Midwifery & Lotus Birth Consciousness

Midwifery and Lotus Birth Consciousness

By Kerry Radford

(Kerry is an Australian midwife who practices midwifery in a public hospital as well as in an
independent community midwifery group.
She is also the mother of five children).

Having been interested in gentle birth choices for a long time, I learned about
Lotus Birth at a workshop. I immediately felt that it was non-intrusive to the
natural process but wondered about its specific significance. After listening
to one woman’s experience and reading the Lotus Birth manual, I became
interested to learn more. My understanding of this gentle birth practice came
about by being with Lotus Birth babies and sharing the experience of Lotus
Birth with parents and siblings.

Over the following months I talked about the choice of Lotus Birth with
several women planning home births. Some couples embraced it intuitively,
whereas for others coming too this awareness was a gradual process. For
some, Lotus Birth seems right, whereas for others it is not, and I respect their
choice.

Friends of mine whose baby was due very soon knew that a Lotus Birth was
what they and their baby wanted. The name they had chosen for their baby
was Lotus, and I was priveleged to visit them during the lotus time on the
second day. The baby, with the placenta wrapped in a silk bag beside her,
was very peaceful. The placenta was carefully looked after and I was amazed
how hard and fine the cord was. I felt it to be a special time for the family –
there was a sense of peace and joy in the home. Now I had talked with
parents and observed a Lotus Birth, it was easy to share this with others.

My very dear friends chose a Lotus Birth for their daughter Matilda and asked
me to make the placenta bag. Being able to share with them this experience
and their insights was fascinating. I felt their love and respect for the
placenta, and the significance this sacred process held for them.

At another birth the baby was born gently in water and was very calm and
peaceful. The mother asked for the cord to be clamped. As the clamp was
being placed on the cord, the baby cried and its breathing rate increased.
When the parents saw the distress of their baby they asked for the clamp to
be removed – their baby was resting quietly again. This baby had chosen a
Lotus Birth.

At a pre-birth visit a couple readily embraced the Lotus Birth concept for their
first birth. They had such trust in nature’s process, and Lotus Birth meant a
natural extension of this. To be in the presence of a Lotus Birth was a
blessing for all involved. It allowed a gentle integration of the birth.

Another family had their second Lotus Birth experience. Their baby was very
peaceful and the two older children showed great interest in the cord and
placenta. Lotus Birth for them was an important step in the welcoming of
their new sibling.

It is interesting to study various cultural practices that embrace both the
physical and spiritual aspects of childbirth. These practices signify an
acknowledgement of the placenta as a vital and respected organ. Lotus Birth
reminds us of those sacred birth practices.

Being present at Lotus Births was a catalyst for the healing of my own birth
trauma. Having observed the vital health and happiness of these Lotus Birth
babies, I now have greater awareness and understanding of the natural
process.