Cut the Numbilical Cord and Unleash Your Recall Power

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Abstract The discursive construction of the human placenta varies greatly between hospital and home-birthing contexts. RESULTS The three placenta rituals presented in this article are placenta burial, placentophagy eating or consuming the placenta , and lotus birth leaving the umbilical cord attached until it dries and comes away from the baby naturally.

Helen, an independent midwife and mother of four home-birthed children, spoke about choice of plant: Lotus Birth Lotus birth refers to the practice of not severing the umbilical cord after the birth of the baby. Elenor, a doula and mother of two home-birthed babies, practiced lotus birth for both of her children, and she tells me of the first time she saw a lotus birth as a doula to her friend: Cassandra echoes this sentiment: Reconciling modern knowledge with ancient wisdom.

The sacred dimension of pregnancy and birth. Qualitative Sociology , 11 4 , — Bastien A. Placental rituals, placental medicine. The placenta and cultural values. The use of rituals in grieving for a miscarriage or stillbirth. Women and Therapy , 27 3—4 , — Buckley S. A ritual for our times. Male appropriation and medicalization of childbirth: Maori maternity in the land of the long white cloud. British Journal of Midwifery , 13 2 , 74—77 Callaghan H. Spirituality in childbearing women. The shadow of life: Psychosocial explanations for placenta rituals. Death, ritual, and belief: The rhetoric of funerary rites.

Continuum De Witt F. An historical study on theories of the placenta to An analysis of concepts of pollution and taboo. Routledge Classics; Original work published Douglas M. Routledge Classics; Original work published Edwards N. Holistic physiological care compared with active management of the third stage of labour for women at low risk of postpartum haemorrhage: Towards my green burial.

Ethics, Place, and Environment , 10 2 , — Freund P. Health, illness, and the social body: A critical sociology 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Fry J. Physiological third stage of labour: Support it or lose it. British Journal of Midwifery , 15 11 , — Gyte G. Midwifery , 10 4 , — [ PubMed ] Hall J. Finding the spiritual side of birth. Practising Midwife , 5 , 4—5 Hall J. Evidence and debate pp. Churchill Livingstone Hall J.

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Mediation of Navajo identity through excorporated blood. Taking your placenta home for burial. Some people visualize cords as ropes, chains, or electrical cords. To some these cords may look like an umbilical cord, others may use the visualization of a more subtle cord made of light. There is no wrong way to visualize. Keep in mind also that these cords may look different as you perform this exercise with different people later on.

This is normal; the cords symbolize the degree of your attachments, and you will intuitively see the level of attachment in your visualizations. Some attachments may be more like thin threads, where others could be very thick and sturdy.

Visualize cutting or severing these cords. There are many different visualizations one can use for cutting ties. Let yourself be creative and use what works for you. Some cords may be more solid than others and will take more energy and stronger tools to cut.

Make sure you have visualized and felt that the ties were cut completely. When cutting it is important to send love while you are performing the separation. You may feel that you need to take additional steps to feel this exercise is complete.

Use whatever visualization or techniques that give you a sense that the cutting is complete. You may find it helpful to complete by visualizing a wall between the two of you. Alternatively, you can visualize the two of you in an infinity sign or a figure eight, where each of you is in a separate circle. By then cutting the figure eight in the middle the circles are separated, and you can visualize the other person in their circle floating off in the distance.

More Than Clinical Waste? Placenta Rituals Among Australian Home-Birthing Women

Take a few moments to relax after the exercise. Give yourself time to become aware of any effects you may be feeling. You may want to envision healing energy around the areas where you cut the cords, especially if it was a very difficult person or situation you were cutting. Keep awareness in your future interactions with that person.

It is important to establish healthy patterns of interacting with that person from now on otherwise you may fall into the same negative patterns which you just cut. Often one session is enough, but sometimes you may need to repeat the exercise a few times before you feel the energy has been released. Do this exercise daily until you feel the energy has been released. When we cut ties and energetically remove ourselves from energy draining situations, a period of adjustment is to be expected.

Even though it is beneficial, like any change it can be uncomfortable. Remember that you will know that you have cut the cords between yourself and the other person, but they will not. The other person will probably feel that the energy has changed, but will not be able to explain it. Have awareness and allow time for the energy to rebalance in the relationship.

