Lotus Birth

[tunneldiver]

Here is some interesting info on Lotus Birth, the practice of leaving the placenta attached until it dries up and detaches on its own (2-6 days) This might be good info to know in case of delivery "in the field". There is also a link on this page with info about superglue instead of sutures for small tears.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/2924/lotus.html

[RESQDOC]

If you want the bottom line, see the last two paragraphs.

This is a good example of the resilience of children and their ability to survive despite, rather than because of, their parents. Somehow this is seen as more “natural” by some individuals, despite the fact that most mammal parents strip the amniotic sack and chew off the cord after delivery, as did most “primitive” cultures. There are of course exceptions, but it is “natural” for a tomcat to kill kittens at times so that the female will come into heat again sooner. SO lets dispense with the “natural” argument and think about this for a bit. What are the potential benefits?

The article suggests that cutting the cord may cause the infant pain – this certainly is possible. I suspect the whole birth process is pretty damn uncomfortable at times, certainly frightening even when everything is as gentle & supportive as possible.

It suggests that leaving it on boosts the baby’s immune system – how? The flow between the baby and placenta stops quite soon after birth, so there can be no transfer of immunity factors by this path. Quote:

“The baby and the placenta arise from the same cell, so baby and placenta are one. Some say that when you leave the placenta attached, it results in a stronger immune system for the baby. All the life force of this organ gets transferred along the cord to the baby. When the cord falls off naturally, it slowly decreases the oxygen supply from the placenta to the baby. The women I've talked to give this birth a lot of spiritual weight. It takes a less "violent" action and allows a natural transition.”

Crap. There is no Oxygen supply from the placenta after a short time. The baby’s circulation actually shuts down the umbilical vessels minutes after birth, even if the placenta was still functional, which it isn’t. Life force & auras – maybe. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, but significant aid to the baby’s health?

Quote:
“It is reported that when the placenta is left intact, the baby is sensitive to having the cord and/or placenta touched. Even if the baby is sleeping and the placenta is touched it can startle the baby (this is reported even after the child and placenta are a few days old). So there must be some feeling in the umbilical cord.”

There is feeling in the umbilical cord stump at the attachment point, not in the cord after it has started to dry. Babies fuss about having this area cleaned, imagine having a pound of weight hanging off it.

Quote:
“It is important to keep the placenta level after birth with the baby until the gelatinous substance (Whorton's jelly) has solidified, hence no more blood transfusion is occurring. After that time, wash the placenta thoroughly taking care to remove any blood clots as these will begin putrefaction more quickly.”

You can say that again. This is living, very bloody tissue. It can go bad in a hurry, a few hours if left out & not promptly disposed of. This is my big concern, that it will be left on and serve as a potential source of infection as it becomes necrotic. The article instructs that it be kept as dry as possible and salted down. I would not want this attached to my children and risk another source of infection. If done it needs to watched very closely indeed.

Quote:
“I have read that the Aboriginal tribe practices nonseverence of the cord and just carry the placentas alone with the newly born children until the baby's body discards it. They speak telepathically in their tribe, and I have to say they are the most gentle and intune people as a group. Also there are vegetarian monkeys who are also a very gentle species who do the same. I can't remember which ones though. Also I have read that the baby and the placenta grow from the same cell and they share the same etheric aura. The placenta can be looked at as a limb that dies and it is a bodily extension for the baby and instead of cutting away a body part that is almost useless in the physical form, giving the baby the personal time on a spiritual level to let go what has taken care of him or her and its life supply during his or her in-womb existence and giving the baby the space on a spiritual level to decide when it isn't needed anymore.”

I’d love to see the reference material on the vegetarian monkeys. Babies and Wilm’s tumors grow from the same cell too, that doesn’t make the Wilm’s tumor any more desirable, even if they do share the same etheric aura.

Quote:
“If hemorrhage occurs, (the mother can) take a swift bite of the placenta it has blood clotting abilities for the mother in this way.”

The placenta has both clotting and anticlotting factors present, as do other tissues, that are mobilized as needed. Both are broken down by the digestive process and do not enter the circulation if the placenta is eaten. This is pure sympathetic magic and has no basis in fact. When I trained as a student in the Florida panhandle we had some girls from waaaay out in the boonies whose families took the placentas back home. Some of the grandmothers told me that they would fry them and have the new moms eat them as it was felt to speed their recovery and help ensure further fertility. It also at times was given to women having trouble conceiving. Others shared with me that they would wait for the next full moon and bury it under a particular tree, for the same reasons. Of course this is also where I delivered a mom’s 12th baby out of 17 total pregnancies, and a 12 year olds second, HIV +, baby.

Quote:
“A Lotus Birth keeps the baby in seclusion for the first days of his/her life. It helps the parents be patient at a time when they need to be.”

Actually, I like this idea. I think that new moms and families are all too often swarmed with people when they really need time alone to recover, bond with their baby, and mentally adjust to another member of the family.

A note on the superglue closure of small birth lacerations – I think that this is just fine, remember that you are closing the skin not gluing deep tissue together – you must NOT leave a large open defect under the skin, this is asking for abscess formation.

Folks, I am a very broadly based, broadly trained physician who uses many “complementary,” traditional, and cultural therapies integrated with mainstream medical techniques, and am quite open to working with patients as a partner, not as the “I’m the doctor, do what I say” approach. But not everything that is “natural” is healthy or safe. Not every “old way” is better, many were abandoned precisely because they didn’t work or were not safe. Think, research, ask. If you want to leave the placenta attached till falls off, fine. If you believe that it offers spiritual or emotional benefits to the baby, great. But PLEASE watch closely for infection or decay.

Lets keep an open mind, but not so open that our brains fall out.

[tunneldiver]

Resqdoc,
I appreciate your reply to this info. I came across this info and thought it would be useful to have as an option to cord cutting in a situation where there are no MDs. I agree that the points made pro-lotus birth, don't seem to have much if any merit.

If you are in a situation where you have NO supplies, what is the best way to deal with the cord? Would it be better to use your camping knife and strings off your clothing, or to leave it attached? I am also curious about not having a suction bulb handy, what is the best way to clean the infants airway? What is the bare minimum you should have in your kit specific to childbirth?

I am trying to learn all I can, in case I am the best trained person in an emergency situation (scary thought), I appreciate your input. Thanks for the chuckle about having your brain fall out of your open mind!!!

[RESQDOC]

Hi TD, thanks for your posts and interest. Please keep sharing info with us, we all benefit, and sometimes you find very valuable info on the most unlikely places.

I put another post on your questions to make it a bit easier for others to find.

Keep asking, answering, and posting!

Keith