the placenta.
I recently have become placenta obsessed? :)
it’s always seemed amazing to me, how our bodies just spontaneously grow an entire organ that fully nourishes and sustains human life. it’s insane! and a true miracle. it wasn’t until recently when I read robin lim’s book, placenta - the forgotten chakra, that I gained a whole new reverence for this part of creation. it took on a whole new meaning!
the following is just a peek into robin’s book! but I still highly highly recommend you read it for yourself, as this really is the tiniest glimpse in :) and as a side note - you don’t have to agree entirely with someones stance on something in order to still glean something from it. filtering everything through the lens of our Father’s design, heart, and intent, we’re able to have our eyes opened to some pretty incredible things.
“when i am asked ‘why don’t you cut the babies’ umbilical cords?’ I say, ‘isn’t the real question : why do you cut?’” - robin lim
I’ve been a firm believer in prolonged delayed cord clamping for a while now! which is still super important. I never really considered though… not cutting it at all? christina wadsworth, a woman whose birth testimony is in robin’s book, considers it the first unnecessary surgery, and especially one with general uselessness. she says “I am concerned about the way our society enforces separateness, even from birth.” when i was pregnant, you could make me cry on the spot if we started talking about having to sever the cord. I couldn’t stand the thought of being disconnected from my son (and maybe intuitively was feeling that something was off about that process). I never considered that there was an even gentler, and more organic, option.
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when your baby is born, you have a few options regarding the intactness of the placenta :
immediate cord cutting - this happens before the delivery of the placenta and most of the time even before being placed on the mother’s chest. despite there being known risk in this (loss of 1/3 of baby’s blood supply, lower breastfeeding rates, nutrient loss, etc.), this still seems to be common hospital policy unless specified otherwise.
delayed cord cutting - even just for 3 minutes, but still before delivery of placenta.
prolonged delay - around 15 minutes. once the placenta is delivered, baby is latched, and cord is done pulsing. this can ensure nearly 99% of the babies blood supply and nutrients returns to them. <3
full lotus birth - allowing the cord to release from the baby in it’s own time, usually 3-7 days.
and instead of cutting or clamping, there is also an option of burning! between two candles held by each parent. <3 robin details how this is done in her book. regardless of which option you would choose, my encouragement to you would be that you have time. there is no hurry :) you’re allowed to take it moment by moment or day by day depending on what feels right for you and your baby.
“it’s amazing how complicated we can make it to not intervene.” - christina wadsworth
most hospital practices believe that delaying a cord cut could cause jaundice in babies. yet, the umbilical cord actually closes on it’s own once the baby receives the proper amount of blood. (perfect design! like always! hehe) so severing the cord for this reason actually turns out to be unnecessary.
I think it’s extremely important to consider the baby here, too. this cord is theirs and this placenta is theirs. it’s their Tree of Life, and it belongs to them. baby’s voices are frequently stripped from them, happening as early as conception. I believe it’s our duty as Parent to give them their voice back and consider their desires too, even if they don’t have the words to voice that yet.
“immediate or early clamping or cutting of babies’ umbilical cords is the biggest most widespread, medically sanctioned Human Rights issue on earth! together, we can make this a thing of our past. may our babies all be blessed by our patience.” - robin lim
on fathers cutting the cord - in her book, robin says - “what message is this sending to the baby? this casts the father in the role of ‘separator’ and may have a profound affect on the family dynamics.”
this part left me speechless. I believe that God is in symbolism, and literally severing the connection between mom and baby could definitely play out in a very real way. it’s interesting looking at it this way now, seeing how my husband and son’s relationship has progressed. our son does seem to to be more hesitant to go to my husband at times, almost like “you’re the one who separates me from mom”. it’s hard to explain. but now I feel like I might actually have found the words for it! in my heart I’ve already decided that he will never be cutting the cord again. <3 and! it’s a very real thing for babies to be able to pick up on different emotions and situations, even at this age. and in utero! I think we need to give them more credit here, as to what they’re also taking away from the experience.
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lotus birth
while this may not be the most convenient option for the parents, this time of rest, mindfulness, and closeness can be something so so holy. holding the third stage of labor in highest regard is something that seems to be extremely looked over as we quickly want to dress baby, bathe baby, separate baby from mom, have a cloud of visitors wanting to hold the baby, etc. staying connected, still, and TOGETHER, might take us stepping out of the norm, especially in the rushed reality that surrounds us. but I think it would be worth fighting for. :)
in the lotus birth testimonies in the book, parents describe how alive the cord felt, even pulsing still when breastfeeding DAYS later, how the baby would smile when the father would tend to the placenta, and how peace-filled and confident these children then grew to be. with letting the baby have their say in letting go, we allow them to be a part of this beautiful completion and beginning.
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again, please consider reading her book! this is truly just scratching the surface. I wish I could put one into the hands of every mama or soon to be mama, and birth worker. i believe it’s of utmost importance and could change the world. hehe I know that sounds silly, but our Beginning sets the course for the rest of our life, our interactions, and our livelihood. us as parents have such a special opportunity to make it the most peace-filled and gentle as possible. <3
the book also includes how to’s for everything I mentioned above, recipes if you choose to consume your placenta after delivery, testimonies from families who have chosen lotus births, extensive research, and so much more.
I’m so grateful to our Creator who thought out every detail. for creating this connection so thoughtfully and with so much intention. my hope is that we can all honor that in the way that we sense is best. <3