Lotus birth

Nicole Wendler holds a PhD in biology in the field of oncology and immunology. As a medical editor, author and proofreader, she works for various publishers, for whom she presents complex and extensive medical issues in a simple, concise and logical manner.

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The lotus birth is a birth ritual that is especially known in esoteric circles. The umbilical cord is not cut after the birth, but remains connected to the child together with the placenta - until the umbilical cord and placenta fall off together. Read here how a lotus birth works exactly and whether it makes sense from a medical point of view.

Lotus Birth: What is it?

Many people mistakenly think of the term lotus birth as a special form of birth position. It is, however, a delivery without cutting the umbilical cord: the umbilical cord is not clamped and cut after the birth, but is left together with the placenta until it falls off naturally. Primatologist Jane Goodall observed this process in chimpanzees in 1964. Apparently some indigenous peoples also practice this ritual. The name lotus birth goes back to the American Claire Lotus Bay. In the 1970s - apparently the first woman in the western world - she did not have her newborn baby cut in the classic way. In the following years the lotus birth became popular especially in esoteric circles.

What happens during the lotus birth?

During the lotus birth, the umbilical cord is not cut as usual as soon as the child is delivered. Instead, it is left on the child with the placenta. For the first few minutes after birth, the newborn is held lower than the placenta to help blood flow to the child. Then the midwife washes the placenta and wraps it in a clean cloth. From the first day after the birth, the placenta is rubbed daily with a mixture of salt, herbs and essential oils. This form of preservation is intended to accelerate the drying process and counteract the formation of odors and bacterial putrefaction. The placenta now hangs on the slowly drying umbilical cord (and thus on the child) for up to ten days and must be carefully transported with every movement of the child. There are even sewing instructions and sales offers for placenta bags on the Internet that are supposed to make it easier to carry around the mother cake with the child. Once the umbilical cord with the placenta has naturally fallen off, followers of the lotus birth often bury them in the garden.

A home birth or birthing center is the right place for women who want a lotus birth. It is important that you are supported by an experienced midwife. In most clinics, a lotus birth is not possible due to the protection against infection.

Lotus Birth: Are There Health Risks?

According to its proponents, the lotus birth does not pose any health risks for mother and child. However, pregnant women considering this ritual should know:

Whenever the child moves (changing diapers, breastfeeding, washing, etc.), it is essential to avoid pulling on the navel (risk of injury!).
The slowly rotting placenta poses a risk of infection. If there are signs of infection in the child, you must see a doctor immediately!
Stem cells cannot be removed from the umbilical cord during the lotus birth.
After the umbilical cord has pulsed out, there is no more nutrient exchange: the baby has to be breastfed and fed normally after the lotus birth.

Lotus Birth: Are There Benefits?

Proponents of the lotus birth say that the natural fall of the umbilical cord is less traumatic than the usual cutting. In addition, it promotes the deep bond between mother and child and makes it easier for the child to enter life. According to some women who have chosen to have a lotus birth, the children are more relaxed and calmer.

Popular medical arguments for a lotus birth are:

less blood loss
better iron and oxygen supply
no loss of nutrients
Strengthening the immune system
easier weight gain
lower risk of jaundice
higher IQ
better fine motor skills

However, none of these propagated advantages has been scientifically proven.

Lotus Birth vs. Early Cutting: What Does Science Say?

After the umbilical cord has pulsed out, the blood and nutrient exchange between the placenta and the child ends. The often mentioned medical advantages of the lotus birth only affect the first minutes after the birth and are only arguments in favor of a late cutting of the cord and not for days of the child being attached to the slowly drying placenta.

In contrast to the lotus birth, there are current studies on the late cutting of the umbilical cord of newborns. Here, the results actually indicate that late clamping of the umbilical cord has a positive effect on the child's health. Studies show that the blood contained in the placenta works like a so-called autologous blood transfusion: It increases the amount of red blood cells in the child and protects the iron stores. Due to this natural blood reservoir, the blood volume in newborns who are cut off late is around a third higher than in children who are cut off immediately. Studies have shown that cutting the cord late in life had no effect on the IQ of preschool children. Slightly better results were apparently found in social behavior and fine motor skills. Whether this is actually due to the better iron supply shortly after birth remains to be checked.

It therefore makes sense to wait a little longer before cutting the umbilical cord and is especially advisable for mothers with anemia or in developing countries where fetal anemia (anemia in the fetus) is more common. In premature babies, cutting the umbilical cord late also lowers the cerebral hemorrhage rate by up to 50 percent.

According to the German guideline for the care of healthy, mature newborns in the maternity hospital, a newborn should be cut off one minute to one and a half minutes after birth. However, the experts also point to the possible alternative of waiting for the umbilical cord to pulsate out and holding the child below the placenta for about half a minute in order to facilitate the flow of blood towards the baby and avoid backflow to the placenta.

Lotus Birth - Sense or Nonsense?

What should happen to the placenta after the birth is up to each mother. From a medical point of view, the health risks of a lotus birth seem low. However, there are no scientific studies that prove the positive effect of the lotus birth, which proponents claim. Carrying a slowly drying, cured placenta around with you and your child for a week has so far lacked any medical basis.

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