newborn cord question

[dinny]

dd2's cord (she is a week old) suddenly looks a bit red and swollen around it - since yesterday it has come away a little bit.

got mw coming later but am stressing - God, forgot all this stuff. hospital mws said you don't clean it these days, is that right?

[jooseyfruit]

ds 2's cord started to come away early and got a bit whiffy.

i cleaned it with some cooled boiled water, which i squeezed on with some cotton wool iyswim!

[dinny]

did you dry it or let it dry in air. JF?

is a week early for it to come away?

[jooseyfruit]

i let it air dry.
d'yknow i can't remember exactly how old he was, but i was still under care of the mw (so 7-10 days old) and they remarked that it was early for it to be coming off.
his was smelly and oozing nastiness but they didn't seem too bothered and advised giving it a gentle wash.

[dinny]

argh, I feel much happier when they are off

[harleyd]

oh they're horrible things arent they
cooled boiled water, and air dry
ds2 had to get his cauterised

[dinny]

God, why, Harley? wouldn't heal?

[harleyd]

when the main part of the cord fell off there was a little tiny piece left and it wouldnt heal or close over properly
ds didnt feel a thing tho, i was more upset than he was

[belgo]

You need the midwife to look at it.

They told me to clean with disinfectant, then use a navel powder to keep it dry.

When that didn't work, the doctor prescribed bactroban and that cleared it up within a couple of days.

[dinny]

oh yuck

still, reassuring to know they can sort it out!

is it normal for the bit the cord is coming away from to go a bit bulging and red?

[harleyd]

i think it sounds normal
all of my lot were like that
just get the mw to check it out, but im sure its fine

[dinny]

totally forgot the anxiety such things can produce when you're in post natal fug

thanks

[6inchnipples]

Most cords get a bit niffy. Best just clean regulary with cooled boiled water with some cotton wool and i'd dry it gently with a cotton bud, which are also good for cleaning around the base. They do stink because of the seperation process.