Over a few weeks of changing and bathing Ralph, I found his belly button hole was changing shape. It appeared to be turning into an 'outie' belly button. I didn't take much notice of it to begin with, but after a few days I realised it was getting bigger.When the midwife visited for my checkup, I showed her and she told me that he had an umbilical hernia and also that most probably it had been as a result of Ralph's persistent straining from his constipation!
The midwife advised me that so long as when Ralph was not straining I could poke it back in and that it was the same colour and temperature to the rest of his stomach that it would be okay to leave. She also advised me it should rectify itself within a year however if it's still prominent at that time then he could require to have a small operation. After she left I looked more into the reasons for a hernia and what it actually is.
Apparently an umbilical hernia is most common in babies. Babies belly buttons are a small weak area in the wall of muscle, as when they were developing as a foetus within the womb the blood vessels passed through it to feed. When the baby is born, the muscle wall usually closes completely into a sheet which holds the organs in, yet in some babies it fails to do so. Tissues, fluid or even part of the intestine can push through this gap and create a bulge below the skin. From my research I discovered that an umbilical hernia is more common in boys plus appear more often in babies that are born prematurely as their stomach muscles did not have the full time to finish growing before they were born.
Ralph had his eight week check along at the doctors yesterday and the doctor also said she was happy to leave Ralph's hernia in hope that it should rectify itself, the doctor also told me that umbilical hernias are very common and the main hernias you need to be concerned about are the ones found in the groin area. In case you think your baby has a hernia it is best to speak with your doctor, just so that they're aware and can find out if everything is ok.
Don't panic! It seems it's fairly normal.
The midwife advised me that so long as when Ralph was not straining I could poke it back in and that it was the same colour and temperature to the rest of his stomach that it would be okay to leave. She also advised me it should rectify itself within a year however if it's still prominent at that time then he could require to have a small operation. After she left I looked more into the reasons for a hernia and what it actually is.
Apparently an umbilical hernia is most common in babies. Babies belly buttons are a small weak area in the wall of muscle, as when they were developing as a foetus within the womb the blood vessels passed through it to feed. When the baby is born, the muscle wall usually closes completely into a sheet which holds the organs in, yet in some babies it fails to do so. Tissues, fluid or even part of the intestine can push through this gap and create a bulge below the skin. From my research I discovered that an umbilical hernia is more common in boys plus appear more often in babies that are born prematurely as their stomach muscles did not have the full time to finish growing before they were born.
Ralph had his eight week check along at the doctors yesterday and the doctor also said she was happy to leave Ralph's hernia in hope that it should rectify itself, the doctor also told me that umbilical hernias are very common and the main hernias you need to be concerned about are the ones found in the groin area. In case you think your baby has a hernia it is best to speak with your doctor, just so that they're aware and can find out if everything is ok.
Don't panic! It seems it's fairly normal.
About the Author:
A hernia is often connected to Constipated Babies because they are often straining and tensing more than usual.