Cord stump

[Noelia430]

How long did it take to fall off and how did you care for it?

[Stayseeliz]

We didn't do anything to it but keep it dry and it fell off when DD was about 2 weeks old!

[pbjmom1029]

We too didn't do anything but keep it dry (the one time it did get wet during a sponge bath I just dried it using the hair dryer for a minute or so) - It fell off after just a week and a half!

[marlygf]

We did absolutely nothing and it fell off at 5 days pp. She didn't get her first bath until 2 weeks old.

[newCTmama]

We just left it alone and it fell off in about 11 days

[kleines]

We left Willys alone and it got all nasty! It had to be cauterized! It was so gross. It took a little over three weeks to finally heal up! DS1's did that too though. I think it is because of the way their buttons are shaped.

[cherubess]

we did nothing and it dropped off at 9 days.

Funnily enough that was exactly the same for DS as well.

[gottaknit]

Originally Posted by marlygf

We did absolutely nothing and it fell off at 5 days pp. She didn't get her first bath until 2 weeks old.

:
Same for us, except it was 4 days.

[HarperRose]

Did nothing, took a couple baths, fell off at 4 days.

[Maeve]

We did nothing for a while (until about 8 days?) and it fell off at 9 days. That was 3 days ago and it's still bleeding. The dr. suggested using alcohol for the next week and see if it stops. If it doesn't...we'll see then.

I don't recall my other girls cords having this much of a problem.

[cherubess]

when my DD's stump fell off there was a bit of blood.

I just kept the area clean and dry as possible and after a few days it cleared up.

[jennay]

my dd's bellybutton bled for a few days after the stump fell off as well. It just kind of oozed blood but cleared up just fine.

[tonimk19]

DD's stump fell off at 2 wks, 6 days (on Halloween!). There was a little blood but that's all. We used alcohol for the first week, then used it every few days and then nothing at all and it fell off on it's own.

[mama_daba]

we did nothing (the midwifes kept telling us to use rubbing alcohol but we didn't) and it fell off in a little less than a week not sure if it was 5 or 6 days. it is still healing some but is looking good.

[Jenlaana]

The midwife I talked to said that alcohol was bad and that it was an old practice. wierd how they all have their own ways I guess.

I used some umm gosh I forget the name of it... some sort of herbal antibacterial powder that I was given for it. It stains but worked wonders. DD's fell off at about a week (a little early, it got caught on something), and then was bleeding/scabbing off and on for about a week. So at about 2 weeks or so it was gone and healed and perfect. Wish I could recall what that powder was. I have used it with both of my daughters and its made an obvious visual difference in how well they've healed and stayed dry.

I gave DD her first sponge bath at about 3-4 days PP (she was born at home so that really was her first) and then the next at about 2 weeks. We dont bathe her unless her hair gets oily, which is a bout every week to week and a half so far. (she has a lot of dark brown straight hair)

[firstkid4me]

Lana's pediatrician pulled on it when she was 5 days old and I noticed it was hanging on by a thread at 6 days old so I pulled it off because it smelled so bad :

[HeatherB]

We did nothing this time - not at all. My older boys' both came off right at 2 wks (one used alcohol, the other that herb that I can't recall the name of, either), but Judah's came off at 1 week exactly! He did have some bleeding (on the order of spotting, if you will) for another week. We didn't do anything except wipe away dried blood periodically. Couldn't see where it was bleeding, just the little bit that would show up on the outside of his developing button.

Oh, when they get smelly, it usually means they're about to come off. That's what happened with both of my older boys. Freaked me out a bit, but off they came with no issues!

[Inspired007]

We occasionally swabbed it with isopropanol. It fell off at about the two week mark. You really don't have to swab it with anything. It doesn't help it dry out any faster but it can keep it clean but it's not really "dirty". Its not a wound or anything so the alcohol doesn't really prevent infection or anything. I liked to wet it sometimes with the alcohol just to feel like I was doing something

[thorn]

we did nothing and it fell off at 7 days

[Blucactus]

It smelled like death and fell off at 3 or 4 days and was icky for a while. Alcohol just seemed to irritate it so we left it alone and kept it dry, no tub baths till a he was a few weeks old & it had healed nicely.