Newborns and belly buttons ?

chocoholicchick

I noticed in the thread about what babies wear in hospitals that someone mentioned you have to be careful about a newborn's belly button.  Is it better to wait putting the LO into a onesie until after the belly button has healed completely?  How long does that take?  A few weeks?  Do you have to put some sort of ointment on it to help the healing process?  Man, I feel so ignorant right now.

mainemommy

We put alcohol on it. I dressed them in everything, I was just careful putting things on & off so it didnt pull it. It took a week or so for both to fall off.

tawillers

We were instructed not to put anything (medication-wise) on the belly button, including not to get it wet.  But it was perfectly fine to put any outfit on her.  Her bellybutton fell off at 2 weeks.

WestieMama

tawillers:

We were instructed not to put anything (medication-wise) on the belly button, including not to get it wet.  But it was perfectly fine to put any outfit on her.  Her bellybutton fell off at 2 weeks.

This...but my DS's "stump" fell off at 6 days.

Britt & Scott

I used alcohol on it per the doctors and hospital.  I dressed him in the things I had, nothing special because of it still being there, and it fell off a month to the day that he was born.  (I'm pretty sure that's an abnormal amount of time)

kell8807

tawillers:

We were instructed not to put anything (medication-wise) on the belly button, including not to get it wet.  But it was perfectly fine to put any outfit on her.  Her bellybutton fell off at 2 weeks.

This.  We were specifically told not to put alcohol or anything on it.  They put a medicine on it at the hospital that will dry it up.  DD's fell off around 2 weeks also, I believe.

chocoholicchick

Thanks ladies!  I guess I will see what the OB and the ped tell me at the hospital re using alcohol on it or not. 

mainemommy

chocoholicchick:

Thanks ladies!  I guess I will see what the OB and the ped tell me at the hospital re using alcohol on it or not. 

Good plan, our hospital sent us home with the alcohol pads to make it easier. It was packed in our care package with the tylenol, neosporin, & bath stuff.