[Bekah]

I gave Bella a bath yesterday, and since then her cord has had a raunchy smell. I tried to air dry it as well as I could but it's been FREEZING here the past 2 days so I patted it gently with the towel and got her dressed.

It looks like it is a little loose also and almost ready to fall off, there is also some redness under where the cord is... is all this normal? I don't remember the girls cords ever having an odour and i have no idea when their's fell off

[Ava2]

OK what you need to do is wipe it with alcohol. That's what my pediatrician did and told me to continue until it falls off. It's dead so it's gonna start getting a little stinky. My son's did also. It doesn't hurt him though when you use the alcohol on it.

[squishyhomie]

yeah redness is normal too.
there pjs seem to irritate the area a bit.
alchol will dry it out more and kill bacteria.

i had problems with my LO's cord
(falling off, reopening, bleeding, pus, scabbing and irritation)
because he would grab it or his diaper would rip at it by accident.
the alcohol had it clear up quickly, i put it on about three times daily.

[Jessido]

That reminds me I need to get rubbing alcohol from Target today! DDDs cord doesnt smell but its still covered in dried blood which rubs onto her clothes.

[blueyedncrazy]

When we left the hospital with DS the first thing we were told to do was get a NEW bottle of rubbing alcohol and use a q-tip and go around it every time we changed his diaper. Dried it up real quick and I dont remember it smelling bad.

[Bekah]

thanks ladies it fell off this afternoon and the smell seems to have mostly subsided.