An increasing number of
women are choosing to leave their newborn baby's umbilical cord attached, in an
all-natural trend called Lotus Birth.
Lotus Birth, or umbilical nonseverance, means the mother waits
for the cord to detach from her baby naturally - rather than cutting it off
near the stomach after childbirth.
It can take up to 10 days for the placenta and umbilical chord
to fall away - and mothers must carry around the matter with their baby was
they wait for nature to take its course.
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Mary Ceallaigh, a 47-year-old Lotus Birth advocate and Midwife
educator, believes the non-traditional practice can help with the mother and
baby's health.
The Texas native, who has helped deliver more than 100 natural
births, told The New York Post that keeping the umbilical cord intact can
lessen the chance of infection, and 'allows a complete transfer of
placental/cord blood into the baby at a time when the baby needs that
nourishment the most.
'Babies’ immune systems are going through huge changes at a
very rapid rate when they’re first born. Not disrupting the baby’s blood volume
at that time helps prevent future disease,' she said.
'The mother and baby benefit from having all the focused
placed on bonding, rather than the common focus of "who's going to cut the
cord, cut the bond?" Invading the natural process when there's a healthy
mother and baby is likely to cause harm in some way seen or unseen.'
Lotus Birth advocate: Mary Ceallaigh, a Midwife educator,
believes the non-traditional practice can help the mother and baby's health
Lotus Birth advocate: Mary Ceallaigh, a Midwife educator,
believes the non-traditional practice can help the mother and baby's health
Ms Ceallaigh said that five percent of her clients have
practiced Lotus Birth. 'For prepared folks, it's the easiest part of the
birth!' she said.
When it comes to carrying out daily chores with a placenta
attached to your newborn, Ms Ceallaigh said it is much easier than people
expect.
'The cord usually dries and breaks off by the third day, so no
mother would be running errands during that time anyway...hopefully not until
at least the fourth week after giving birth!' she explained.
'In humid conditions, however, it may take up to 10 days for
the cord to break, particularly in areas like Bali or the Australian
rainforest. In these cases, the early weeks after giving birth is even more low
key for the mother - and that can be a good thing.
'While the placenta remains attached, it’s kept in a nice
cloth, and the cord is wrapped in silk or cotton ribbon. Babies are left on a
safe surface or with a caregiver while the mother goes to the restroom. For
cuddling and nursing, the placenta pillow is kept near the mother and baby.'
Ms Ceallaigh said that the umbilical chord is odorless for the
first day, but there is 'a slight musky smell the second and third day.'
She added: 'The only time that [a smell] happens is if the
placenta is wrapped in a plastic wrap or sealed in a tupperware container— that
is a whole other situation, and not a good one, as the placenta will rot before
it dries.'
According to believers, letting the umbilical cord fall off
the newborn creates the perfect belly button and completely healed navel skin area.
'When one cuts the cord, the navel does not heal for at least
two weeks,' Ms Ceallaigh explained.
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