Conference moira::parenting_v3

    
    
    It took a month for our son's to fall of and it *was* the most godawful
    smell you'd ever want around...
    
    We were told that not falling off is ok and were emphatically told not
    to try and take it off!  We used alcohol every day... Eventually one
    day it *finally* came entirely off.. It was only half on for about 2
    days...
    
    Threw that sucker right out!
    
    
    John
    

    Three weeks isn't that long, but I'd be concerned about the smell,
    which could indicate an infection.  They should make sure the
    nurse understands that they're not just worried about the length
    of time but also the smell, to make sure they're not dismissed as
    worried first-time parents.
    
    The remnant of Steven's umbilical cord eventually had to be
    treated with silver nitrate (I think) to get it to dry up. I think
    it may have been six or eight weeks.  The thicker the cord, the
    longer it takes.  I don't remember any smell, though. 
    
    We were told to use alcohol on all three kids.  They told us to
    make sure the swab was thoroughly soaked in alcohol and to make
    sure we got it down inside the navel, around all the edges, and
    inside the edge of where it was starting to dry.  
    
    --bonnie

    What I thought of that might cause a smell is if they really aren't
    cleaning it as well as they thought.  At Eric's two week check up
    the nurse and doctor actually lifted the cord up and cleaned under
    it.  I had just been cleaning around the edge, not knowing it could
    be lifted.  Grossed the daylights out of me.  Anyway, the nurses
    at the hospital hadn't lifted it in my presence so I didn't know
    you were supposed to.  I cleaned it with alcohol, too.
    
    Never got a smell from it, but after a month of cleaning it the way
    I was for the first two weeks, it might have started to stink.
    
    Donna
    
    p.s.  I get a kick out of the way people say "the belly button hasn't
          fallen off".  I remember laughing at that same line in V2 of 
    	  Parenting.

    I wouldn't worry.  I, too used alcohol on my first two boys.  No
    problem-- and no smell.  I did the same with Number 3, but phew!!!!
    What a stench!  At his appointment I asked about it (because I worried
    about infection, too) and was told it was just the bacteria at work.  
    Sometimes you get a smell, sometimes you don't, but an infected cord/new
    b. button is very rare.
    
    Smells worse than garbage on a hot summer day....

    > but an infected cord/new b. button is very rare.
    
    In case I wasn't clear, Steven's was infected, but without a
    smell.  It might be relatively uncommon but it's far from
    impossible even with good hygiene etc.
    
    --bonnie

    Well to let you all know, my sister-in-laws pedi called her back
    yesterday and told her the smell was caused from the dried blood that
    was under the cord and not to worrry.   And today my brother called my
    mom and told her that it is hanging from a thin piece of skin so it
    should be falling off any time.  The poor thing was having such a hard
    time sleeping cuase it hurt when she slept on her tummy and they would
    not try sleeping her on her side (my son loved to sleep on his side).
    
    From what my mom told me the doctor left quit a
    bit of cord (approx 1 1/2 inches) when he cut it.  Her ob cut the cord
    and not my brother cuz the baby swallowed some amniotic fluid on its
    way out so they had to hurry and cut the cord and pump the baby's
    stomach and medicate her.  She is doing fine know.
    
    
    Liz

Kati's bb did not fall off for at least a month, and it grossed me out!

With Kimmi Jo, I didn't do such a good job of cleaning it, and they told me
it was infected at her 2-wk checkup.  So the doctor just came in and cut it
right off with a razor blade, then put something on it (silver nitrate or
something) and it was a scab for about a day, then looked like a real bb in
two days.  WHY DON'T THEY JUST CUT IT COMPLETELY OFF IN THE HOSPITAL???  It
saved me big hassles and infections too.

	Kristen

    My granddaughter's umbilicus also took a long time to fall off,
    and did develop a smell. Michael said it really bothered them,
    but the doctor said it was harmless.
    
    Bonnie

    re .6
    
    >From what my mom told me the doctor left quit 
    >bit of cord (approx 1 1/2 inches) when he cut it.  Her ob cut the cord
    >and not my brother cuz the baby swallowed some amniotic fluid on its
    >way out so they had to hurry and cut the cord and pump the baby's
    >stomach and medicate her.  She is doing fine know.
    
    Huh??  medicate and pump the baby's stomach because it swallowed some
    amniotic fluid??  You might want to check on that..  Baby's swallow
    amniotic fluid for about as long as they have digestive tracks...
    
    Now, if the baby inhaled some amniotic fluid and was chocking on it, 
    I could see the need for a quick cut.  But they still wouldn't pump
    the stomach..
    
    jeff
    

    re .6 and .9 rathole --
    
    If there was meconium in the amniotic fluid, it is quite possible they
    wanted to suction the baby immediately after birth. I believe the
    concern is the baby *inhaling* it, not swallowing it. Meconium can
    cause real problems (but not always -- in my son's case, it did
    nothing, even though he inhaled some as he was being born.)
    
    Lucy

    more on meconium -- 
    
    Meconium usually gets in the amniotic fluid only when the baby is
    in some distress, so perhaps the reason for the medication was
    whatever caused the swallowing, rather than the swallowing itself.  
    
    --bonnie

    re .11...and meconium
    
    Postmature babies also have a greater probability of meconium in the
    amniotic fluid, even with no fetal distress.
    
    Susan

    In my son's case, there was no distress. The meconium was due
    to his being 10-14 days late. And the fact that he took a good
    deep breath (and let out a hearty yell, and took another breath)
    before they suctioned him didn't seem to do any harm. So it's
    just another one of those things they like to look out for, I guess.
    
    Lucy