Is this odd behavior by my 2.5 year old, can't find any other child that does this.

[mnnatalie]

My daughter plays with her belly button constantly.  This includes "popping" out her belly button (ouch I would think, but she says it doesn't hurt).  Once she pops her belly button out (from an "inny" to an "outty"), she plays with it.  Sometimes it almost seems like a comforting thing to her, but isn't this gross and a bit strange?  When she's done, she pokes it back in.  Any input would be great!

[kidsgalore]

My daughter will be three in June and she has been doing this while sucking her thumb since she was around 5 months old.  Now when she pulls it out, she stretches it and twits it and it just looks awful.  She pushes it back in when she's done sucking her thumb too, but I'm afraid it's going to look deformed when she gets older.  When she pulls it out, it reminds me of a Cabbage Patch doll's belly button.  I get kind of embarrased when we are in public and she hikes up her shirt to fondle her belly, but I don't make a big deal of it because I know she does it out of comfort.  I just hope at some point she stops as when she gets older, I'm sure she won't like the looks of it.

[boosty]

oh and i ask her why she does it, and she says "because i am sucking my thumb. " . so they both go together. its definately a relaxing thing.

[boosty]

hahah. oh my God. my daughter is 3 years old and she MUST play with her belly button when laying down and relaxing watching t.v or trying to sleep. while shes using the other hand to suck her thumb. she takes her whole belly button out! i talked to the doctor and all they said was that its normal and every kid has a different way of comforting themselves. its not dangerous. my daughter has been doing it for as long as i remember. just remember that dont tell your child to not do it because then they will start feeling guilty about it and learn to hide and lie about it. like mine did and then i let her know that its ok. they will grow out of it. but soon, i will ask the doctor again until what age this is safe. so my duaghters belly button looks so diformed that it looks like its a big button attached to her little belly. mine takes it all out and when shes done, she pokes it back too. lol. good luck. dont stress and remember to not make a big deal out of it.

[ela35]

see a doctor to make sure it is nothing wrong and try also to dress her in clothes that keep her belly button out of reach ...maybe its just a bad habit and she forgets about it.

[RockRose]

It sounds like an umbilical hernia.  Have you mentioned it to your doc?    Surgery is often done to repair umbilical hernias,  but in kids that small sometimes they heal by themselves.  Not sure it will for her if she's aggravating it.

I'd run it by her doc,  if I were you.  Best wishes.