New Mom Concerned About Infants Belly Botton

Hi A.,

I nannied for a family many years ago and both their daughters had herniated umbilicals. Their first childs went away at about 1 1/2 years (it stuck out about 1" before) and their second childs corrected itself at about 4 years. They were told that if by 5 years of age it hadn't gone away then corrective surgery would be recommended.

1 mom found this helpful

My daughter has a herniated belly button. She is almost 12 so no, it didn't go away but it's no big deal to her. Since it doesn't bother her, why have surgery for it? My sister in law told us to tape a nickel to her belly button when she was a baby but we didn't do that. Both my son's belly buttons are innies. Unless it's huge, don't worry about it.

Hi there
One of my twins had the same problem, my nanny (who had three kids) tied a cloth around his waist (belly button) and it slowly went down, way before he was 1. My aunt told me that's what my grandmother did as well. Painless, non-surgical approach

My second child also had a hernia. It looked awful, especially when he cried but our ped. assured me it was painless and it would go away. I researched it and found that it was pretty common and usually goes away on it's own. Everyone was right, it went away before he turned one and he is now 3 years old and there is no sign of problems.

my son's belly button herniated & resolved by 5 months and is an "innie" now.

Our daughter has one - her pediatrician says it should go way by the time she is 5. Most go away within 2 years. Don't worry! Oh and don't try to hold it down or tape coins to it.

My mother, the labor and delivery nurse, told me to make sure I put the diaper over the bellybutton, to help hold it down...
good luck
R.

Yes my son had the same thing. His hernia went away all by itself. He never had any problems with it and now his belly button is in and looks totally normal. Don't worry his doctor said this happens and not to worry.
S.

Ashlely,
This is very common, it will probably resolve itself as is usually does. It had nothing to do with the plastic piece.

Hi A., yes, it will correct itself with time. It may take a couple of years but all of sudden you will notice that it is shrinking.

No worries, my son was also born with it. My doc said the exact same thing. His flattened out before he was even one!

A.,
My daughter is 4, she will be 5 in October. She has the same belly button issue. They have been assuring me since I brought her home from the hospital that hers would self correct too. However, I do think she will end up having the corrective surgery. They have told me that they will not even consider the corrective surgery until she is 5 years old. Her has gotten considerably smaller but it still sticks out quite a bit. She still have a few months for it to self correct before she turns 5, but at this point. I am almost positive she will need the surgery. I hope this give you another perspective. She has no pain or anything, but I do have to push it in every once in a while just to make sure her intestine is not tangled (the intestine is what is sticking out , that is what a hernia is). I hope this helped. Happy Holidays!

My advice to you is to find a qualified classical homeopath and get some treatment. you have time to try homeopathy, it is better than just wait to have surgery.
But even with surgery, there are remedies in homeopathy than can speed up and help with the healing.
Best,
V.

Good friends of ours had triplets and one of them had a horrible large belly button. Almost the size of a golf ball. It took a few months, but she now has the most beautiful belly button. So hopefully, your babies will do the same.

My son had it too. Went away after a short time. They say it's a common thing, especially with boys.

My first son also had the lil outy and my mom wanted to wrap his tummy with cloth like the "old days". I discussed it with his Dr. and he said that it would just correct itself. At about 2 1/2 it finally did. I think the term "hernia" can sound scarey...and also being a first time mommy. Don't worry too much about his outy...he's perfect in his own unique way. Congratulations!

My daughter was diagnosed with a hernia as well. Belly button was definately an "outie." Dr told me the same thing. As she neared 1 years of age it went down, but whenever she would cry, cough, laugh hard, it would pop out again. Now that she is almost two, I haven't noticed it for awhile...may have corrected on its own.

I also was born with a herniated umbilicus. Mine did not correct on its own, and I went in for corrective surgery when I was in 2nd grade. Only thing I remember is the Dr counting me down, then I was up eating ice cream.

Try not to worry too much...it can correct itself, but if not surgery can fix it.

My daughter was born with a hernia and it went away within a few months of her birth. Try not to worry too much about this.

my son had the same problem... it jusy eventually went back in... dont worry he will be fine :]

I feel your concern, I am a mother of 5, my son, my youngest, was the only one who's belly button stuck out a little, when I kept asking about it they said the same thing, a hernia, should go away by the time he was 2 or 3, when he was 2 and still had it (it was smaller) they said by 4. I was very nervous about it, but, it did go away when he was about 3. Just slowly dissapeared! He just turned 6, has never had a problem, it just dissapeared and he never ever had any issues or problems with it. Truley, it should go away on its own. I know that it is hard to believe when they say it, expecially since it is your first, but it should, my sons did!

