Umbilical cord

[Lucban]

My baby is 10 days old, I haven't bathed him yet because the MW told me to wait until the umbilical cord has fallen off. However, I feel like this day will never come!!! I thought it would have fallen off by now, can a bath help it fall off? Or is there anything I can do to help it fall off?

I'm not sure whether to wait until it falls off to give him a bath 🙈

It can take up to three weeks to fall off, though about two weeks is more common. There's nothing you can do to get it to fall off faster.

You can use a very shallow bath that doesn't get the cord wet but honestly a sponge bath is all they really need at this age.

Thank you for your advice, I think that's what I'll do stick to sponge baths.

I personally waited until my daughters fell off and just gave her spondge baths etc until it happened. If you feel that u would like to do a shallow bath defininetly go for it 🥰. Its all learning when we have little ones.

I also waited for it to fall off for baths.
I just sponged him down every few days until it happened.

Congrats!

You can bath baby with the cord on, just pat it dry after?!

I bathed all of mine from day one, in fact when my eldest was born they didn't let you leave hospital until you could bath your baby. The midwife came with a bath and gave a demonstration in the ward bay for all 6/8? of us there.

My baby's cord fell off when my mum gave her a bath at about 10 days old. She'd had a couple of baths before then where we just patted it dry.

My mum reverently presented it to me as a keepsake and I yelled "FFS mum! Bleurgh! Put that in the bin!" 😄