After you have given birth, whether it is vaginally or via c-section your baby will still have a small section of their cord attached to them. This will be clamped and should fall off within a few days. The majority of baby's do not experience any problems with their cord following the birth, however many mums and dads do worry about whether their little ones cord has become infected.
You may notice that the remaining piece of cord smells slightly. This is nothing to worry about, a cord that has become infected will have a noticeable smell as soon as you walk in to the same room as your baby. You may also notice that the base of the cord is slightly green in colour, again this is nothing to worry about as it is just the natural colour of your baby's umbilical cord.
Take care of your baby's cord by wetting some cotton wool, squeeze the water out of it and lightly wipe the area where the cord is attached in one direction only. Dab this area dry afterwards with some muslin or a similar fabric. Avoid using cotton wool to dry as bits of it may become stuck around the wet cord area.
When changing your baby's nappy fold down the top so that it is not rubbing against the cord.
Ensure your baby's cord gets as much 'air time' each day as possible. This will allow the cord to dry and encourage it to fall off. Do not try to pull the cord off yourself, your midwife or health visitor may try this, but they will be better equipped to judge whether it is able to come off with encouragement than you are.
When your baby's umbilical cord has finally come off, continue to air it and clean the area each day until it looks completely clear.
