Belly Button Hernia - Crystal Lake,IL

I had to have my appendix taken out when my youngest was 4 months old and the surgeon said they found I had a small hernia under my belly button. He fixed it because he was in there anyway. He said it was caused by pregnancy (also have 3 kids), but I never asked if it would have been fine without surgery because it was being taken care of. My surgeons's name was Dr. Watson and he was really nice - at Condell.

I happen to know two women with this hernia, and neither has had it fixed. It doesn't bother them (though one's button kind of sticks out far because she is really skinny).

From my understanding it can develop into a problem later but may (and usually does) not, and many people have them but are undiagnosed. I think it can get uncomfortable, or get worse with subsequent babies.

I would go with your gut and not sweat it-- but don't be scared into surgery you may not need with a little one to care for. Remember who is more important in this equation, and I don't think it's your belly button. :) good luck!

D.
I would definetly get it taken care of. I found outi had abelly button hernia a 1 1/2 yrs ago and chose not to do
anything about it. Well it got bigger and bigger never hurt but my stomach was poking out.
I just had surgery on the 18th of Jan and when they went in they found 3 huge hernias and i only thought i had 1.
So yes seek a surgeon and if you are in the Oak Park Il area I can recommend you mine who is great and very comforting. He's done 2 surgeries for me.
C.

I have heard of these. They are not uncommon for women to get these. We cannot get them in the allthe places that men can. My advice is to go ahead and get it checked out. Before you decide 100% you should get a second opinion from a surgeon. They maybe able to give you an easer solution without haven to have sugery. And you can look it up on the internet and it will give you options andthings to do.
I do hope you will make the choice to get it checked before it gets to the point where you are in too much pain. Lots of luck, support and prayers being sent to you on your decision. Hope to read what you decided to do, if you feel like sharing that info. GOOD LUCK!!!

I had twins 15 months ago and had a hernia around the belly button area and my Dr never even mentioned surgery, so I guess maybe the severity of the hernia?? I also had a baby 7 weeks ago and it didn't come back...so maybe give it time and it will heal it self!!

Hello. Well I have seen people with hernias and sometimes they grow really big and they will bulge out. I would have the surgery to get rid of it.

E.

Hi,

I also acquired a hernia next to my belly button and I didn't have a problem with it for years until I put on a pretty good deal of weight in a fairly short period of time. When that happened I started having problems with it and had it fixed surgically. I can highly recommend having it done the old fashioned way with just them closing the hole and sewing it closed as I do know a few people who each had hernia surgery and all of them turned out to be allergic to the mesh they use now. I had mine done the "old" way and I have never had a problem with it since.

Hi, I have an umbelical hernia as well. Not sure if I spelled it right, but my family doctor said that it's not usually caused by pregnancy - but I did notice mine after my second child was born. I did see a surgeon who said that mine was about the size of a dime and would not hurt me but it can get worse over time and get larger over years. They can sometimes do a laproscopic surgery through your belly button but if it's worse they have to make a small incision and sometimes when they are larger they have to put this mesh material in and sew it up. My dad also had the same type of hernia near his belly button and did have surgery and a few years later had to get it redone. I think he probably didn't take time to recover properly. I asked the surgeon about lifting and he said I'm fine - but I don't totally believe him about that - I told him that I have two kids around 30 pounds and at the time I was lifting both of them in and out of the car, in and out of strollers...etc. He said that I just had to be careful after the surgery that one of them didnt jump on me when I was playing with them. I'm putting off the surgery for a while - after two c-sections 15 months apart, I wanted to wait for a while. My youngest is now 2 1/2 and I suppose I should get it the hernia taken care of before it gets worse.
What can happen down theh road is that it gets larger, and part of your intestines bulge out through it and then get trapped and later on it causes gange green in the part that is trapped. Also, it's not as easy on your body to have surgery as you get older.
My husband actualy had an umbelical hernia when he was a child as well and he had the surgery and has never had a problem since. I'd say, definately talk to a surgeon. I can feel a popping, like something squishes through - my family doctor said that that might be just in the head - I felt like kicking him when he said that because it literaly does feel once in a great while - like if I have a bad cold and I keep coughing and sneezing like I feel a squishing and hear a squishing sound near my belly button. It's so gross, but that's how I knew something was wrong and he felt around my belly button and said, that I did have a hernia and the surgeon said I did have one but it's small. Sorry to babble, but I just wanted to let you know that it is something to take care of but it's not life threatening, but you don't want to let it go because you don't want a huge gap like my dad did that took two times to fix.