Strange And Unscientific Childbirth Practices That Need To Die

Welcoming a new baby into the world is always magical, and a natural time for people to engage in ritualistic practices. Over the last few decades, among proponents of so-called natural birth practices (which are often anything but), a set of odd habits has emerged. They range from eating the placenta to carrying it around for days, and from delivering babies into tubs to swabbing c-section babies with ehm, "intimate" secretions.

Some of these practices sound incredibly appealing — to some, that is. Do they have a point, though? More importantly, are they safe?

Placentophagy 

Many mammals — including dogs and cows — have the instinctive practice of eating their placenta following childbirth. Doing so most likely saves multiple evolutionary purposes. It is clear that the placenta does contain some nutrients, including iron, and that it helps replenish protein levels. Eating the placenta may also reduce post-partum pain and help speed up the delivery of remaining fetuses.

Placentophagy, the scientific name for this practice, isn't foreign to humans either: different cultures have done it throughout human history, presumably for similar reasons as the ones outlined above. The practice has also, over the last decade or so, gained enormous popularity among "natural birth" advocates, particularly doulas and homebirth midwives in the United States.

So-called "crunchy" mothers may ingest their placentae in the form of smoothies or capsules, swallow pieces raw, or enjoy a placenta fry-up. Sounds yucky? Wait until you hear about the supposed benefits — halting post-partum hemorrhage, raising energy levels, preventing post-partum depression and generally helping the mother regain strength during a vulnerable period. 

In addition, ingesting your placenta in its raw form can pose a serious health risk, just as consuming any other raw meat can. There is some concern that viruses and bacteria can survive even after the dehydration and encapsulation process that is most popular now. If you want to engage in this unusual practice, then, it would make most sense to thoroughly cook your placenta.

Water Birth

Many mothers find immersing themselves in water or even just hanging out in the shower to be an incredibly soothing experience during labor, one that may even relieve pain. Where available, a birth tub can be an excellent tool for mothers who enjoy the feeling of warm water around their bodies — and even the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists admits that there may be benefits to this practice. 

READ Feeling Crippled By The Natural Parenting Philosophy? It's Time To Push Back, Dr Amy Tuteur Says

Actually delivering the baby into the tub is a different question entirely however! Though proponents of the practice claim that it is completely safe, often mentioning that the baby had been completely immersed in water until leaving the uterus, which is obviously quite true, scientific reviews show otherwise. Near-drowning, respiratory difficulties, and nasty infections are all risks of delivery into water, risks that have already been proven to have occurred in reality. 

More Odd Childbirth Practices You Probably Shouldn't Consider

Birth 'Plans'

Birth plans — documents outlining your expectations of your labor and birth — have become commonplace, to the point of turning into a rite of passage for many modern mothers. Such birth plans may detail what pain relief, if any, you would like during your labor, whom you'd like present at your birth, and whether or not you consent to an episiotomy when you are about to deliver. Though being an active patient is a very positive thing, and making your wishes known to your healthcare team is certainly your right, we also have to acknowledge that birth plans often turn into something altogether different: a call on doctors to ignore evidence-based practices and instead to do what the mother wants, no matter how dangerous. 

Birth doesn't follow anyone's "plan". Things can change, and change very quickly, and in emergency and non-emergency situations alike, you cannot expect your physician or midwife to follow your wishes if they are ultimately wishes that pose a threat to the wellbeing of you and your baby. Rather than becoming attached to certain rigid ideas of what you would like, it is a good idea to discuss the possibilities with your healthcare team in advance.

Lotus Birth

Delayed cord clamping, wherein the baby's umbilical cord isn't cut until it stops pulsating and the baby receives more of the blood that previously remained in the placenta, is an increasingly common practice that makes a ton of sense. Lotus birth takes that practice to a whole new level: rather than waiting before cutting the cord, people who practice Lotus birth never cut the cord at all. The idea is that, as the baby was attached to the placenta for the duration of pregnancy, suddenly severing the bond between baby and placenta is violent and upsetting. Leaving the placenta attached forces the mother to slow down and focus only on her baby while the cord remains attached. 

People who practice Lotus birth frequently add salt and rosemary in an attempt to keep things hygienic, and then use a tub or a special bag around the placenta, which remains attached until the umbilical cord naturally rots off. Britain's equivalent of the ACOG, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, pointed out that "the placenta is particularly prone to infection as it contains blood". It added: "Within a short time after birth, once the umbilical cord has stopped pulsating, the placenta has no circulation and is essentially dead tissue."

Lotus birth, then, isn't just odd and inconvenient, but also potentially dangerous. Don't do it. 

Vaginal Seeding

The human microbiome is a fascinating thing, something that begins developing as a baby passes through the birth canal in vaginal births and that can play a positive role in the baby's health for the rest of their life. Are c-section babies missing out? Some people believe so, so strongly that they think sticking gauze in the vagina after c-section births and then spreading the resultant bacterial bath all over the baby's face and even in their mouth is a good idea. 

READ Why Some Mothers Are Practicing Bacterial 'Seeding' After C-Section (And Why You Probably Shouldn't)

However, there is currently no evidence to suggest that vaginal seeding is helpful or even safe, and before that evidence emerges, holding off on this practice is probably the best course of action.