How do you treat the placenta in a lotus birth? I know people put herbs or salt on it, but are there any 'recipes' for the herbs etc? And they treat it every day, right?
"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals". ~J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals". ~J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
I'm so sorry I took forever to get around to this thread.
You actually don't need to salt the placenta or use herbs on it... You don't need to treat it with anything (except respect, love, and care ). You can leave it as it is and just rinse it gently in warm water after the birth (when the Wharton's Jelly has gone/solidified) to remove any blood clots, pat it dry, and wrap it each day in a clean cloth diaper or special, absorbant placenta bag, or just rest it in a sieve over a bowl (or a combination of both).
If a meaty/earthy smell might be a problem for you for the few days it takes the cord to separate from baby, you can use either sea salt or herbs to help it dry out a little faster, and disguise some of the scent (there may be no scent depending on the weather - obviously the warmer and dryer the air, the less chances of it beginning to smell bad). An alternative to treating the placenta itself is to just light some incense.
If you're using salt, you can apply it (some recommend liberally, some only lightly) to both sides before wrapping the placenta. In the first day or so it will drain a lot, so if you're not resting the placenta in a sieve, you'll need to change the cloths and re-salt every day (or more often if needed - use your judgement). If you're using a sieve, the air will be able to circulate completely around it and help it dry faster (you could rest it in a sieve over a bowl during the day, then wrap it at night). It will become smaller as it dries, so you can transfer it into a less-bulky bowl for breastfeeding, etc.
As for herbs, you can use a handful of dried lavendar buds, a sprinkling of lavendar oil, and I have heard others use a little tea tree oil or various other herbs to help with the drying process.
There isn't really a set "recipe" for what types of herbs or how much salt to use. A lot is dependent on individual conditions, your intuition about how long it might take, and - most importantly - babys cues.
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.... she's probably too busy to check the boards! 
But you'd think AUSSIE in the title and LOTUS BIRTH would get her attention. 
). You can leave it as it is and just rinse it gently in warm water after the birth (when the Wharton's Jelly has gone/solidified) to remove any blood clots, pat it dry, and wrap it each day in a clean cloth diaper or special, absorbant placenta bag, or just rest it in a sieve over a bowl (or a combination of both).
