Warning: This story contains graphic images.
A mother-of-two has spoken out about her choice to have a lotus birth – whereby the mother leaves the baby attached to the umbilical cord and placenta until they fall away naturally.
Adele Allen from Brighton wrote a post for the Mom.Me blog, explaining the reasoning behind her decision and saying that she found it beneficial.
“Often overlooked in lotus birth discussions, the emotional benefits feature just as prominently for mother and child when opting for a lotus birth—the physical connection between the baby and the placenta ensures that the after-birth is not hurried unnecessarily,” she wrote.
Image: Adele Allen via Mom.Me
“In my first birth, with a 12-hour labor, the after-birth took 5 hours to deliver and an even longer 12 hours for the second birth, which was ironically a lot shorter duration of 4 hours labor.
“This extended period of literally remaining connected ensured I could bond successfully with both my babies without any interference or unnecessary weighing, bathing or medical tests.”
Adele added that it makes her sad that the standard protocol is to cut the cord as soon as possible. She also went into detail about taking care of the placenta during the days following her children’s births.
It seems she sprinkled it with rock salt and rose petals, wrapping it in muslin cloths which were changed regularly, to stop it from smelling. It was also transported in a handheld cool bag.
Image: Adele Allen via Mom.Me
Adele finished her piece by saying: “Overall, I can say that the lotus birth made for a much more relaxed birth experience and kept my babies safe and sound in my arms where they were allowed to experience the golden bonding hour of skin-to-skin contact without interruption.
“And that will give my babies the best gift that cannot be severed: an unbreakable connection of love and security.”
To read Adele’s full post, click here.
Lotus births are relatively unheard of in Ireland and there are a number of requirements in order to have one which means that the best way to find out more is to ask your midwife or doctor.
Some medical experts also say that there is a risk of infection however other research suggests that keeping the umbilical cord of a newborn intact for a little longer may lead to health benefits including higher blood and iron levels.
