by Melissa Willets posted in Pregnancy

Lotus birth, as you may know, is the practice of forgoing the cutting of a baby's umbilical cord at birth, and keeping the placenta attached until it separates naturally.
New mom Vanessa became interested in lotus birth after researching cord blood options. "I found there were mothers who left the cord attached for several minutes or hours after birth to allow for the placenta to stop pulsating," Vanessa told BabyCenter in an email. "This would ensure that there were time for a full placental blood transfer to baby. Taking that idea a step further was the lotus birth."
The mama explains the idea of keeping her baby's placenta attached until it separated on its own really resonated with her, because she was committed to embracing a natural approach to this pregnancy. "Cutting out any unnecessary medical interference was important to me," she says.
Vanessa further explains, "In my mind, I imagine the baby spending 10 months in utero, only knowing his mother giving him life, his placenta offering him nourishment, and the umbilical cord connecting him to both. After birth, baby normally is taken from the womb, and separated from his cord and placenta; a series of events that I imagine could be emotionally traumatic for baby."
She adds, "A reintroduction to mother externally cannot be avoided, but a gradual separation from the umbilical cord and placenta seems more emotionally considerate...