grubi, NIS would perhaps nail the problem, but umbilical hernias do often clear on their own. How severe is it? My DD had one and I forgot about it until I realised months or maybe years later that she just didn't have it anymore. I hear this happens a lot. If a lot of bowel was protruding however, it would be worth having it looked at by some kind of practitioner, neurolink or whatnot.

Steph, they probably mean well, those medwives and fruitcakes we deal with on occasion with our babes. They don't keep up to date on the updates in research and pediatric science, much to the detriment of babies. But luckily for your wee one, you listen to your gut, and that will steer you right. My mum raised five of us and was very hands on and nurturing and a little AP really. But even she surprises me with her antiquated ideas sometimes. The other day she told me babies can manipulate you, which was the thought of her generation for sure, but in this day and age we now know this isn't even possible, let alone probable. Babies are short changed, they have one signal - crying. Poor sods. Not only that, but it's the most irritating sound to most people on the planet, and nothing gets under a mama's skin more than the sound of her baby crying. Which is how it was designed. Unfortunately, many babies are abused because the crying is subconsciously interpreted by parents as being able to be controlled by the baby and therefore pushes all their emotional buttons, including anger. We'd all deal much better with the crying if we didn't keep hearing this pseudoscience as to how to treat babies and their motivations.

Well, things suck here. Where I thought I was resigned to having to put him into the cot cos of my back, now it seems I might be stuck slinging. He isn't taking to the cot at all. But I hear to persevere, and cos I don't let him cry, this is going to be long and painful for me. Either that or stick with the slinging until he isn't so little and vulnerable.