Baby belly button from hernia-like to normal (updated)

Previously I was concern about the protrusion (and collapsed region) observed in our baby's belly button. The pediatrician assured us that our baby's umbilical hernia is normal and will recover after several months. We waited for 2 and a half months and indeed the hernia was less obvious (and the region of collapse had also disappeared).

After 3.5 months, our baby's umbilical hernia disappeared.

What we did during the wait (as according to the doctors and nurses) was to allow our baby to exercise the tummy more.

Helpful exercise

• We would gently tickle our baby's belly to induce him to contract his stomach muscles.
• We placed our baby on a rubber mat with the belly facing down so that he can lift up his head and try to kick and move. The main purpose was to train and strengthen his tummy muscle.

It worked! We were worried about persistent hernia but fortunately, it was just normal hernia. For information about persistent hernia, refer to Umbilical hernia by Children Surgery. New hernia service at University Surgical Center, National University Hospital (NUH).