umbilical cord care/Shayla

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This is from another site, but may have some ideas for ya!

 

 

UMBILICAL CORD CARE The cut end of the umbilical cord is a likely doorway to bacteria. Bacteria prefers moist, airless environments so the usual approach to cord care is keeping the umbilical stump exposed, dry, and clean until it is completely healed and falls off.

Allow your newborn to be naked. If possible, the baby should be placed in the sunlight with fresh air for a few minutes every day. Air and sunlight are both potent healers and infection preventers. If the weather is prohibitive for outdoor sunbathing and the baby must be indoors, be sure the room is warm, comfortable, and the baby is placed in a sunny window. This is a highly effective way of insuring a dry and air umbilical stump. When the baby is diapered, be certain to fold the front of the diaper down below the umbilicus. This will keep the umbilicus away from a wet diaper.

Use honey to coat the umbilical stump. This may sound messy or strange to you, but this is an old remedy that women have sworn by over the years. It absolutely prevents infection and helps the cord to dry quickly. Honey is a safe and sterile dressing plus an astringent. It can be used for all types of wounds and burns.

A few drops of Echinacea tincture on the newly cut cord stump is a reliable way of treating the umbilical cord. Apply this several times a day to encourage rapid healing. It will discourage bacteria and eliminate mild infections. If infection is clearly present (redness, extreme tenderness, pus), use echinacea tincture internally as well as externally. The usual dose is 1 drop of tincture per pound of body weight, once a day. The tincture can be given to the baby, or the mother can take it herself and the baby will obtain the benefits through the mother's milk. With this method, the mother should drink a cupful of infusion or a dropperful of tincture in some water 15 or 20 minutes before nursing, 3 times daily. Whichever way you decide to administer echinacea to counter an established infection, continue using it for at least a week and until the infection is completely gone.

Goldenseal tincture may also be used. Treat the cord several times daily until the stump falls off.

Comfrey leaf compresses can be used externally to sooth and relieve pain and promote rapid healing. To make comfrey leaf infusion, use 1 ounce of dried leaves (2 handfuls of cut-up leaves, three handfuls of whole leaves) in a quart jar. Fill the jar to the top with boiling water, put the lid on and let it steep for four hours at room temperature.

Rosemary leaves have antiseptic and healing properties. Rosemary will challenge a mild infection at the umbilical stump. Use Rosemary tincture or powdered Rosemary directly on the umbilicus at every diaper change to quickly dry it and kill bacteria. wisheyemay <wisheyemay wrote:

Hi everyone. I was wondering what you guys would recommend for a slow-healing umbilical cord site. The cord itself fell off within a few days, but the bottom of the innie part of his belly button is in a crevice, so I'm having trouble getting air to it and keeping it dry. My midwife has been having me use goldenseal root powder, which wasn't doing the job by itself, so I added a drop of echinacea tincture to it as well. It would get almost completely healed, then a little raw looking again, but never bright red or swollen looking. Today, though, on the outie part there are a few little bumps and it's looking red. I don't know if it's irritation from the pants he wore today or what. I put a *tiny* dab of tea tree oil on it and it looks a little better, but I was wondering if anything else

would be more effective. It seems like the tea tree would be a little strong for his skin. He's a month old and I won't be seeing my midwife anymore so I'm not sure who to ask. He doesn't have a pediatrician because he was a homebirth and we never use doctors anyways, so I was hoping to get advice from someone on the list. I've got several of the basic herbs and essential oils on hand, so hopefully there's something in there that will work.Thanks, Shayla RobertsFederal Law requires that we warn you of the following: 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and toprescribe for your own health. We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as they behave themselves. Any

opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. Dr. Ian ShillingtonDoctor of NaturopathyDr.IanShillington