https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 03:50:54 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2635056 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 08:59:16 +0000 MsMini 2635056@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am an NICU nurse in Canada and it is totally not a thing here to delay baths because of the umbilical stump or waiting for the belly button to heal. I think you would actually have a higher risk of infection by not having it nicely cleaned and then dry. We tell parents to do submersion baths in a good volume of water to maintain body temperature. Then to pat dry and take a q-tip to dry around the bottom of the cord stump. Sponge baths and baths in a small volume of water are actually a hypothermia risk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634999 Mon, 10 Oct 2016 23:47:57 +0000 MrsB2012 2634999@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bathed with the stump on, I had no idea it was a thing not too. We were told it's fine to bathe and pat the area dry ( and then take a q tip and use that to dry around the inside.) Funny how things are different! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634954 Mon, 10 Oct 2016 19:45:39 +0000 Mrs. Goose 2634954@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I was shocked by how long it took my daughter's to come off too. It was either 2 or 3 weeks and I don't know anyone else whose took that long! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634926 Mon, 10 Oct 2016 17:46:09 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2634926@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We waited until the stump fell off to use the infant tub. Even then we didn't put his belly completely in the water. His cord fell off around 3 weeks, much longer than I anticipated given my very unscientific HB poll. Prior to that we maybe gave him three sponge baths. I distinctly remember setting up two. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634833 Mon, 10 Oct 2016 14:00:41 +0000 caterw 2634833@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did sponge baths for a few days after the stump fell off to make sure it had healed. She was like 2 1/2 weeks old when she got a real bath. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634723 Mon, 10 Oct 2016 10:55:58 +0000 sapphire 2634723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The next day I think? Pretty soon after. We had skipped the hospital bath so she was definitely in need of a bath by then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634684 Mon, 10 Oct 2016 10:09:58 +0000 snowjewelz 2634684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure... But waiting had nothing to do with stump; DD was born in December so we just didn't really feel the need to bathe her often. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634614 Mon, 10 Oct 2016 07:07:27 +0000 looch 2634614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son had a bath the third day he was born, fully submerged. We did nothing special with the stump (Europe though, they're really low key with that kind of stuff). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634602 Mon, 10 Oct 2016 03:01:29 +0000 tlcbaby 2634602@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Once the cord fell off, we waited about another week for it to look fully healed/closed up and then went for the full bath. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634593 Sun, 09 Oct 2016 22:31:45 +0000 Mrs. Goose 2634593@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At the hospital they told us that we didn't need to wait to do a bath or do anything special for/with the umbilical area, just pat dry after. So we did baths every 2/3rd day. However, it did take a good 2 weeks at least for the stump to fall off and it was annoying, but I assume that's because it kept getting wet. Then when it did come off, I took a warm cloth and wipes her belly button clean and it was like there had never been anything there so we didn't have to wait in baths then either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634392 Sun, 09 Oct 2016 10:44:27 +0000 MenagerieMama 2634392@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Um, we waited almost a month? It fell off just before a week old and was a bit drippy for several more days. And I don't think she had her first bath until she was 4-5 wks old! Haha. We are lazy bathers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634391 Sun, 09 Oct 2016 10:38:12 +0000 Mrsbells 2634391@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: @erinbaderin: yes i have realized that it's more an american thing to recommend no full baths til the stump falls off. My friends in Europe and other parts of the world haven't heard of doing it that way.<br /> @Periwinkle: yes we gave him his first home bath yesterday and it definitely does get rid of the leftover! He cried his little head off but then slept like an angel afterwards </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634352 Sun, 09 Oct 2016 07:03:48 +0000 Periwinkle 2634352@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just did our first real bath last night! LO2's cord came off on Tuesday. We saw the pediatrician on Wednesday and she said to go ahead with the real bath and that it would help to get rid of the "leftover" in the belly button. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634344 Sun, 09 Oct 2016 06:47:26 +0000 erinbaderin 2634344@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: Oh, I see. We weren't told that, just that we should make sure to clean all around the stump and pat dry gently. In the hospital they recommended a real bath every other day and sponge bath in between days. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634319 Sun, 09 Oct 2016 02:54:43 +0000 lamariniere 2634319@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Interestingly, my second LO was born in Europe and they had us giving her real baths from the first day in the hospital. We just gently patted the area dry and applied a little baby powder. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634300 Sat, 08 Oct 2016 23:00:57 +0000 Mrsbells 2634300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks everyone<br /> @erinbaderin: yes he had his first bath in the hospital within hours after he was born i guess because the cord is still wet then. The nurses have him his first bath but then after that they advised sponge baths only until the stump fell off and it healed </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634253 Sat, 08 Oct 2016 20:33:35 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2634253@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The same day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634246 Sat, 08 Oct 2016 19:57:34 +0000 Smurfette 2634246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The next night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634244 Sat, 08 Oct 2016 19:56:37 +0000 skinnycow 2634244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think we gave DD a bath as soon as the stump fell off because it looked healed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634239 Sat, 08 Oct 2016 19:39:35 +0000 erinbaderin 2634239@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't wait until the stump fell off. He actually got a bath before we left the hospital so about 48 hours old. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634215 Sat, 08 Oct 2016 18:05:25 +0000 Mrsbells 2634215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Oatmeal: haha i waited because i wanted to make sure the belly button was fully healed </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634213 Sat, 08 Oct 2016 18:01:01 +0000 Mrs. Oatmeal 2634213@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was probably close to a week after that he had a full bath. Once the cord was gone, he wasn't nearly as stinky! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634211 Sat, 08 Oct 2016 17:58:51 +0000 Mrsbells 2634211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@katsupgirl: :grin: haha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634210 Sat, 08 Oct 2016 17:49:37 +0000 katsupgirl 2634210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It might have been close to 2 weeks partly out of laziness. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-after-umbilical-stump-did-baby-have-a-bath#post-2634209 Sat, 08 Oct 2016 17:40:58 +0000 Mrsbells 2634209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS is nearly 4 weeks old and has been having sponge baths since we got home from the hospital. His stump fell off over a week ago and it seems healed enough to have a full bath now. I'm curious how long most of you waited before giving your newborn a bath. I think it was a few days with DD </p>