what did / will you use to clean babies chord stump?

[nannyl]

Water or surgical spirit?

I dont have any surgical spirit, and havent found any in tesco extra or big asda.

But my friend who had her baby 6 weeks ago was told water was just fine.

Do i need surgical spirit? is water the new thing to use?

TBH id much prefer to clean it with cooled boiled water

Fingers crossed i'll be at home so less chance of infection than if i were in a hospital.

DS just had a bath every evening (which in itself can be frowned upon for a newborn but worked for us) - didn't do anything special (not even boiled water), just took care when changing nappies and if fell off quite normally leaving a cute innie.

Cooled boiled water was what I was told to use for DS. They gave me sterile water to use in hospital and the publick health nurse told me to use cooled boiled water at home.

Cooled boiled water worked just fine for DC's 1&2 and I will be doing the same with DC3.

My midwife/hospital has not yet mentioned surgical spirit, and it was not the norm in the past [but things change so often].

I sadly will be in hosp, no chance of a home birth, but have my detol wipes packed already

You are advised not to clean it with anything these days (unless specificially told to because of an infection or whatever). It slows down it drying out and falling off and makes it more likely to become gunky. You just leave it well alone until it falls off. Then clean the area with cooled boiled water. You are also advised not to bath them until it comes off too.

Nothing. It didn't need cleaning

I was told to leave it well alone so it would dry up and fall off quickly and cleanly. It STANK but apparently that's normal.

DS now has a perfect little belly button

Agreed I have never cleaned any of my 4 babies belly button stumps and they all dropped off very quickly and prettily I might add.....

Ouch to surgical spirit - that is not the right thing at all

Think i'll cross surgical spirit off my "to buy" list then!

Thanks everyone

I live in South Africa where there's a high risk of neonatal tetanus so Surgical spirits is a must for cord care.
the other option is a homoepathically prepared powder nmade by weleda calles wecesin - which is specifically for cord care, weeping wounds

I wasn't told anything and didn't need anything to clean it. I think it fell off after about 10 days and she had her first bath around 2 weeks old.