Umbilical Cord Question??

[NDFanatik]

For those who's babies still have their cords (or remember their babies cords in detail) what does the underside of it where it's attached look like??

I'm debating on whether or not to call my doctor in the morning. The underside of my daughter's cord is a yellowish green color and looks moist. It's not pus or anything. I try to keep ot dry and put rubbing alcohol on it every other diaper change. But I'm afraid there may be a slight infection. I smelled it out of curiosity and I thought it had an "off" smell. Hubby said he didn't smell anything.

So it it normal for the underpart to be that yellow/green color? Or do I need to call the doctor?

Thanks!!

[mamanurse]

Hi Amy Lynn! Both my dd's stumps fell off at 5 days old and it looked like plain bellybutton to me. It certainly does sound like you should call your care provider in the morning. FWIW I thought the new school of thought was to leace the stump alone and it will dry out anf fall off on its own.

[Changed]

That sounds totally normal IME.

[mommysaurus]

sounds normal to me too, now if there is redness at the cord then I'd call the doc. I wouldn't put alcohol on it as it will keep in moist and will take longer to fall off. If you can get your hands on some goldenseal capsules, just open it and sprinkle some on, it will dry it out quick. G's came off at day 6.

[thixle]

Just coming to ask the same thing! Yellowish green and moist. It didn't start that until I started putting alcohol on it... maybe day 4? I've used alcohol twice a day, now 8 days old and it just looks a little weepy... Wonder if the little body is reacting to the alcohol and swabbing...

It took DD1's cord almost 2 months to fall off, but I barely remember the process, if that makes sense.

[thixle]

Searched a little in Life with a Babe and came up with these:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=812953
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=840349
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...umbilical+cord

So, now I'm sure it's the alcohol : And the reason it took so long with DD1- too clean

[mkmb129]

A's belly button was raw underneath.. like raw flesh. It was gross, and didn't look like a belly button at all! She had a visit the next day, 8 days old, and the ped said that's not uncommon and just keep it clean but don't use alcohol, just water. Her's was kinda off smelling, too. It dried up and now looks like a belly button, no infection!

[Cindy-Lou]

Alcohol is not recommended. At the hospital, they told us to just wash it with soap and water.

[TaraRae82]

We're having belly button problems too! OP, that sounds normal to me. Ally Rae's cord fell off in her ped's office and he said it looked fine and to see some puss or whatever while it healed would be normal. I thought maybe it had gotten infected but it doesn't smell. I think it's just taking forever to heal up. My Mom said mine took ages before it was a normal belly button. They actually put silver nitrate (I think??) on mine and my Mom said it seemed to stay there forever and was really awful. I've started putting breastmilk on Ally's just in case it is a little infected. I figure it can't hurt and since breastmilk seems to cure everything else, why not this?!

Our hospital did say to use alcohol while the cord was still on but I pretty much ignored that and it still took exactly 2 weeks for her cord to fall off. Then her ped said to use peroxide on it which I also ignored because it just didn't make sense since that stays moist.

GL to everyone! I hope all the belly button issues are resolved very soon!

[Astrid1024]

My midwife said when I called her concerned that the stump is undergoing decay and so it will have a slight smell - if it was infected, it would smell putrid and you would know that it was infected...a little smell is normal she said. My L.O.'s underneath was a little reddish/yellowish and liquidy looking - not pussy, just raw. It fell off within 7 days and healed completely by 14. I wouldn't worry. I used goldenseal powder and kept it totally dry. No alcohol.

[NDFanatik]

Thanks ladies I decided no doctor since there's no redness, tenderness, or really bad smell (just very faint). I'll put aside the alcohol and see how that goes!!!

[thixle]

Wanted to say... haven't put alcohol on the cord since the last post up there^^^ (2 days?) and it looks so much better! Dry, a teeny bit of blood, but no grossness anymore. Amazing. here's hoping it falls off soon!

[Logan's mommy]

Not in your ddc, but went through the same thing with ds2, just a few months ago. His hadn't fallen off by his 2 week appointment, and was a little pussy, and slightly off smelling, but the doc siad that was normal. Eventually it fell off and he now has a perfect outie belly button.

[HeddyBee]

My baby's cord got black and icky-smelling for a few days before it fell off, and it oozed a bit, mostly reddish-brown. I only put alcohol on it a couple of times. It looks fine/clear now, but I did call the ped when it started to smell bad.

[Dahlea]

That's what Z's was like, and I asked his ped, and she said it's normal-even the odor!

[TaraRae82]

I wish Ally's would hurry up and heal because I'm tired of my in-laws commenting that it "doesn't look good..." and then infer that I need to take her to the dr. Plus, it's not a cute belly button yet!

[Changed]

Wow, my lo's has been completely healed for weeks now!

[NDFanatik]

Quit putting alochol on it and it fell off yesterday Dried up FAST!!