August 10, 2003

Lotus Birth

Yesterday I spent some time with a woman who is due to give birth very soon. Zoe had called into our office and bought a book on Lotus Birth from our office. As I wasn’t there at the time I missed discussing her plans with her, so I made contact with her later and arranged to see her with her family, who are also planning to be present for the birth.

There is very little information available for those wanting details on how a Lotus Birth works. The idea of leaving the placenta attached until it falls off, is not often considered by women or their caregivers, yet for some, it is an important part of the ritual that surrounds the birth process. They believe that the baby should remain attached to the organ that sustained its life until it naturally ceases and that by severing the cord too early, the baby may react to the premature loss of its support system.

It is the practical issues that are often of most concern:

Will the placenta get smelly? No, not if it is coated with salt to draw out the moisture and left in the air to dry as often as possible).
Will it be cumbersome to handle? It can be kept close by on an absorbent pad during the day and enclosed in a cloth nappy for easy handling at night. It can be left wrapped, and tucked in with the baby inside a bunny rug.
How long will it take for the cord to fall off? An average time seems to be 3 - 4 days.
Will moving the placenta tug on the baby and cause pain? The cord becomes dried out very quickly and develops the consistency of dried meat (such as beef jerky). It is still flexible, if somewhat stiff, and the area near the baby’s navel usually stays fairly soft. Moving the placenta doesn’t seem to hurt the baby, but it may react.
What is it like after a few days? The placenta will shrink quite quickly and within a week will be about a quarters of the size it was at birth, and still pliable even though stiff.

In January I filmed a Lotus Birth and I am now in the process of editing it for release as a short informational film for parents and midwives. Although not everyone’s cup of tea, for those who want follow this ancient ritual, I hope the video will provide some answers. I showed the uncut footage to Zoe and her family and they were very reassured and especially grateful for the opportunity to see what happens over the days and weeks following the birth. I hope to capture their experiences on tape too, as soon as their baby is born.

Posted by andrea at August 10, 2003 11:24 AM

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