Umbilical cord care

[Rikki Jean]

What are your plans for umbilical cord care? We did goldenseal powder with DS, but seeing as I haven't ordered any, and my mw doesn't provide it (last one did), I'm guessing we're going to go with good ol' reliable fresh air for this one.

If I did want to order goldenseal powder, I'm not sure I would even know where to get it...

[Traceyky]

Fresh air is what I recommend to all my mamas :-) Everything else just slows it down. Delayed cord clamping helps too. In my practice we wait 1 - 2 hours before clamping/ cutting the cord, just wrap the placenta up in a chux and tuck it aside while mama enjoys her baby. Helps make sure baby does not get passed around either, lol.... Most cord stumps are off in 3 - 4 days.

[Rikki Jean]

Originally Posted by Traceyky

Fresh air is what I recommend to all my mamas :-) Everything else just slows it down. Delayed cord clamping helps too. In my practice we wait 1 - 2 hours before clamping/ cutting the cord, just wrap the placenta up in a chux and tuck it aside while mama enjoys her baby. Helps make sure baby does not get passed around either, lol.... Most cord stumps are off in 3 - 4 days.

Well, we couldn't delay cord clamping with DS, as his cord broke upon delivery! : It did fall off at one week. I looked on the floor, and said, "What's that?" Then I figured it out, lol.

I think that fresh air is going to be the route we go, for sure. I like your idea of waiting a couple of hours to clamp and cut...

[veganjoy]

I ordered goldenseal powder capsules from inhishands.com; they were .50 for two, and the six I bought (for $1.50!) should be more than enough.

[mittendrin]

I bought some homeopathic powder by Weleda in Germany, esp for cord care. i think the main ingr are Calendula and Echinacea and a few other things...
Works great!

[melissakc]

We did nothing last time. Our ped told us just to leave it alone and don't let it get wet.

[mothragirl]

we did nothing last time, it healed quickly and easily.

[marisa]

Last time, I noticed that the goldenseal seemed to make the healing go slower, so I just cleaned around the area with rubbing alcohol because it kept getting oozy. It fell off around 4 days.

[shelley4]

for both of my kids, we never did anything special, and their cords fell off within 4-5 days. i know some people even avoid bathing their babies (like, immersing in water, not just a sponge bath), but we gave them baths anyways... what's more relaxing than a warm herbal bath with your newborn snuggled in!?

[meisterfrau]

I've been just leaving it alone...but here's the thing--baby was two weeks old on Thursday, and the cord stump shows no sign of falling off anytime soon. Is he going to still have the thing when he goes into kindergarten or what?