For those births I have been there for, it was what the mother wished - I still ask them about what they want to do for the labour and the birth, their wishes for the baby. the placenta and afterwards. I have worked with some strong women giving birth to stillborn babes, and their partners too. I find it incredible how the women do what they need to do for their babe to be born, when they know that their babe is not going to open its eyes, take a breath, stretch and explore its space, once born, nuzzle at the breast.
For those of you who know me, I talk about smelling the baby about 20-40 minutes before it can be seen and if I don't smell anything, the baby isn't coming out without some help - can't explain it - it just happens (and it's not liquor, blood, vaginal mucus). The last birth I was at where we knew the babe had been dead for a few days prior to the birth, I could still smell him, and it surprised me - I don't know what I was expecting in this case, but I was crouched next to the woman on the floor and that beautiful (but beyond description) smell came to me and I knew he would be there soon. I told the mother and father - she was scared to give birth to him - I think we have all seen women hugging their baby inside them, knowing that while they are inside still, no-one can get to the babe and it is still "theirs", and maybe, just maybe, it will be alive......and when I told her I could smell the baby, she nodded and quietly said to me "OK, my son - it's time for me to meet you...." ----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry & Megan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 9:22 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Lotus birth > Thankyou Jan, > I appreciate how busy you are. > It sounds like an experience you will have with you forever. Lotus birth is > a beautiful gift for a baby born still. > We cut the cord on our third baby after a few hours and the arteries and > vein were visibly sticking out the end, also amazing to see. > If people can bare with me on the morbid stuff, I would like to know what > the standard practice(hospital care)would be for a known still baby, in > regards to the placenta? > > thanks again > Megan. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Jan Robinson > Sent: Tuesday, 8 October 2002 5:30 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: Shivam Rachana > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Lotus birth > > > On 1/10/02 10:34 AM, "Larry & Megan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Jan wrote > > "Rachel and Scott's baby boy, Alejandre was born through water around > lunch > > time into the arms of both parents where he stayed until his placenta was > > born and gently collected (a lotus birth again, as was Stella's") > > > > Jan, can you please explain to me if Lotus birth is any different in the > > case of a stillbirth baby, time it takes etc? Is the palcenta kept with > the > > baby forever? Sorry if this is a bit upfront but I am genuinely > interested. > > > > thankyou > > Megan. > > > > -- > > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > Hello Megan > I seem to be ages getting to respond to this - but for your information, > Stella's placenta stayed with her in the little placenta bag her grand > mother had made for it. The placenta was kept clean, wrappings changed > daily. It was salted on day two and we put a few drops of lavender oil on > the outside of the bag on day four. We kept Stella's skin beautiful with > calendula cream that stopped it drying out. > > Stella was cremated in her best clothes and her placenta in it's little bag > lying beside her and still connected. Her ashes are complete in a special > sealed container with her photograph on the outside. > > With Alehandre (AJ) the placenta was floated in a plastic culender and > allowed to "drip dry"for an hour or two. > After that, Scott and I removed any blood clots from the maternal surface > and the placenta was wrapped in white chux towels that were changed > frequently during the first 24 hours. By that time the placenta had shrunk > dramatically to about one third it's original size and the cord had > shriveled too. > > The shrunken placenta was salted once there was no danger of any > transmission through to AJ (helps drying and reduces odor) During the next > few days the placenta stayed in it's bag and the cord became very brittle as > all the Wharton's jelly disappeared. It was fantastic to see the two > arteries and the vein coursing through the clear, dry cord tissue. > > On day four the brittle cord broke so that was the end of the Lotus > connection between AJ and his placenta. The small amount of cord stump > remained until he was a week old. > > Scott and Rachel are waiting until AJ's umbilicus has completely sealed over > with new skin before he gets to shower with his father. > > What a lucky baby AJ is - he could not have gotten off to a better start. > He goes for walks each day in the fresh air in his "Hug - a - bub" and after > that he usually spends the rest of the rather hot days we are having here in > Sydney reclining semi-naked on a bean bag. Nights are spent tucked in with > his mother and father. > > Oh what a beautiful feeling to be so honoured to be involved with such a > special family. > > Jan > > > > > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
