Yucky stump...

I'm hoping that it isn't, but baby Griz may have an infection in her belly button from the umbilical cord stump. It should have fallen off by now, but it seems a little soggy with this gooey/smelly stuff... its awful, and when I clean it with alcohol it looks like its nearly fallen off, but I'm not sure. I don't think its a bad infection, but possibly the start of one. I just hope it falls off soon. Its gross and creeps me out *giggle*. The hospital didn't tell us much about the cord care, but the video they showed us said to clean it at bath times only...however, we heard that you should clean it at every or every other diaper change...some people even say don't clean it with Rubbing Alcohol at all. The paper we have about care for the stump says to wash it with soap and water, yet we were told by the hospital to not get water on it and if water does get on it, pat it dry and use Rubbing Alcohol. Things seem so uncertain that I feel like we may not have been taking as good of care of it as we could have if we had the proper instructions...so now, its taking longer for it to fall off, not to mention the possible infection that could have been avoided. Oye, oh well, we are cleaning it at ever diaper change now, and if it doesn't seem to dry up and look better in the next day or two, we will take her in to the doctor and see what they think. She doesn't seem bothered by it, even when I clean it, but still, it doesn't seem normal, especially the smell. Makes me gag.