Lotus Birth

When thinking about your birth plan, a big decision revolves around how will you handle the third stage of labor, the cutting of the umbilical cord & delivery of the placenta. Although it is something a lot of families don't consider, it is a very important decision for the health of mother and baby. Most doctors favor clamping and cutting the cord within seconds of birth, whereas midwives almost always advocate for delaying cord cutting until it stops pulsating - an average of fifteen minutes. The reason for this delay being what is referred to as "placental transfusion". During the nine months spent in womb, the baby is attached to the placenta as a life line, relying on it to provide oxygen, nutrients, filter toxins and clear waste. Because of this shared circulation, a significant amount of the baby's total blood volume can be in the placenta at any given time. In the minutes after birth, while the umbilical cord is still pulsating, the newborn baby will receive a transfusion from their own placenta providing them with red blood cells, stem cells, immune cells, a few months worth of iron supply, and approximately 30% more blood volume. When the cord is cut before "pulsing out", the baby misses out on this perfectly orchestrated transition from womb to world. We have always been an advocate for delayed cord cutting because of the obvious health benefits, but since we view health in such a multi-dimensional way, we really wanted to look beyond just the physical factors when deciding how we would handle this third stage of birth.

Our desire is to bring Luna into this world in the most natural, gentle way possible. Because of this, we have decided to do what is known as a Lotus Birth, leaving Luna attached to her placenta until she decides to naturally separate from it, typically 3-10 days after birth. By giving ourselves and her this sacred time to adjust to a new world, we believe we are spiritually and energetically creating the safest and most undisturbed environment that will allow her to gently acclimate to earth. The "inconvenience" of having cord and placenta attached to Luna in the days following birth will actually allow for our family to slow down, stay immobile, fall in love, and truly reflect on the wonder and miracle of birth and life. We look forward to embracing the power of this experience and truly believe it will allow Luna to gently fall in tune with nature's rhythms.

Because it is an organ, the placenta does need to be taken good care of after birth to ensure no infection, offensive smell, or harm to the baby. It is actually a very simple process. There is no rush to do anything with the placenta immediately after birth. It can be kept in a bowl next to the mother during the first precious hours of primal bonding. After that time, the placenta should be rinsed cleaned and placed in a special container or wrapped in cloths. We have decided on using a bamboo steamer for the natural material it offers, and for the allowance of good air circulation. A combination of powdered herbs and sea salt should be applied generously to both sides to assist in drying the placenta and minimizing any scent it may have. The herbs and salt, as well as any cloth material, should be changed daily until natural separation occurs. Lavender and rosemary are the herbs that come most highly recommended. We also added rose petals and sage to the mix, and plan to make a ceremonial cover of fresh flowers for her as well.

I took a few photos during the process to share here with you, and there will be more coming soon after Luna's birth! We hope this post has been of benefit to anyone wanting to learn more about conscious Lotus Birth and as always, please don't hesitate to ask any questions!

Lavender, rose petals & sea salt

Lightly powdered (I use a coffee grinder!)

Rosemary & sage

Bamboo steamer

Resources:

Delayed cord clamping
Childbirth with love
Lotus Birth questions

Hope you're having a fantastic full moon weekend and basking in the goodness of God's blessings!