caring for a newborns cord stump

[SianandTony]

my baby is 2 and 1/2 weeks old. noticed some slight spotting from her belly button mentioned this to the health visitor who said it was "over granulating". midwives advised to leave the stump, health visitor advising to clean it with salty water ? im concerned this will sting....has anyone got any tips?

[Sanne Panne]

Not sure about this specific topic (whether to keep the stump dry or wash it) but if you do end up deciding to clean it, baking soda (diluted in water) is a lot milder than table salt and does a great job cleaning and healing.