alcohol for the cord, vitamin K, gel in the eyes?

[moon mountain mama]

I've heard that alcohol is not good for anyone. I was wondering if any of you knew of alternatives to using alcohol on the cord?
How about vitamin K, how necessary, other alternatives. I drink nettle tea everyday, I know that has quite a bit of vitamin K.
Lastly, what about that gel in the eyes. I didn't have to do that with my first and can opt out of it now with my 2nd. I remember reading with my 1st that mother's milk squirted in the eyes was just as good.
Thank you.

[Mama~Love]

All of it is unnecessary. We had the option of using them, but we refused. Just leave the cord alone, it will be fine. No vit. K is needed, even though it's low in colostrum, but it's higher in the mature milk once it comes in. Gel in the eyes is for STD's, so if you don't have those, you don't need it.

[groovynaturemama]

we did nothing to the cord, and were going to do the oral vit. k instead of the injection, but decided not to once dd was born. no eye gel was administered either.

[blissful_maia]

Originally Posted by mommyofmany

All of it is unnecessary. We had the option of using them, but we refused. Just leave the cord alone, it will be fine. No vit. K is needed, even though it's low in colostrum, but it's higher in the mature milk once it comes in. Gel in the eyes is for STD's, so if you don't have those, you don't need it.

I second everything that this mama said, besides that Vitamin K is useless. I believe that it's a personal choice for each mama/family and that it shouldn't be administered universally, but it does have a valid reason for being used. The risk of hemorrhagic disease of the newborn is highest when the baby has little to no access to Vitamin K through breast milk. And once signs are obvious, serious brain damage has already occured. I don't think every baby needs it, but I don't think it should just be swept under the rug when it reduces the risk of HDNB so much.

[MsBlack]

I agree that it's best to leave cord stump alone--just keep it dry, it'll be fine.

Eye antibiotic isn't needed unless your baby's eye/s shows actual signs of infection in the days/weeks following birth.

Vit K--the incidence of HDN is normally about 6-8 babies per 100,000 babies. The incidence of HDN WITH Vit K prophylactic is only 3-4 cases per 100,000 babies. I guess it could be said that Vit K cuts incidence of HDN in half...but you have to understand that first, HDN is really pretty rare and second that the reason for HDN isn't clear in all cases. Obviously, if fewer babies get it if they had VIt K, then we can assume that SOME babies get this disorder from Vit K deficiency. But if some babies get HDN even after receiving Vit K, then we have to realize that there are *other*, unknown causes for HDN.

That said, giving the baby Vit K orally is non invasive and won't hurt a bit. It's a vitamin supplement is all (oral drops can be purchased at birthwithlove.com, for about $20....and it only takes a few drops). Or yes, it can be received through the breastmilk--but mom needs to be getting plenty in her diet for enough to pass through.

[LianneM]

I used a little witch hazel on DS's cord stump b/c it was a little gunky, and it worked great and fell off on day 5. We were planning to do oral vit K but decided not to after he was born. Nothing in the eyes at birth! I did use breastmilk to clean his eye when he got a blocked tear duct.

[blue_bug]

you can use goldenseal on the umbilical cord, oral vitamin k, and the antibiotics in the eyes are only necessary for moms who have chlamydia or gonorrhea.

[moon mountain mama]

Thank you to all the reply's this is just what I suspected.
One more question.
So, even when the cord is 1st cut it doesn't need anything?
That may be a good idea to get vit. K oral drops, especially if it really doesn't harm the baby and can only help. I looked up the Birth With Love web site, which has a lot of great products. Do any of you recommend the scientific laboratories oral vit. K or oral vit. K tincture from Wishgarden. Also, how do you take it? Does mommy get some and also baby?

[hubris]

When my MW and I were discussing all of these options, one thing she mentioned was that some people use colostrum for the baby's eyes.

[NinaBruja]

i think when people cut the cord they use clamps... iirc if you wait until the cord stops pulsing and stuff before cutting that clamps are just to make people feel better.

conversely you dont even have to cut the cord if you dont want to. its called lotus birth if you want to google it.

[Peppamint]

Wait to cut the cord until baby gets his/her blood volume. Cord care is simply this- keep it dry.

Bacteria actually work to make it fall off. Alcohol will not only get it wet again (going against the "keep it dry") but it will kill the bacteria working to get that piece of dried cord off.

Only be concerned about redness/hotness on the tummy around the umbilical stump or fever.

If you take chlorophyll (I'd go with liquid or capsules) following the birth, it will help with vit k levels and should pass through the breastmilk.

[blissful_maia]

Originally Posted by busybusymomma

If you take chlorophyll (I'd go with liquid or capsules) following the birth, it will help with vit k levels and should pass through the breastmilk.

The only problem with this is that Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, and unfortunately colostrum has very little fat (and this is when baby is most vulnerable to HDNB).

[Peppamint]

Originally Posted by blissful_maia

The only problem with this is that Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, and unfortunately colostrum has very little fat (and this is when baby is most vulnerable to HDNB).

I will have to do more reading on it. I've read that most cases happen in the 2-5 day range, and many women have milk by then... but is it too late to prevent it if baby doesn't get a dose of vitamin k for a few days between birth [assuming mom takes it before birth] and the milk coming in (and that's assuming the baby will have a problem)? Just thinking out loud...

Even if it won't help with the vitamin k for baby, chlorophyll is still great for mom!

[flapjack]

If you're veg'n, check the ingredients of your oral vitamin K carefully. The stuff that's given over here is produced from cows stomachs (or intestines, I forget which.) You may find that injected vit K is the more acceptable route, particularly given the lack of evidence to support the initial doubts on its safety.

[janellesmommy]

Putting anything on the cord will delay it falling off. Just keep it dry.

Eye antibiotic is only necessary when the mother delivers vaginally and has chlamydia, gonorrhea, or herpes.

Vitamin K--I believe that there is a yet to be determined reason that newborns are born with low levels of vitamin K, and that artificially increasing the amount in their bodies, while saving 4 out of 100,000 babies, probably has an unknown detrimental effect on the other 99,996 babies.

I wonder how many babies per 100,000 would be spared HDN if they had gentle births and no circumcision.

[CanidFL]

Put breastmilk in the babies eyes. Just a little squirt

[moon mountain mama]

There is a lot of controversy of vitamin K. Does anyone know if it is harmful?

[tammyswanson]

Originally Posted by mommyofmany

All of it is unnecessary. We had the option of using them, but we refused. Just leave the cord alone, it will be fine. No vit. K is needed, even though it's low in colostrum, but it's higher in the mature milk once it comes in. Gel in the eyes is for STD's, so if you don't have those, you don't need it.

: I totally regret letting them give DS the K shot.

[raelize]

Originally Posted by busybusymomma

If you take chlorophyll (I'd go with liquid or capsules) following the birth, it will help with vit k levels and should pass through the breastmilk.

i was sure to eat lots of leafy greens in the first few months, for both baby and myself. my mw told me that if a baby has HDN then it would need more than just the one shot, it would need to be hospitalized and iv'd. it is a useless prophylactic. it is also a deep tissue shot. i felt like the whole reason that i wanted a home birth was to make it as peaceful and lovign as possible for my baby and me. why would i want to disturb that with a horrible shot? give oral vit k if you feel it is necessary.

[SaraGriffin]

We didn't do anything with the cord, no vitamin K and no stuff in the eyes. If the baby needed that, it would have been born with it!