Lotus Birth

I honestly think I'm gonna be sick.... Good lord.

OH God. I am so sorry I read this entire thread! My poor little vegan tummy is rolling over! Ugh!

i feel so ill it's insane

Ick.  That can't be right.  I mean, even animals cut the placenta off right away!  And as a person who was carrying around a baby kitty and it's placenta a week ago I can tell you that it's messy and cold and well, unpleasant really. 

This is not categorically true with animals.  The closest species to humans (orangutans, gorillas, chimps) do not 'cut' (there's that chimp with a cord clamp!) the placenta off always.  Their primates have very long umbilical cords, which allows for nursing whilst the placenta is still attached.  Particularly in chimps, placentas have been observed days after birth, still attached and simply are left behind after the cord detaches from the umbilicus.  Placenta consumption is irregular, but does happen. Placenta qualities in primates are often identical to human placentas.

One of the best ways to cease post partum hemmorage in humans is to have the mother consume a tiny bit (like the size of a pencil rubber) of placenta. 

I usually stay out of these discussions, with the hyperbole of disgust and whatnot.  Guess we know who the non-medical types are!   But as expat_in_scotland pointed out, there are many critical health reasons to delay cord cutting, even beyond a few minutes.  One of the quickest ways to get newborn anemia and maternal hemmorage, as well as risk of uterine prolapse (from manual removal of placenta) is to cut the cord upon birth.  And heck, if the cord blood is that dandy to bank and save other people, the newborn has a birthright to that blood.

Yes, in my births we let the cord detach on its own.  No, the placenta wasn't gross, messy, cold, unpleasant.  This is the organ who fed my baby in utero for many months, I'm not supportive of tossing it into an incinertor or using to make cosmetics, shampoos. 

It was seriously not a big deal to wrap up the placenta in a cloth nappy, after examining it for intactness. 

I think this is probably more of a US thing because like britwife said, the NHS would have problems with dealing with it. As we all know,in the US they dont give a crap what u do as long as they get money they will let u do anything And if you dont have insurance..well u can be bleeding to death and all they will do is hand u a bandaid

Please.  This is simply uninformed about both health care systems.

On the placenta care, we didn't salt.  It didn't 'go rank'.  We simply changed the cloth nappy daily.  Again, not that big of a deal.  If someone doesn't want to do this, don't do it.  Is it worth getting ill and feeling like one will vomit?  :shrug

oh i don't mind the idea of this-it's not for me, but whatever

it's the EATING of it, that makes me feel ill!

Muse, what were the logistics of carrying around the placenta?  Was it unwieldy?  Did anyone comment on it?  (I'm genuinely curious as I've never heard of this before...)

It's not the lotus birth thing that's bothering me...it's the idea of eating the placenta.  Just turns my stomach. 

It's deffo not my cuppa tea.  

I couldn't eat it, either.  Not even on Fear Factor.

One of the best ways to cease post partum hemmorage in humans is to have the mother consume a tiny bit (like the size of a pencil rubber) of placenta. 

I'd be interested to know your source, case studies and the like.  ta

One of the best ways to cease post partum hemmorage in humans is to have the mother consume a tiny bit (like the size of a pencil rubber) of placenta. 

I have actually heard this as well. I believe it was in one or more of my pregnancy books-possible "Your pregnancy month by month" by a nice little man doctor with some very definite ideas.  I seem to recall discussing this with my Mom, an RN, at some point and she said she'd heard it too, but since she's a ER nurse and not OB she didn't know how effective it was.

The placenta is apparently super-healthy for eating.  I know cats eat theirs.  It yucks me out, but I guess it's good for you... 

Oops.  Sorry if I came off too harsh.  I was still recovering from the whole kitten birth.  I am far too squemish to deal with a placenta but to each his own.  

Although by 'cut' I of course meant 'chew' which is what the cat did under my wardrobe a week ago.  

Oops.  Sorry if I came off too harsh.  I was still recovering from the whole kitten birth.  I am far too squemish to deal with a placenta but to each his own.  

Although by 'cut' I of course meant 'chew' which is what the cat did under my wardrobe a week ago.  

Aw, newborn kitties!  Have they opened their eyes yet?  Bet they're mewing away.

Interesting, I've never heard about ingesting part of a placenta to aid hemorrhaging.  Yet another marvel of what the body can do.

I wanted to clear up, too, that while I may personally find it icky to eat a placenta, I have no qualms if someone else wants to.  It's just a personal thing - I find peas icky, too.

As for letting the cord/placenta detach naturally - I don't find it gross or weird, just not something I would do for reasons mentioned previously.