Doula Warns of the Dangers of a Lotus Birth — What Is the New Birth Trend?

The trend of new parents participating in a post-delivery act called Lotus birth has been around for decades. However, the practice grew in popularity around 1974, when a woman named Claire Lotus Day started promoting the post-partum practice after witnessing animals doing something similar in the wild.

However, with the improvement of modern medicine, many have been left wondering what is the actual purpose of a Lotus birth?

To find that out, we looked into the often-controversial post-partum experience to find out what it is, what the reported risks and benefits are, and how it differs from delayed cord clamping.

You can find out more about lotus birth below.

According to Healthline, many proponents of "natural birth" believe that lotus birth — which is involves leaving a newborn baby attached to the placenta until the cord naturally falls off, which can take anywhere between three to 10 days — makes for a more gentle and welcoming transition from the womb.

Because the placenta is an organ and will begin to die and rot after the blood supply is cut off after delivery, many people will wrap the exposed tissue to keep pests, bacteria, and odors at bay.

Of course, there are several risks associated with this practice, and Baby Center says that new parents should be aware that this practice does open babies up to an increased risk of infection, which could become serious.

Additionally, there is an increased risk that your baby will develop jaundice or experience tearing of the umbilical cord.

It's important to understand that there is very little research on lotus births, and therefore many in the scientific community caution against it. However, some fans of the practice claim lotus births can make for less-invasive treatment of a newborn after labor starts, increase access to blood and nutrients that are passed from the placenta, lower risk of injury to the bellybutton, and offer spiritual benefits that can be realized between the baby and the life sustaining force of the placenta.

Delayed cord clamping is a practice that has been endorsed by many in the medical field even if research is mixed, and it involves delaying the process of clamping and severing the umbilical cord immediately following birth.

Healthline reports that this extended access to the placenta is believed to have the following benefits:

• Decreased risk of certain types of enterocolitis and hemorrhaging
• Decreased call for blood transfusions
• Increased circulation
• Increased volume of red blood cells
• higher levels of iron in the first few months
• Increased hemoglobin numbers

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, there are benefits of delaying cord clamping for between 30-60 seconds after delivery.

The World Health Organization (WHO), on the other hand, suggests extending the waiting period to between one and three minutes before clamping.

Deciding how and when to clamp your baby's umbilical cord is a personal decision, but there are plenty of health and circumstantial considerations to think about before deciding how to proceed. Of course, your OBGYN and medical team are the best people to discuss those questions with, so that you and the professionals tasked with getting your baby safely Earthside can make the best possible decision.