Did you know that the word 'placenta' means a flat cake, in Latin? That barren women in some Chinese provinces would eat placenta to enhance their fertility? That until the 19th century, Japanese people buried their babies' placentas at the entrance to their homes? That leaving the cord, at least until it stops pulsating, gives your baby an extra 30-50% blood that has been stored in the placenta? Or that objects such as bags, pull-along toys, and even pets may symbolically represent our lost placenta? You can read all of this and more in this intriguing book, which centres around lotus birth. Lotus birth is the practice of leaving the baby's cord uncut after birth, so that baby and placenta remain attached until the cord naturally separates, just as a cut cord does, at 2 to 10 days after birth. Lotus birth is new in our culture, but reflects the respect that many traditional cultures have for the placenta- the baby's first companion. This book is a not only a fascinating account of the theory and practice of lotus birth, but gives us a depth and richness of understanding about the significance of the placenta, and why people are drawn to this rather unusual ritual. Read more
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