The umbilical cord is a precious lifeline between mother and baby, connecting them throughout pregnancy, providing oxygen and nutrients, and carrying waste. When it’s time for baby to enter the world, this cord is clamped and cut leaving a small stump that can range from a half-inch to an inch long. It will dry and fall off on its own, but knowing how to care for it until then can help calm any new-parent nerves.

The most important thing is to keep the stump clean and dry. It is vulnerable to infection until it heals, and an infection can be dangerous for your newborn. So, do not use antiseptic wipes or hand sanitizer on the belly button and instead wash it gently with water and mild soap.

Exposing the area to air frequently can also speed up the healing process. You can do this by using cloth diapers with a cutout or kimono-style bodysuits, which allow you to fold the diaper down so the cord area is left uncovered. Avoid covering it with clothing, especially tight onesies or shirts; this may cause the area to rub and irritate. It’s also best not to bathe your baby in the tub until after the cord has dried, so sponge baths are a great option.

If you notice any bleeding around the stump, don’t panic. “A little bit of bleeding is common on a cord stump that is healing,” says Dr. Krupa Playforth, a pediatrician and member of the Babylist Health Advisory Board. It’s much like the way a scab will bleed if it gets pulled. However, it’s important to know that if the cord begins to irritate your newborn’s skin, this could lead to an infection.

It’s also important to note that while the umbilical cord stump is drying and falling off, it can sometimes look shiny. This is caused by the formation of granulomas, which are basically scar tissue that results from the cord’s healing process. Granulomas don’t indicate infection, but they can be an annoyance for some parents.

While it’s normal for the umbilical cord to fall off within a week of birth, some babies can take longer. It’s best to check in with your doctor if the stump doesn’t fall off by this time, as this can be a sign of complications.

A nuchal cord is an extra fold of tissue in the fetal neck that can form during the final weeks of pregnancy and interfere with the cord’s natural path from mother to baby. A physician can spot a nuchal cord with an ultrasound, or the condition can be suspected during labor and delivery when a nonstress test or biophysical profile indicates that oxygen is being deprivated to the fetus. If left untreated, a nuchal cord can lead to a decrease in the fetus’s heart rate or a fetal distress during a delivery and requires medical intervention. It’s usually possible to treat the condition with medication, but in some cases, surgery is necessary.