts when it comes newborn’s umbilical cord?

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1. Why newborn has an Umbilical Cord stump in the first Place


umbilical cord stump

The umbilical cord connects a baby with his mother in the womb. It runs from an opening in the baby’s stomach to the placenta in the mother’s womb. Normally the cord is 50cm long. The umbilical cord transporting all essential nutrients and oxygen to the developing baby in the womb.

As soon as the baby is born the umbilical cord is no longer needed and hence it is clamped and snipped as all the blood in the cord transported to the baby. The cord will be cut between the two clamps.

Only a short stump is left on the baby’s tummy which can be easily noticeable. Don’t worry it’s not painful for baby because there is no nerve in the cord. It’s how to take care of your newborn’s umbilical cord stump.

2. How long will a newborn has an umbilical cord stump


umbilical cord stump

Between 5 to 15 days after your baby is born, the umbilical stump dries out. It turns in black color and itself drop off. When stump comes off, it usually takes about 10 days for the belly button to heal fully.

If you notice blood is discharging from your baby’s belly button the inform your doctor or midwife and get advice on what to do?

3. THE DOS


When it comes how to take care of newborn’s umbilical cord stump keep these tips in mind:
  • Keep the Stump Dry – Usually, alcohol swabs are used to clean the stump after you change the baby’s diaper. Researches have shown that alcohol can kill the bacteria and keep the stump dry. But when you clean it gets wet. So expose it in air and let stump to dry.
  • Use sponge Baths– If the stump got wet then there is nothing to worry. But if you want to dry it fast then you can use sponge baths. These make stump dry super fast.
  • Let the stump fall off its own- It’s not good to pull out the stump yourself. When the baby grows old you can see clearly that the stump is about to come off. It’s a natural process that the stump gets off naturally. So allow the stump to fall off on its own.

4. THE DON’TS


  • Don’t cover the stump with a diaper, keep it in the front of the diaper folded down. This will help from covering the stump.
  • Don’t pull off yourself the stump even if it is hanging by the thread.

5. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM


umbilical cord stump

No issue if there is blood near the stump as it heals even after it falls off. Below are some reasons when there could be a serious problem for example:

  • Pus percolate out of the umbilical cord
  • The skin surrounding the stump becomes red and swollen
  • A pink moist bump develops around the area
  • If the cord hasn’t fallen down itself within three weeks

When you notice any of these signs, then you should see your doctor ASAP. Don’t bother by the stump on your baby. It’s all-natural. Give it time to heal and avoid any interference with the healing process otherwise, there may be possibilities of infection.

umbilical cord stump

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