Important to care baby’s umbilical cord. Throughout your pregnancy, baby received oxygen and nutrients through his or her umbilical cord. Once born, there’s no need for it, so your health care team will clamp it down and snip it off, sending your little one home with an umbilical cord stump. It will take 7-10 days to heal and fall off on its own.

In the meantime, you’ll be advised to treat it gently and ensure it’s kept clean. In years past, new parents were instructed to swab baby’s umbilical cord stump with rubbing alcohol multiple times each day. Now, to speed healing, medical experts advise largely leaving it alone. If the area becomes soiled and it’s necessary to clean it, wipe the stump with plain water and dry thoroughly by fanning it and leaving it exposed to air. 

Make sure baby’s diaper isn’t rubbing against his or her stump. Many diaper brands made for newborns have a lower cut in the front to accommodate this temporary appendage. However, if the diaper rides up higher than intended, an easy solution is to fold the front side down slightly before securing it shut.