Be aware that the person who has been cut may feel a sense of loss and try to reach out to you. If your wish is not to reconnect with this person, then allow adequate time for them to adjust. Be aware that by doing this work, the relationships involved may change in ways that you may not have anticipated. Some relationships may become closer and others can become more distant. The outcome may not be what you were hoping for, but have trust.

Most often what our ego wants is not actually what is best for us. Every time we interact with another there are emotional and energetic responses. The midwives though were heartily against this, for no reason that they were able to state to me coherently. When I brought in studies and left them in the tea room or made quiet suggestions, I was met with scorn and accused of being a cocky student.

The midwives also showed little or no interest in professional development, completely uninterested in reading studies.

Relaxing Your Mind: "Cutting The Cords That Bind"

I recall a conversation where they discussed how to get their 20 hours of PD over with as quickly as possible, using online modules about handwashing that only took 10 minutes to complete but counted as 45 minutes of learning. Wow, Alaanja, what an experience you've had. Tragic that the midwives didn't care enough to stay up to date or even be willing to discuss what were learning with you.

There is absolutely no excuse for behaviour like that in midwifery. I feel for the women they were allocated to in labour and elsewhere. Very distressing to hear that those sort of behaviours are still endemic in some workplaces. Good on you for challenging the system and speaking up. I'm glad that there are people like you in midwifery, you give me heart and hope.

An open, willing to learn mind, coupled with curiosity is our best resource. You seem to have that well and truly in your possession. I hope you keep it. During the 's I was raised on a horse farm where we bred valuable racehorses. We had a special paddock set up close to our house where the mares gave birth - with strategically placed lights we could observe the birth at night without unduly disrupting the mare. One of the most important stages of the birth was the placental transfusion.

Human interference during foaling had led to foals being unable to stand long enough to obtain colostrum. Many foals experienced convulsions, followed by death, due to hypovolemia and ischemic brain damage.

Remember to Focus on the Positive

It took awhile for the horse industry to realise that pulling the foal out and away from the mother - or causing the mare to jump up immediately after the birth to protect her newborn from the 'predators' standing over them - caused the umbilical cord to prematurely snap before a significant transfusion of blood occurred. I 'protected' the placental transfusion on more than one occasion with a mare that was 'known' to jump up immediately after birth.

As the shoulders emerged I would dash out of the house with food to entice her to stay lying down longer. She would happily munch on my offerings while the cord remained safely intact and pulsating. Being so close to a newborn foal and mother was magical, especially in this case where my presence was to protect and restore physiology - not to destroy it.

This protection of physiology was not to be my own experience of giving birth, however. I will forever be sorry that my first baby was phlebotomised by immediate cord clamping, and even sorrier still my second child suffered from pre-birth cutting of a tight nuchal cord - causing irreparable damage. The practice of immediate cord clamping and dangerous nuchal cord management is the absolute pits!

Given our understanding of placental transfusion in mammal birth and evidence of the harm of early clamping, delayed cord clamping should have become standard practice a long time ago! Thanks Kate for sharing your experience and understanding about cord clamping.

Relaxing Your Mind: "Cutting The Cords That Bind"

I'm so deeply sorry that your babies have been affected by such practices. Thanks so much for your blog! We will be sharing it with our followers on facebook. I was able to get my doctor to delay the cord cutting for 20 minutes. In fact, it served other purposes! The nurse kept trying to take my daughter away for tests that I had specifically asked to be delayed Sad about the cord blood banking Great that you were able to have your wishes fulfilled Jennifer. Amazing what an informed position can do for us when faced with such situations. I agree about the cord banking push.

Fueled by dollar signs in the companies eyes and using parents fear of the future health of their children as a driver for behaviour the companies want to program into the collective consciousness. A raw example of the manipulation of market forces, greed and fear disguised as a 'health' option. Nothing could be further from the truth.

My understanding is that if a child develops a problem, the 'authorities' are most unlikely to use their cord blood in the future because the inherent problem may well be in the stem cells. The other real issue is that if those stem cells are so darn good, then clearly, the baby needs them, every one of them.

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