Leave the stump alone
The stump looks worse than it is, and it is still not a thing you tug.
After birth the cord is clamped and cut. What stays on the baby is the stump, often with the clamp still on it. Over the first days it gets darker, shrivels, and falls away with the clamp.
Sometimes that takes 1 to 2 weeks. What remains is the belly button. While it is drying, and just after it drops, a bit of ooze is part of healing.
Clear, sticky or brownish. It might mark clothes or the nappy. It might smell slightly.
That description is on the page so you do not panic at a stain. It is not permission to ignore a bad smell.
The worry list is short. Still attached after more than two weeks. Skin around it red or discoloured, a bad smell, warm and tender.
Those go to a GP or child and family health nurse. If sticky fluid is still there several days after the stump has fallen, or the area gets hot, red, swollen, or the baby is lethargic or unwell, see a GP promptly. Fever means an emergency department, not a morning appointment you hope opens up.
Cleaning is dull. Wash your hands. Water, soft cloth or cotton ball.
A mild baby cleanser is allowed. Not antiseptic, not alcohol wipes, not cream. Pat dry.
Fold the nappy down so the stump is in the air, not stewing under plastic. Never pull it off because it looks mostly gone. When it has fallen, keep the area clean and dry until it has healed.
Two afters, so you have words for them. A small pink, red or discoloured lump in the belly button can be an umbilical granuloma. It may leak a little yellow or clear fluid.
Clean and dry, and let a GP or nurse see it. It might settle on its own. A bulge or swelling near the belly button, more obvious when the baby cries or strains, can be an umbilical hernia.
Usually not dangerous, usually not painful, often gone somewhere between 3 and 5 years. Still show a GP or nurse rather than diagnosing it from a group chat.
You can do this change. Hands washed, nappy folded, eyes on the colour of the skin. Tell her what you saw in plain words.
Red, or not red. Smell, or the ordinary slight one. The stump is a drying scab with a deadline, not a project.
Source: Raising Children Network