Lotus birth, is anyone doing this? - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[Eandko]

I will probably be encapsulating the placenta this time. I had no issues with milk supply or ppd last time but I bled for 7 weeks. With my son I had heard of delayed clamping and stupidly assumed that if it was important my midwives would do it as standard practice. Unfortunately the cord was clamped and cut before I had even caught my breath after pushing. :(

[chicajones]

We'll definitely wait to cut the cord until it stops pulsing, but the full Lotus Birth is a little too much for me (both logistically and mentally). Plus, I'd really like to encapsulate the placenta and feel like that benefit is the biggest. Our Bradley instructor also mentioned that she had a few clients (she's a doula) do the full Lotus birth and that it started to smell really bad after a bit. I'm sure it's different for different folks, but for us, delayed cutting and ingesting seems to make the most sense.

[fayebond]

Eandko, with my baby I assumed I didn't need to learn anything.  Of course standard practice is what's best, right?  The doctor who did my CS  asked if I wanted to delay cord clamping or let DH cut it.  I said yes to both, then he said, "well, you can't, its not what we do".  Its not what we do?!?!!  I couldn't see from behind the curtain but I figured my belly was probably still open and therefore did not argue with the guy with the needle.  I will never forget that!

Its fun to hear about what everyone is doing with the placenta, its such a cool organ.  Its like G-d's own little electric plant that the baby gets plugged into.  Now I want to look at mine!  I missed it (and the whole baby-coming-out-covered-in-goopy-cuteness) last time.

[stegenrae]

We planned to only cut the cord after the placenta was birthed with DS2, but my placenta did the same thing as with DS1--it took for.ever to finish separating, and did so in a way that seemed more like an abruption-like separation than a post-birth separation (from the middle out, rather than the other way around). I ended up losing a concerning (but not emergent) amount of blood...but there was no placenta to eat (ew, btw. i don't think i could do it) to stop it! We did wait for pulsing to stop both times, though. DS1's stump fell off after about a week, and DS2's after almost 2 weeks. This time, I'd like to get the placenta encapsulated, too. Hopefully we won't be so broke that we can't swing it...though two friends do encapsulation, and they may do payment plans for me...hmmm

The thing with lotus birth (to me) is...I look to animal behavior for what "normal" is, and they chew (cut) the cord after all pulsing, and eat the placenta. So I'm not a big believer in its naturalness, if that makes sense. No animal leaves the placenta attached, from what I can tell. (and besides stinking in spite of all the herbs and salt in the world, it would be so AWKWARD to do normal activities, I think) But that's me. YMMV. ;)

[Eandko]

fayebond - I truly hope you get that experience this time because you're right, it is SO cool! Our MW showed us the placenta and explained it all as she was examining it. My husband and I didn't expect to be so taken with it, but it truly was beautiful. She offered it to us to take home, but we declined thinking that was a little too "out there" for us. Lol. I love how so many things I used to think were strange I now see as perfectly normal.

[nhklh]

You can consume the placenta and lotus birth http://www.glorialemay.com/blog/?p=226 

I'm planning a lotus birth.  It will be summer here and I'll likely just have the placenta in a colander over a bowl til it dries out a bit, then wrap in cloth nappies/diapers.  Maybe with some herbs, not sure yet.  If I feel I need to eat some of the placenta straight after birth then I'll have a little bit cut off and I'll eat it.  

Last time we left the placenta attached for 24+ hours, then DP cut the cord.  The placenta had been washed (to remove any blood clots) and was in a colander over a bowl with salt and lavender oil added.  This was in a hospital so it was quite warm in there, and it didn't smell bad at all.

There's no danger because the blood stops flowing through the cord after a few minutes - the blood vessels clamp themselves off and cease to function, therefore there is no longer any blood flowing between baby and placenta.  I believe the placenta usually releases in a few days.  

I'm thinking about doing placenta prints this time too.

 

[Pink Lady]

mamadiamond - not sure why you bled so long after birth as you didn't give much detail, but here's one thing I learned - maybe you're doing too much too soon? - my first 3 were born pretty traditionally in hospital (except little to no drugs) and checked out after 1-2 days with little instruction from Dr. seemed like I always bled for so long afterward - that it more than made up for all the missed periods. Babies 4, and 5&6 (twins) were at home with midwives who gave strict orders to me to stay in bed, have food brought to me in bed, no stairs, only get up to use the bathroom or shower the first few days and I think it was the better part of a whole week?? I did my best to listen to them, gradually only sitting up for food and maybe eating dinner at table with the family towards the end of the week. My bleeding stopped so quickly in comparison - I was amazed. Compare that to taking baby 1 to church and out and about at 3 days, going on a walk around block after discharge from hospital for baby 2, picking up around house at 4-5 days with baby 3 and getting hemmoroids.  No matter how good you feel, take your time to let your body heal - then go back to being Super Mom!    (Never eaten the placenta - didn't know anything about that, so I can't talk to that.)
 

