I was reading about Lotus birthing on a mummy FB page and I'm interested to find out if any ladies on here have actually had a Lotus birth? I couldn't do it myself but it's still interesting!

No, I can understand that logic but I think things would start to pong. Even the belly button stump gets stinky.

No, I can understand that logic but I think things would start to pong. Even the belly button stump gets stinky.

I read on a Lotus Birthing site that the mother can rub oils or herbs in to the placenta to cover the smell.

A friend of mine had a lotus birth recently, they didnt treat the placenta with anything, they just put it into a colander to drain. the cord fell off in 3 days, and there was no smell at all.

I'm considering one, but i am thinking of putting dried lavender in the bag with it (as i think lavender is great for mum and baby, lovely and calming )

Before you say it would smell PP, why not read more about it? Its an interesting concept, and when carried out properly doesnt go that way.

ETA I wouldnt be rubbing anything into the placenta, thats just me. The thought of anything still being able to be passed through to the baby worries me.

CB no use me reading up on it, I'm not the one considering doing it. I quickly googled it,read a short description, and my first thought was: that would pong!

I was considering Lotus Birth (and totally would if I ever had a C/S) for my last birth, but realised that I'm too lazy to have to carry around a placenta bag with us

No, generally it has no real 'smell'. Many people do rub oils on or salt it - once the cord stops pulsing, there is no longer any crossover (as I read somewhere) I have heard of cords seperating from as little as a day or two up to a week and longer. Most of the time, the placenta dries and the one I have seen that was untreated, look like a large piece of dried meat.

You can get the most delicious Lotus Kits online now, that have anything you might want.

I'm too impatient to have a Lotus birth.

Both my 3rd stages were long 90 mins and 75 mins respectively.

I think both cords were cut around the 1 hr mark as I wanted to birth the placenta and get out of the bath, although I suppose Icould have done this anyway with babies still attached

Both DD and DS had had their first breastfeed and skin on skin etc, i just needed to get up, and their placenta's were too comfy in my uterus to get out without coaxing ( DD I had to gently pull on the cord as it had separated but I just had no urge and couldn't push it out, DS I had to sit on the toilet for 5 or 10 mins before it came out)

Also like freakypet am too lazy to cart it around .

For me , the placenta had done it's job fantastically well and was no longer needed .
By the time we cut the cord there was no pulsation, it was cold and a not full with blood and it felt right for me to separate my baby from it.

I was too lazy as well, plus I'm don't have any beliefs regarding the spirituality behind lotus births. With DS2, he was attached to his placenta for about 45 mins after his birth. It was well and truly out and the cord was white, still and thinned right down, so no need to keep him attached.

I asked at uni about the chances of infection at the umbi site after overhearing a midwife and OB registrar discussing lotus birth (midwife was supportive, OB reg was wary) and the general concensus was that the physiological changes that occur in the newborn body protect it from infection setting in via cord/placenta left in situ till seperation.

It's really interesting how medical management of birth has skewed our understanding of how normal birth works isn't it. I mean 90 minutes does sound long because with management of the third stage most placentas are born within half an hour tops of the baby being born. I know a lot of women now who have birthed at home with a natural third stage and to me now 90 minutes sounds very prompt for a placenta. Just among my close friends we have seen third stages lasting anywhere up to 24 hours without any need for concern.


I'm not a lotus birther either, doesn't appeal to me. I don't really see anything sacred or special about the placenta. It's just an organ that is no longer needed and is therefore expelled.

Very true nutsabouthazel.

I did originally type that they were long by todays normal standard but not necessarily for a physiological third stage but deleted it before I posted.

Mine separate from the wall of the uterus but I seem to need to work to expel them out of the vagina, maybe my pelvic floor muscles are numd after birth but i just can't push them out!
DD's placenta probably would have sat there for a lot longer left to it's own devices

I have only read up about it as all of my children (hosptial births) have had infections at the unbilical site, and i was hoping by not creating a "wound" as such, i would be avoiding it. But since we're homebirthing, my thinking is that baby is in a natural enviroment and hopefully won't contract any infections...

my last birth i had a psych 3rd stage, and birthed the placenta in 13 minutes. I couldnt believe how easy it was!

Lotus birth doesn't float my funky boat, but I'm annoyed at myself for not asking the MW (or even doing it myself) to make a placenta print. They are awesome and def doing it for next baby/ies.

Lotus birth isn't really my kind of thing either TBH. The belly button stub kinda freaks me out at the best of times, let alone a whole placenta there. Plus, as some others have mentioned, i'm far too lazy to carry around everything with me.



I was the same with DS4...It was my first physiological 3rd stage, and the placenta pretty much fell out within a few minutes of his birth! I was a bit scared TBH, as it took [what felt like] ages for DS3's placenta came out, and that was with synto. THe whole time i was feeling shaky, panicky, and generally freaked out...it was awful!

DD2's placenta didn't come out nearly as quickly though...It wasn't too long, but long enough for me. Having placenta and no baby in there, for some reason, doesn't agree with me!

Ditto.

I understand why people do it, and their reasoning seems valid, but it's not something I would choose for my babies.

Oh god the whole idea grosses me out. ( having just googled it )...interesting theory but no thanks.

This - what exactly are the purported benefits of doing this?. As this PP mentioned, once the baby is out there is no need for the placenta and doesn't it start to decay, possibly making it harmful for the baby if still attached?

Some people who have had C/S had chosen lotus birth to ensure that the cord is allowed to completely stopped pulsing on it's own. I know there is at least one person on EB that has done this.

For the most part, it is allowing the cord to stop pulsing and deliver the most blood back to the baby is the only studied and proven benefit. A believed benefit is leaving the mother uninterupted after the birth, and not fussing with the cord for a couple of hours (at least). I think the rest of it is based around more spiritual/intuition and observation.
http://www.mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/b...its-lotus-birth

In my mind, yes, it has done it's job - and most species eat the placenta to regain the nutrients contained in it - rather than carry it around. It was Claire Lotus Day in the 70's who was studying Chimps and (being pregnant) noted that chimps leave the placenta to detach naturally. So she tried it herself.

Very few humans practice placentophagy, and we have moved to a space where it seems 'unnatural' - but, of course, to eat it really would be closer to the natural order of things. (We chose to freeze it and I buried it on DS's first birthday.)

The placenta doesn't decay/rot, because it is rubbed with salt and allowed to dry, just like jerky is (just like the umbilical stump). Next to no smell. Salting it draws out the moisture, which means that bacteria cant grow on it. Clove oil also kills mould etc, so often they are rubbed with that or lavendar oil etc to keep it nice.

Dr Sarah Buckley's experience of Lotus Birth
http://www.motherandchildhealth.com/Prenat...otus_birth.html

here's a really good explination
http://www.ehow.com/video_6086828_natural-...otus-birth.html

footage of mum curing placenta at home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGEIl6peVVw

Yes I had one with my second child and it was the most amazing experience, so very gentle. Not revolting at all. We kept the placenta rubbed with rosemary and lavender, little smell and it detached within a few days.