Slow to heal belly button - advice please for new mum!

[Firstbump]

My daughter is now 5 weeks and her belly button has not completely healed. The health visitor told me to get a powder beginning with 'S' (sorry forgot name) and put it on after each nappy change. She says it may need silver nitrate and to wait to the 8 week check but I am nervous to wait so long if there is something I should be doing sooner...........any advice please!!!

My dd and ds had this. With my dd we actually took her to casualty in panic as it looked like her intestine was coming out - OK she was my first and I paniced!! With my ds at his 6 week check the doctor used the stick and said he may need a few goes. He had about 2 I recall and was fine - no tears as this area doesn't have nerve endings I was told. Just keep the area clean as it can be sticky sometimes. The powder is sicatrine (spelling is not right I am sure) but can only get it on prescription - go and see yr GP if you don't want to wait till the 8 wk check.

Ds2 had this- I think because he was born in January I had him in a vest and it got too sticky. At 6 weeks he was tested and they found it was infected (he wasn't gaining any weight). Once the infection was treated it was fine. If you think its a bit gooey, or if your dd always seems hungry but isn't gainng wieght then don't wait for the 8 week check but go to your GP. Try to air it each day.

My friends ds had silver nitrate on his- he was fine.

Powder maybe called 'Ster-Zac', this is available over the counter.

HTH

Powder maybe called 'Ster-Zac', this is available over the counter.

HTH

Thanks feel much better now. Will see how we go with the powder and if anything changes for the worsed will contact GP.

Thanks again this new mother stuff is hard work I assume we move from one thing to worry about to the next!

My ds had a weepy belly button too with a large blob of "Wharton's jelly" - the fluid from inside the umbilical cord) on it. Was told just to keep it clean and dry and that it may need the silver nitrate. In the end about a week before his 8 week check it had healed up.

Dd2's bellybutton never healed and in the end she had to go to hospital (outpatients) to have it treated - every other day for 10 days (what a pain). She had a lump of 'proud flesh' on it that didnt go.

Anyway, apparently Sterzac is a waste of time and my gp and midwife told me not to bother with it and just keep it clean and dry.

DS2 had a VERY thick cord, and as a result a corker of a bulgy belly button which we thought would never heal.
My MW recommended squeezing breastmilk into it to stop infections (BM has antibodies....)

Weird I know, but I've since read the same advice elsewhere.