{"id":18178,"date":"2024-03-11T09:00:19","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T14:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=18178"},"modified":"2024-03-10T21:34:38","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T02:34:38","slug":"how-to-care-for-your-babys-umbilical-cord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/how-to-care-for-your-babys-umbilical-cord\/","title":{"rendered":"How to care for your baby\u2019s umbilical cord"},"content":{"rendered":"

The umbilical cord connects your baby\u2019s body to your body. When your baby is growing inside of you, they rely entirely on you. Your baby\u2019s umbilical cord gives them everything they need to grow and develop \u2013 including nutrients, oxygen and blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe umbilical cord develops from the placenta, which is attached to the inside of your uterus,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

And even though it\u2019s attached to you, you and your baby don\u2019t feel the umbilical cord.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo we feel our uterus or any organ inside of us? Not really. It\u2019s just there. That\u2019s how the umbilical cord is,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

Cutting the umbilical cord<\/h2>\n

When your baby is finally born<\/a>, the umbilical cord is still attached to your placenta. After birth, the umbilical cord is cut \u2013 sometimes by your support person and sometimes by one of the providers in the room. After it\u2019s cut, a small stump is left. When the stump falls off a couple of weeks after birth, what\u2019s left is your newborn\u2019s belly button.<\/p>\n

Babies don\u2019t feel pain when the umbilical cord is cut. If your baby is crying after birth when the umbilical cord is cut, it\u2019s likely because they are no longer in the warm, cozy environment they got used to in your belly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoms don\u2019t feel pain when the umbilical cord is cut, either,\u201d Dr. Garcia said. \u201cThe umbilical cord technically belongs to our bodies, but at the same time, it doesn\u2019t. It has no nerve endings.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cord is just a temporary line that connects mom and baby before birth. Once your baby is born and the placenta is delivered, the umbilical cord isn\u2019t part of either body anymore.<\/p>\n

Your provider care team will suture your baby\u2019s umbilical stump. The providers will only stitch through the stump and not on your baby\u2019s skin. Because it has no nerve endings, the baby can\u2019t feel anything when they\u2019re getting stitches.<\/p>\n

Delayed cord clamping<\/h3>\n

Delayed cord clamping is when the umbilical cord isn\u2019t cut right after birth. In general, early clamping is cutting the cord within 60 seconds of birth. However, the World Health Organization<\/a> recommends delaying clamping the cord after the first minute and up to five minutes after birth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one last push to give your baby all the rest of the blood flowing in the cord,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

It can especially help babies who are more likely to have low iron, and it can even benefit babies for a full six months after birth.<\/p>\n

If you have specific hopes<\/a> for cutting the umbilical cord \u2013 from who cuts the cord to delaying cord clamping \u2013 be sure to discuss them with your care team before delivery.<\/p>\n

\n

Umbilical cord concerns?<\/p>\n

Talk to your pediatrician<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Umbilical cord care<\/h2>\n

When does the umbilical cord fall off?<\/h3>\n

\u201cIt should take no more than three weeks to fall off. Usually, the umbilical cord stump falls off on about day 10 of your baby\u2019s life,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your baby\u2019s stump hasn\u2019t fallen off in one month, call your doctor about your baby\u2019s umbilical cord.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cleaning your baby\u2019s umbilical cord<\/h3>\n

When you think about cleaning your newborn\u2019s belly button, you don\u2019t need to worry too much. That\u2019s because it\u2019s not necessary to give your baby a bath while they have the umbilical cord stump.<\/p>\n

\u201cBabies don\u2019t need as many baths<\/a> as we think they do. They don\u2019t do much in the first few weeks of life that make them dirty,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsually, babies get their first bath at the hospital, and it\u2019s not you as the parents that need to do it, so there\u2019s already less to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Garcia recommends two things: Keep the stump dry and don\u2019t touch it.<\/p>\n

Do a sponge bath and keep the stump dry. So, when you do give your baby a sponge bath, don\u2019t wash the stump.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoctors used to recommend cleaning the stump with alcohol, but that\u2019s not recommended anymore. That only kills the bacteria that is needed to help the stump fall off. Plus, it may irritate your baby\u2019s skin,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

Umbilical cord problems<\/h2>\n

Umbilical cord bleeding<\/h3>\n

Dr. Garcia said some baby belly button bleeding is nothing to worry about, but there are times when umbilical cord bleeding is a concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to know what kind of umbilical cord bleeding you see. Active, persistent, bright red bleeding shouldn\u2019t be happening. If it\u2019s gushing, active bleeding, go to the emergency department. If it\u2019s just a little bit of blood, you can talk to your baby\u2019s pediatrician. Watery discharge or a little moisture from the stump after birth is OK.\u201d<\/p>\n

Normal vs. infected umbilical cord<\/h3>\n

A normal umbilical cord stump starts out yellow and turns brown or black.<\/p>\n

An infected umbilical cord stump may smell bad, cause your baby to have a fever, cause redness around the belly button or cause unusual bleeding.<\/p>\n

If it seems like it\u2019s infected, you should call the doctor about your baby’s umbilical cord.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The umbilical cord connects your baby\u2019s body to your body. When your baby is growing inside of you, they rely entirely on you. Your baby\u2019s umbilical cord gives them everything they need to grow and develop \u2013 including nutrients, oxygen and blood. \u201cThe umbilical cord develops from the placenta, which is attached to the inside […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":18234,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[118,116],"tags":[942,1148],"coauthors":[1051],"class_list":["post-18178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-birthing-center","category-pediatrics","tag-newborns","tag-umbilical-cord"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to care for your baby\u2019s umbilical cord<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn when the umbilical cord stump falls off and how to keep it clean.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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