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Lotus Birth

         Lotus birth is a very sensative practice. It is a practice in which the umbilical cord and placenta are left intact until they fall off by themselves. A lotus birth keeps the baby in seculsion for the first few days of life. It also teaches the parents patience and trust. It lets us trust our babies that they will let go of a useless part of themselves when they know it is no longer needed and are ready.
          The baby and placneta are one, they come from the same one cell. A lotus birth allows a less violent trasition from life in a mother's womb to life outside it and is a very spiritual thing. All the blood in the placenta is transfered to the baby. As it dries out it slowly decreases the oxygen transfered to the baby from the placenta gently letting go before it falls off.
       In a lotus birth there is time for the baby to complete the transition and become fully with the family and let go when the baby is totally ready. It also gives the new family time to adjust to the new baby.
          When the placenta and cord are left intact the baby is sensative to touch of the cord and placenta. Even after they are a few days old touching of the cord or placenta while the child is sleeping can startle the baby. This it proof there is some feeling in the umbilical cord.
          In a lotus birth you must give some special attention to the placenta. It is important to keep the placenta level with the baby until the Whorton's jelly has soilidified, symbolising no more blood transfusion is happening. Purtrefacation will occur quickly if the next steps are neglected, after the transfusion has stopped throughly was the placenta being sure to get rid of any blood clots. Keep the placenta as dry as you can, this will help try out the cord. In a few days the cord will naturally dry out and fall off leaving the belly button exposed. Sometimes there is a natural break in the cord above the naval, but do not worry, eventually the rest of the cord will fall off.             It helps if you place the dried placenta in a disposable diaper. Salt down the placenta on both sides. Tape the placenta in the diaper, in the first few days it drains a lot. Once a day change the diaper and re-salt, sometimes this needs to be done more than once a day, which is fine. Do not put anything around the cord stump and keep the placenta dry. The stump should fall off in three to seven days.
         Alternatively, the placenta can be placed in a sieve placed into a large bowl to dry. This method allows the air to get to it aiding in the drying proccess.
        The placenta may begin to smell. This smell is a very meaty smell and only lasts a day or two if it occurs at all. In cases where the weather is warm and dry then this does not occur at all. If the smell bothers you you can light some incense.
         The Aborigines of Australia, a very intune people, practice lotus birth. A group of vegitarian monkeys do also. The placenta and the baby share an aura, and it can be considered an organ that is dying. You can place the placenta on the baby's abdomen, they shouldn't mind being close to it and neither should the mother. You can then wrap that baby and the placenta in a blanket to receive visitors if you should so desire.

        There are also some advantages of lotus birth. First, some people believe that lotus birth strengthens a baby's immune system. An advantage for the mother is should hemmoraging occur then she can take a swift bite of the placenta for it has blood clotting abilities.