lotus birth

raeben · 08-12-2009, 08:08 PM

do you have stories, experiences, information or weblinks about lotus birth? i'd love to start collecting them here for those searching for more information on this practice.

thanks,
raeben

Cherylkind · 08-13-2009, 05:59 PM

I dunno much about it, but I find it especially appealing. as long as all goes as planned we will likely do a lotus birth with this baby, so if a few months I hope to be able to share more.

My worry is that if we lotus birth it will be impossible to also encapsulate my placenta... have to talk more about it with my midwife this week....

raeben · 08-13-2009, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Some mothers choose a Lotus Birth. If a mother chooses this option, then the placenta will not be suitable for encapsulation or ingestion afterward. A nice compromise would be to allow the placenta to remain attached to the baby for a period of time — up to four hours — but severed from the umbilical cord and refrigerated after that point. Delaying the separation allows a gentle transition to the world for the baby and still allows the mother to make further use of the placenta.

- from The Care and Keeping of Placentas

Cherylkind · 08-13-2009, 09:59 PM

Thanks, that was my first inclination. I do think that the benefits for me far outweigh the benefits for the baby of doing a lotus birth, so I guess we'll be delaying cord cutting for an extended time and then doing encapsulation.

Falling Leaves · 08-24-2009, 09:17 AM

or just sleep besides a freezer...

(i'm thinking of lotusbirth, too - first need to get pregnant

)
as a ressource, i only have the mango mama's ebook.
what i'm wondering is again the cord thing. it will be all hard when it falls off, won't it?

Falling Leaves · 07-16-2010, 02:23 PM

No lotus birth stories, really?

NurturedBellyDoula · 07-16-2010, 03:47 PM

what is Lotus Birth?

BirthRoots · 07-16-2010, 03:50 PM

I believe it is leaving the cord and placenta attached to the baby until it falls off naturally

NurturedBellyDoula · 07-16-2010, 05:47 PM

ohhh thank you..

TO Doula · 07-17-2010, 10:42 AM

In the movie "Birth into Being" Barbara Harper defines lotus birth as keeping the placenta attached for 24 hours or more. In the past I always thought of it as being until the cord detaches naturally. So now, in my head at least, I think of waiting until it detaches as "full" lotus birth, and extended delay of cord cutting as "partial" lotus birth.

I've had one client who did very delayed cord cutting - she waited two hours. She had read somewhere that that was how long it takes for the cord to completely shut down. The midwife cut the cord at that point and no clamping was needed. The baby's end did not leak. At that point I took the placenta away to refrigerate and encapsulate the following day.

I've never known anyone who did a "full" lotus birth. Most of the people I know who have planned a lotus birth have gotten annoyed with carrying around the placenta and have chosen to cut the cord within the first 24 hours.

cocoanib · 07-17-2010, 01:03 PM

I haven't known anyone personally who did it, but everything I've read is very positive.
I thought about doing it, but after reading up, decided against it.
The whole situation just wasn't for me. Some parents find it quite easy though by wrapping the placenta and keeping it right up next to the baby with a receiving blanket. That way your'e not carrying around the baby and the placenta seperate.

bailey · 07-17-2010, 07:05 PM

I have done a Lotus birth!
We waited almost 3 days to cut the cord- so I guess partial lotus?
I will recommend to anyone planning on a lotus birth to pay close attention to the attatchment site.
When the cord begins to dry (it happens fast!) it becomes TOUGH and brittle sometimes pulling at the baby. If I ever support a women choosing to do a lotus birth I would recommend keeping the attachment site moist to allow flexibility.
Other than that, it was wonderful!
ps. If you choose to sever before it falls off, you may have to moisten the cord because it the freakishly strong.I am not kidding it couldnt cut it for the life of me

Falling Leaves · 07-18-2010, 06:03 AM

how would you go about keeping the cord moist? wouldn't this be a possible spoilage/infection risk?

bailey · 07-18-2010, 01:06 PM

I would leave it all dry and brittle except for one spot that I would moisten periodically just to be able to bend the cord in an appropriate direction. This would keep the cord from pulling at the baby. The placenta is heavy and the umbilicus is delicate.

NurturedBellyDoula · 07-19-2010, 02:06 PM

can I ask what is the purpose of having a lotus birth? I'm just wondering.