How To Treat The Baby’s Umbilical Cord? – Being Parents

After birth, our child no longer needs this bond. This same bond that kept him alive during the nine months of the pregnancy.

Nonetheless, he keeps a small portion of it for a few more days. In this article,  we talk about how to care for the baby’s umbilical cord after childbirth.

Caring for the baby’s umbilical cord after childbirth

While the baby is in the mother’s womb, the cord allows the entry of microorganisms and nutrients through the blood vessels it contains. After the birth of the child, the nursing staff of the maternity unit is responsible for cutting the umbilical cord which unites it to its mother.

The small piece that remains  is “closed” with pliers. It should not be removed. Indeed, it will fall alone after eight to fifteen days. When this happens, we will have to wait a maximum of a week for it to heal completely.

Many mothers wonder how to take care of the umbilical cord after childbirth. In reality, there is no one answer.

Some say that treatment should be done with alcohol, others with an antiseptic. There are also those who say that it should be left as it is and that it will heal itself.

Is it advisable to use products like antiseptics?

In the cord, bacteria can proliferate. So, doctors have been recommending the use of antiseptics for decades to prevent infections.

Nevertheless, a large group of professionals say that the best is to keep the area clean and dry. Indeed, the use of any additional element delays the fall. Therefore it would not be justified.

So what should we do? A viable option is to use disinfectants but not to abuse them. We recommend alcohol at 70 °, a transparent antiseptic liquid that prevents infections.

Until the moment of the cord fall, the navel must be well protected, dry and covered. During these first days, it is not necessary to wash the baby completely. Pass a wet wipe over the rest of the body without wetting her stomach.

Caring for the baby’s umbilical cord after childbirth: step by step

A good time to perform baby cord care is when changing the diaper. Choose one of the many times it needs to be changed per day (for example in the morning and evening) to heal the cord.

To complete this task,  you must have sterile compresses, tubular bands or nets, and 70% alcohol or chlorhexidine.  Iodine or similar are not recommended since they stain and do not allow to see the evolution of the injury.

Wash your hands well with soap and water before handling the pad around the end of the cord and the clamp. If it got stuck, don’t pull it. It is best to moisten it a little with the antiseptic solution of your choice.

Instructions

First, take some compresses and moisten them with the antiseptic. Lightly clean the entire area of ​​the number and the surroundings. Then dry well with other compresses.

It is essential that you do not use cotton. This is because it can leave lint and cause infections or delays in the healing process.

Then apply an alcohol swab. Wrap it around the cord and put a tubular net. After cleaning the baby’s genitals, put the diaper on. Leave the umbilical cord out so that it takes in the air.

If it’s summer or hot, you can uncover her stomach a bit to speed up healing.

Finally, dress him up with cotton clothes to cover the area. Make sure they don’t catch on when sleeping or feeding. Repeat this process between two to four times a day.

By following these instructions, there should be no problems. Nevertheless, it is necessary that you consult the pediatrician in case the navel bleeds profusely.

The same is true if it smells bad, if the base has pus. Or if you see a small white lump or if it hasn’t fallen off after three weeks of birth.