Oh yes, my son had one and we were TERRIFIED . . . it was so nasty looking and would actually pulsate when he cried. Our pediatrician reassured us all was well, and even though at one point it got to be golf ball sized, it was gone before he was 9 months old, and he now has a lovely outtie belly button . . . totally normal.

Don't worry too much . . . ( :

Hi A.,
I want you to know that this umbillical hernia is nothing to worry about and it had nothing to do with the way his belly button was cared for. My oldest who is now 9 was born with one. Hers was just above the belly button so I noticed it right away. It does not hurt them, so don't worry about him being in pain. I was also told it would go away on its own by the time she was four but she was about 6 when fully disappeared. The corrective surgery that your doctor told you about is just cosmetic. I chose for my daughter not to have it because I didn't want her under the knife unless it was medically nessecary. I hope this helps.
Cogratulations on your beautiful baby boy.
J.

HI A.,

Don't you worry. My son Nathan also had his belly button popped out the size of a golf ball for the first 6 months of his life. Gradually, we see the golf ball deflating as he got older, and now his belly button is much of an "inny". My ped explained that back then when he was younger, the stomach wall behind the belly button wasn't completely closed and so the pop out was really his abdomen air. As he got older, the wall strengthend and closed and so the air went back inside. He was around 9 months when his belly button lost the hernia. We didn't put any bandage on it or anything, it came in by itself.

A.,

It is nothing to worry about. My daughter had the same thing and when she was three, she had the surgery to correct it. It took all of about 10 minutes and she was home and jumping on the bed by the afternoon. All of this was 11 years ago, so things have improved since then and she is completely fine with absolutely no repercussions.

The same thing happened to my Daughter... My girlfriend told me to put a quarter over her belly button and put white surgcal tape over it and wrap her around the waist with gauze to hold her belly button flat... (I wrapped the quarter in surgical tape too) I was skeptical but it worked... Over time when her baby belly turned into a flatter little girl belly she had an inny :)

Good morning A.,
I have 3 sons and 2 of them had this.
One of them self corrected by the time he was 1yr old.
The other one the belly button got extremely fat and long and they had to do corrective surgery, at 10 months old. It was a very easy surgery and he is fine.

Good luck and if you need anyone to talk to, feel free to send me a private message.

D. Golla

Hi A.,

My best friend's daughter just turned 3 years old this month and she was born with a herniated umbilical cord as well. Her Pedi had told them it should go away on its own by the time she was 3 and now since it hasn't, he has suggested they consider surgery to correct it.

-Char

Yes, my second daughter had the same thing and it slowly closed up, by around 9-10 months I think. She's 14 months now and has more of an innie than her older sister who didn't have the hernia! Just have the ped check it at each visit -- they can usually tell how it is progressing and make sure that none of the intestines are popping out.

They removed it?? It should have stayed until it fell off on it's own. My sons came off a little over 2 weeks.

I would find a new peditrician. I switched my son to another practice because I always left the old one disagreeing with what the doc said.

I was a caregiver for a four week old baby boy.He also had a hernia at his belly button.He had the surgery and it was repaired.There were no complications and he now has an innie.Be concern but don't worry.Your son will fair just fine! B. S

One of my Boys had it and yes it goes away. It looks kinda weird but as long as you can push it down and it goes down then everythings fine. My sons was gone by 9-12 months and now it just looks like a little round outtie. As they move and crawl you see it shrink. The best way the doc explained it to me was the inside of the belly button didnt close and now there a small pocket of air/gas. It dosent hurt or even bother them, just looks strange. Good luck and remember it GOES AWAY :-)

My neighbor's daughter had the same thing. She is now 7 and has a perfectly cute little outie that is not funny looking like it was when she was a baby.

My son had a herniated belly button when he was very young. He also had inguinal hernias (that's lower on the abdomen and into the scrotum). They surgically corrected his inguinal hernias at 3 months but when I asked if they could fix his belly button hernia in the same surgery, they told me that they would not because the belly button hernia is one (but the other kind, the one they were fixing, wouldn't) that will completely heal on its own. They said that if it hadn't gone away by the time he was 4 they would do it. Well, it was gone by the time he was a year old, so they were right. It's nothing to worry about and will probably go away by itself.

My brother was born with the same thing 29 years ago, and never had to have surgery. He has a somewhat outty belly button still, but no problems. It is probably nothing to worry about. Just enjoy your precious little gift:)