Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

Original poster

4 month old baby belly button

14 replies

Tasha2106 · 29/06/2018 21:23

I have attached a picture of my sons belly button. Does anyone know why it looks like this? Has anyone else’s children had this before? It feels very squishy when touched doesn’t cause him any discomfort though.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Polymamas · 29/06/2018 21:24

It's just an outie?

Original poster

Tasha2106 · 29/06/2018 21:26

We were just wondering if it was an umbilical hernia. I’ve never known anyone with an outie so unsure what they looked like. Feel a little stupid now lol

OP posts:

TheGirlWithAPrince · 29/06/2018 21:26

Yeah just looks like an outie :S

littlecabbage · 29/06/2018 21:27

I would get it checked. If it feels squishy, an umbilical hernia is possible. I'm a vet, so seen a fair few in my time!

Polymamas · 29/06/2018 21:28

Ive never seen an umbilical hernia.

Hopefully you'll get some other opinions.

It looks in the realms of 'normal' to me.

Maybe ask your HV at next appointment?
Don't ever feel like that for asking a question :)

Lefroy · 29/06/2018 21:29

That's an umbilical hernia, ask your GP to have a look at it but they've very common, especially in boys and usually right themselves. They don't tend to operate until they are nearly school age as they usually resolved on their own.

My son had one the size of his fist you could see intestines moving inside and it sorted itself before he was a year old.

Zebrasinpyjamas · 29/06/2018 21:32

I'd say umbilical hernia. My dc had one. Treatment is not necessarily needed (Particularly with boys) and it will at least partially heal as he grows up. I'd probably mention it to the gp next time you go. If they want to operate they don't do that until around 3-4 yrs old in my experience.

Original poster

Tasha2106 · 29/06/2018 21:32

Ok. Will speak to GP was just concerned because of the squishyness of it. Will get it looked it.

OP posts:

bedtimestories · 29/06/2018 21:34

Looks just like my sons and he has an umbilical hernia. I was told to have it checked when he was 4/5years (which is when the stomach muscles close) which I did and they said if it's nots causing any problems they will leave it. I was told to press it and now and again to make sure it went in and it wasn't sore or painful. It fills with air now and again which move on when I press it in. Hope that helps

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 29/06/2018 21:35

It looks like an outie.

yorkshireyummymummy · 29/06/2018 21:39

My daughter had a belly button like this, but hers grew out a bit more as time went on.
I spoke to the HV about it who advised that it was an umbilical hernia and ‘ most of them went in a few months , if they didn’t it was just a small operation to sort it’
I was a bit shocked - didn’t want DD to have a ‘ small operation’ .
Anyway,at this time my mum looked after DD once a week while I went shopping . For three weeks when I came back for DD my mum and DD were upstairs ‘ changing her nappy’.
I know when my mum isn’t being quite honest so i asked her what she was doing. She admitted she was equally horrified about the chance of a ‘ small operation ‘ and could see that the hernia was getting bigger and not smaller. So when I was going shopping she was doing what they used to do back when I was a baby - put a piece of micro pore tape over the hernia.
I obviously told her not to do anything again to my baby without discussing it with me first but also told her to put a piece of micropore back over DDs hernia.
I drove home, told hubby, laughed and left the tape on for 24 hrs.
The hernia was gone. The muscle just needed a bit of time (with the hernia pushed back ) to repair itself. Why were the HV not giving this advice out!? Why is it considered better to run the chance of an operation rather than to use a tried and tested ‘ old fashioned’ method?

Anyway, point of my big old waffle is, try it if you want.
If it’s an ‘ outie’ it won’t harm your baby. If it’s a hernia it might mend it. Worth a try anyway!!
But whatever, that’s a gorgeous kissable tummy and makes me desperatly want another baby!!!

Lefroy · 29/06/2018 23:38

I believe there are risks involved with forcing the hernia to stay in which is why it is no longer recommended.

SunshineAllTheWhile · 29/06/2018 23:47

Looks like an umbilical hernia to me. DS is nearly 4 and he still has his... it was checked out by a surgeon and even though it looks quite big (especially when they are little), if you push it in you can feel the size of the hole is really rather small. I quite enjoy having a bit of a feel of it . Likely that size they won’t do anything at all about it until school age (if then).

Pigeonpresent · 29/06/2018 23:48

My son had a an umbilical hernia. The advice I was given was that it is not dangerous as long as it feels soft as it is a bit of intestine coming through a small hole in the muscle wall. As the hole closes the danger can be that some intestine gets trapped so they don’t recommend taping it in as the hole can close over a small part. My son’s started like this and got very extreme before disappearing at 1. It didn’t gross me out so when I felt it I could feel the hole behind the fleshy bit and felt it getting smaller until it was gone.

Flip