[mamaharrison]

Originally Posted by Pink Lady 

mamadiamond - not sure why you bled so long after birth as you didn't give much detail, but here's one thing I learned - maybe you're doing too much too soon? - my first 3 were born pretty traditionally in hospital (except little to no drugs) and checked out after 1-2 days with little instruction from Dr. seemed like I always bled for so long afterward - that it more than made up for all the missed periods. Babies 4, and 5&6 (twins) were at home with midwives who gave strict orders to me to stay in bed, have food brought to me in bed, no stairs, only get up to use the bathroom or shower the first few days and I think it was the better part of a whole week?? I did my best to listen to them, gradually only sitting up for food and maybe eating dinner at table with the family towards the end of the week. My bleeding stopped so quickly in comparison - I was amazed. Compare that to taking baby 1 to church and out and about at 3 days, going on a walk around block after discharge from hospital for baby 2, picking up around house at 4-5 days with baby 3 and getting hemmoroids.  No matter how good you feel, take your time to let your body heal - then go back to being Super Mom!    (Never eaten the placenta - didn't know anything about that, so I can't talk to that.)
 

I second this info! I had a friend remind me after I had gone to my weekly cleaning job {cleaned an office} 5 days PP and started to bleed a bit more that the attachment site of the placenta inside of your uterus is literally the size of your hand and that it is like a giant scab inside of you and when you do too much it disturbs thaat scab and results in bleeding. That was a VERY good visual analogy for me. I plan to bed in with new baby for 2 weeks after birth this time ; )

[mamadiamond]

oh, i know i was doing too much. my husband had 10 days off work, and my mom was there during some of that time, but then she had to go home and he had to go to work. and i've got a two story apartment so even to get from bed to kitchen meant stairs. and hubby was working 12 hour shifts so couldn't do much for me. i also had a 2nd degree tear and stitches. it was weird though, my bleeding was tapering off and then four weeks pp got really heavy for a few days. then it started to taper off again and then at 8 weeks got heavy again and then stopped. almost like my body was trying to have periods....then i had 4 months off and got my period back pretty early, at 6 months, even while breastfeeding every 3 hours round the clock. i really hope i bleed less this time, and hubby will have 20 days off this time, but only time will tell. i have a toddler this time to chase after. i figure at least eating the placenta will give my body a little extra help to start.

[stegenrae]

My mw has a 5/5/5 rule: 5 days in bed, 5 days around the bed, 5 days around the house before becoming active again. My previous mw had a similar policy, and I healed much more quickly than I did with ds1 (that doc and mw didn't give specific instructions, so I over did it).

[craft_media_hero]

With my first, we did delayed clampong and cut after the placenta was born; with my second, the same (abt two hrs before cutting) plus encapsulation; this time, I want the whole enchilada--lotus birth and encapsulation We'll see when we get here, though--I've heardit can get awkward toting both baby and placenta.

I read Ibu Robin Lim's book about placenta medicine, and it really touched me deeply! I'm looking forward to lotus birth and will delay cutting til it feels right or til the cord dros off. In her ok, mamas jst salt the placenta and apply herbs as it naturally dries, then pound it nto bits to encapsulate-theres no mention of worries of it going rancid *shrug*

With ds, we applied powdered goldenseal to his cord stump, and it fell off on day 5! So I imagine that if lotus cords dry even faster, then if we applied goldenseal, it couldn't possibly be much longer than 5 days.

I have heard one great benefit of lb is that folks are less quick to want to pass around the baby! Which is great to me because I feel really uncomfortable with how folks feel entitled to hold the little one right away.

[fayebond]

craftmediahero, I have a new perspective on lotus birth!  We're due early in December, but if she/he waits until within five days of Christmas, I may just do lotus birth out of sheer desperation (we both have LOTS of family in town, and while we love them, we do not love how much they all want to hold our cuteness).  Its been hinted that people will be offended if we don't show up to let them see (read: hold) the new baby.  They don't know it, but baby is going to just really need to nurse.  Alot.  Like every time someone wants to hold him/her.  :)  I prefer the whole cord cutting thing because it seems easier (and, I admit, less strange), however, I like the no holding part.  Big bonus with this time of year....

