After Birth Bliss Tea and Placenta Wisdom

This herbal tea is ideal for use with a normal, physiological third stage of labour. (This means no injection of syntocinon, no pulling on the cord and no rushing of the placenta. During an un-rushed, un-medicated birth, when the balance of birth hormones is not tampered with, this is a perfectly normal and safe option.)

The After Birth Bliss tea blend contains nourishing herbs to support a safe Third Stage of labour and the birth of the placenta. It strengthens the endometrium and contains a haemostatic to prevent excess bleeding, plus nourishing herbs to boost the new mother's iron and other nutrients. It also settles afterpains and helps the placental site to heal.

Avoid using metal implements with herbal teas. Use a glass or ceramic pot or jug, and a wooden or plastic spoon and strainer. Have the herbs ready when second stage begins, and add the hot water just as the baby is born. Let steep for about 10 minutes, then serve warm to the mother - a bendy straw may be helpful, as she will likely be holding her baby.

Say something encouraging to the mother, such as "This will help you release your placenta all in one piece." You can add lemon and honey for taste if you wish – I use Active Manuka Honey which is a natural anti-biotic. A warm drink with honey for energy is ideal soon after birth, even better when it contains herbs to enhance the third stage.

Be sure that ministering the drink to the mother does not disturb the most important thing of all: skin-to-skin cuddles and the miracle of bonding that is unfolding between mother, baby and father. It would be better to delay the warm tea for a while if there is any chance bringing it could disrupt such a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is so vital for the new family. When the time is right, it should be easy to quietly offer the tea through a straw, let her drink, then quietly fade into the background again, leaving the family to continue falling in love.

Warmth, soft lighting, quiet, privacy, gentle voices, loving care and unhindered skin-to-skin cuddles are the things that optimise the flow of hormones that cause the placenta to detatch, the uterus to involute and the placenta to be born, and the bleeding to be minimal. This important stage of the birth process is often rushed in hospitals, where time is money. Usually they want that placenta out within an hour - or even half an hour. But if blood loss is normal, the mother's vital signs are good, she is not pale or shocky, and her after pains are not too severe, there is no need for rush. The placenta will come. I have been at perfectly safe normal homebirths where it took 4 hours or more for the placenta to come away, and it did, in the fullness of time - when the mother was physically and emotionally ready.

Gloria Lemay writes here about the '30 minute third stage' - in her experience, when the third stage is unrushed and the mother and baby are kept together and warm and quiet, the mother feels ready to release the placenta around the 30 minute mark, the great majority of the time.

One of my doula friends tells me that she encourages the women she serves to not only visualise themselves giving birth but also to visualise themselves holding their baby, having after pains that herald movement of the placenta, and then see themselves birthing that placenta, catching it, the cord still attached to the soft, warm little body in their arms. That's a good idea.

I have heard of women who've been told that their placenta won't come unless the cord is cut. (I can't believe women get told this stuff, it's right up there with one woman who was told by hospital staff that unless they broke her waters, the baby couldn't be born!) No, you do not need to cut the cord for the placenta to be born, and there is no need to routinely cut it. In fact, the cord does not need to be cut at all - some people choose to have a Lotus Birth, when the placenta is dried, wrapped and kept with the baby (in a special placenta bag, or a modern cloth nappy (MCN) will do) until the cord dries up and falls off naturally. More about Lotus Birth here

There is sound scientific wisdom to support an un-rushed Third Stage and delayed cutting of the cord. Read more here and here

In the modern, medicalised culture, we don't often recognise the value of the placenta - it is routinely discarded as waste material, merely a mess to be cleaned up. I feel that this is part of the de-valuing of the glory of birth. I encourgage you to take the time to think about what the placenta means to you. It has nourished your baby for 9 months and its value continues after the baby is born and no longer needs it. The placenta is extremely rich in hormones and nutrients that can be of great benefit to the mother. Perhaps you would like to find out more about Lotus Birth. Perhaps you would like to investigate placentophage - the consumption of a tiny bit of placenta. It is said to be very useful for preventing or ceasing blood flow after birth. Sometimes merely holding a small bit of placenta to a mother's lips will prevent PPH. Some people make capusles of dried, ground placenta. Others make tinctures from the placenta. Placenta can be helpful for boosting a low milk supply and also for preventing post natal depression. All that we can learn about the continuing benefits of the placenta are unlikely to be widely appreciated when the usual practice is to chuck it out. The placenta can be easily rinsed, then put in the freezer in a big ice cream container (great excuse to buy a family-sized amount of ice cream) until you decide what you'd like to do with it.

Your After Birth Bliss tea contains the following herbs:

Cramp Bark – acts on the uterus to help it involute and birth the placenta. Relieves after pains.

Red Raspberry Leaf – tones and nourishes the uterine muscle, rich nutritionally

Nettle – rich in nutrients, including iron & Vitamin K

Peppermint – supports the absorption of the nutrients in the above two herbs

Lady's Mantle – a hormone-balancing herb with calming effects

Parsley – a uterine tonic that reduces bleeding

Shepherd’s Purse – nature's haemostatic, helps prevent bleeding

For more information on the use of common herbs, go to: www.ageless.co.za/herbal-encyclopedia.htm

Disclaimer: This information is of a general nature and does not constitute medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition. Any medical condition should be referred to your health care practitioner. Always check with your health care practitioner before commencing to use any herbal preparation.

TO ORDER, GO TO OUR NEW WEBSITE HERE

This article by Dr. Sarah Buckley is an excellent resource for anyone considering a natural third stage and wanting to understand more about the hormones involved.
Leaving well alone - a natural approach to the third stage of labour

Another helpful site: The Third Stage Website

Enjoying the After Birth Bliss tea. A special moment captured by Angela Gallo of Womb Warrior Photography

Tracey and her newborn, having her After Birth Bliss tea

Natalie and babe, with the After Birth Bliss tea beside her on the bed. Photo by Captivated Photography