Ibu Robin Lim during a late night Q&A session after screening the new film about her work after the tsunami in Bali, 'Guerrilla Midwife'
Yesterday was a placenta-ful day, learning about placenta practices from Ibu Robin Lim.
She also screened the new documentary film about her, ‘Guerilla Midwife,’ which I’m psyched to bring back home and share with my community.
Lim considers herself a “radical intactivist,” meaning that she advocates for never cutting the umbilical cord–leaving the placenta fully attached to the baby until it separates itself after a few days, which in the U.S. is known as lotus birth.
“People ask me, ‘Why are you waiting so long to cut this cord?’ and I say, ‘Why are you asking me that? I should be asking you why you want me to.’”
Cord burning is practiced at Bumi Sehat to prevent tetanus infection from unsterilized instruments. (photo courtesy of Unfolding Lotus Birth Services)
At Bumi Sehat, Ibu Robin’s clinic in Bali, she noticed that so many infants delivered by traditional birth attendants were dying of tetanus from unsterilized instruments. So Ibu Robin began re-training the attendants in the technique of cord burning, where the umbilical cord is severed by using two candles to burn through it in 10-15 minutes. The practice has been traditionally used in the remaining indigenous areas of Bali, and Ibu Robin is reintroducing it to the general population, and bringing safety with it.
Placenta encapsulation isn’t popular at Bumi Sehat, because when it’s done, the mother misses out on the ritual that has been created around leaving the cord and placenta intact. Ibu Robin did say, however, that she’s had moms do placenta encapsulation even after allowing the placenta and cord to self-detach after several days.
I’ll also got an enscribed copy of Ibu Robin’s new book Placenta: The Forgotten Chakra, out the only 108 copies in the world! Stay tuned for a review of it.
thanks for sharing ibu robin’s insight!
Surprised to see my photo here! very cool…glad you are spreading the lotus love!! and cord~burning love!
xo!darby
Hey that’s my baby in that pic! I’m totally honored~ That’s my Grey Fox after his beautiful October 14, 2007 waterbirth at Sacred Waters in Eugene Oregon. We waited 12 hours to burn his cord and separate him from his amazing placenta (we made the placenta into medicine)…it was an amazing sight..an oxygen bubble in the cord popped and blew out the candles at one point!
…..and I shared this pic (taken by my sweetie) of my baby’s cord burning with my beloved friend at Unfolding Lotus Birth support for her site, but the midwife on the other end of that cord was Patricia Couch (currently at Bella Vie Gentle Birth Center). I would have never known about cord burning or placenta encapsulation if it weren’t for Patricia!
Dabry & Tiffany – beautiful pictures! And thanks to Patricia Couch for spreading the placenta love
I’m so glad you folks had such a brilliantly beautiful birth & postpartum!
Where can I get a copy of Placenta: The Forgotten Chakra? Really want to give it to my midwife partner!
It’s not for sale online anywhere right now, but I heard that they’re setting up to do another print run. Also, if you email Ibu Robin Lim at iburobin(at)bumisehatbali.org
she can send you an online PDF copy.
Hello there,
I am new to your blog but have to say that it is most definitely fantastic as well as a welcomed breath of fresh air to the mainstream childbirth and parenting blogs that are so plentiful nowadays! Even though I considered myself to be very liberal, I have to admit I was (and still am) shocked by the blog name) but it has grown on me as I do enjoy when controversial words are used in connection with supportive and empowering information.
I think that I must be a birth junkie in training as I have not yet started having children and I am already a little obsessed with completely natural childbirth and parenting.
Much like yourself, I am fascinated by the placenta and placentophagy. I would love to read Ibu Robin’s book as there is almost no information available on this subject. I have already emailed her but can imagine how busy she is and wondered if you knew of another way I could get a copy of the .pdf version? Or any more info on whether it will be officially released internationally? Well, I look forward to your review of it.
Sorry for the comment essay
Michelle
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