[Mamabeakley]

Wraps are also great for people who want to hold the baby . . . er, keeping the baby away from people who want to hold it.  Especially if they see you put the baby IN the wrap.  It looks so complicated and difficult to people who've never seen it before that they are generally hesitant to suggest you take baby out.  Especially if said baby is asleep! 

[craft_media_hero]

Originally Posted by Mamabeakley 

Wraps are also great for people who want to hold the baby . . . er, keeping the baby away from people who want to hold it.  Especially if they see you put the baby IN the wrap.  It looks so complicated and difficult to people who've never seen it before that they are generally hesitant to suggest you take baby out.  Especially if said baby is asleep! 

I tried doing the wrap or nursing constantly with ds, but my in-laws are incorrigible! My mil would be really right up in my bubble stroking him while we were nursing, and they pretty much would camp out right next to our bed until they got to hold him. And then I would get him back smelling like gramma's perfume. And grnpa smokes and often smells strongly of it

What I really want is a private "babymoon" with no visitors unless they are in a support role (doula, dropping off food, hired housekeeper, etc.) if lotus birthkeeps people away coz they're weirded out, then thats just one more big bonus!

Honestly, though, with my il's lack of understanding need for space and boundaries, I don't think there is much that will make a difference!

[kawa kamuri]

My MIL is similar. She comes ASAP after birth and expects to hold the baby while I don't nap, don't nurse, don't do any of the things I'd like to do with my freshly born baby. Then she leaves without helping at all and basically has nothing to do with the kid for the rest of its life. This time she can wait a minute for her one and only visit. My SO won't like that bit of news, but tough.    

[Jackies]

Originally Posted by craft_media_hero 


I tried doing the wrap or nursing constantly with ds, but my in-laws are incorrigible! My mil would be really right up in my bubble stroking him while we were nursing, and they pretty much would camp out right next to our bed until they got to hold him. And then I would get him back smelling like gramma's perfume. And grnpa smokes and often smells strongly of it
What I really want is a private "babymoon" with no visitors unless they are in a support role (doula, dropping off food, hired housekeeper, etc.) if lotus birthkeeps people away coz they're weirded out, then thats just one more big bonus!
Honestly, though, with my il's lack of understanding need for space and boundaries, I don't think there is much that will make a difference!

Sounds like they can't take a hint. You're going to have to make that babymoon happen. It's tough when people absolutely won't listen unless you speak in a brutally clear way, but no one can do it but you (and dh). Good luck!

[nhklh]

Could you just not tell anyone of the baby's arrival until later on?  Sure they'd bet upset, but motherbaby come first!

[Chani43]

Originally Posted by mamadiamond 

at the risk of sounding really ignorant - how on earth can it be safe to have decomposing tissue attached to the baby? my dd's stump didn't fall off till 11 days pp. an 11 day old placenta would be rotting, no matter if salt was put on it. and for that matter, i've salt preserved meat before, and in order to actually stop decay you have to submerge the meat in a tub of salt, you can't just rub some on. is there some biological thing going on that would preserve the placenta? and if it is still sending nutrients to the baby, how could putting that much salt on it/into baby's body be good? am i totally missing something here?

i'm planning to encapsulate and eat my placenta this time. i had a really hard time healing physically after dd, and bled for almost 8 weeks, so i think it will be helpful. been googling how to DIY the capsules.

The placenta doesn't rot/decompose but dehydrates and becomes preserved.  So long as it is tended properly it won't rot and there won't be any offensive smell.  I have heard of a few horror stories where the parents were ignorant about how to proceed with a Lotus Birth or neglected to tend the placenta properly and it wasn't pretty but there was no risk to the baby.  There is no need to salt the placenta but this is one way of facilitating the drying process.  There is no need to use herbs/flowers/essential oils and these are ways of making the Lotus transition more special/sacred.  Once the cord stops pulsing and the placenta stops functioning there is no nutrients or anything else physical going between the baby and the placenta and any salt or other things you use to pack the placenta wont have contact with the baby.  It is very easy to have a Lotus Birth. 

1. Drain the placenta.

2. Wash the placenta.

3. Pat dry the placenta

4. Air dry the placenta or wrap it in a breathable cloth (salt/herbs/dried flowers/oils are optional but can enhance the process).

The most important thing is to avoid the placenta rotting so never use a plastic bag or a disposable nappy and air dry or use a breathable cloth only.

Tending the placenta is very easy and quick.  The initial draining usually takes 24 hours, the initial washing/drying takes 5-10 minutes and if you choose to pack the placenta it takes 5 minutes each day to replenish the salt/herbs/oil/flowers and rewrap the placenta in a fresh cloth.