Placenta the Forgotten Chakra

by Robin Lim

"Journey through the traditions, myths, facts and rituals concerning Placenta...the Forgotten Chakra. This book blends respect for culture and respect for nature, while standing firmly on scientific research that confirms what midwives have long known: the most gentle, time honored, least invasive birth protocols are best. For Birth Keepers and for expectant families, who, for each baby, have a once in a lifetime opportunity to go slowly and prevent birth trauma, it is a must read. Because peace begins with each child, it makes perfect sense to practice birth without violence."

Genres: Spirituality, Parenting

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Robin Lim is a Filipina, American, Micronesian midwife and grandmother. She founded Yayasan Bumi Sehat (Healthy Mother Earth Foundation) which provides free prenatal care, birthing services, breastfeeding support, medical aid, disaster relief, educational opportunities, and environmental initiatives. Ibu (mother) Robin and team Bumi Sehat have been in Indonesia since 1993 and in the Philippine Islands (where she is known as “Lola” ~ grandmother) since 2014 to heal the high maternal and infant mortality sorrows. In 2011 Lim was awarded the CNN Hero of the Year. Ibu Robin is the author of many books published in the USA, Indonesia, the Philippines, France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, and Russia. As the mother of eight and grandmother of six, Ibu Robin is a fierce advocate for human rights in reproductive health, environmental security, food sovereignty and Peace on Earth.

Reviews

[Esther-maria Lindner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, inspiring, and well needed work. If you are pregnant, or a birth worker, and have not previously read about lotus birth, delayed cord cutting, and the benefits of placenta ingestion, this book will rock your world and open your eyes. This I believe is a book that should be circulated as a mandatory read to all students of obstetrics, midwifery and doulas. It is a most essential women's wisdom. Wisdom that has been lost in our society and largely ignored. Robin Lim, I salute you for your work, you are an inspiration and I thank you for writing this book.

[Anna K · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a bit to warm up to the writing style because I wasn't used to reading about the placenta in such poetic, personal terms (especially because I am trained as a microbiologist). But put simply, this book is beautiful and eye-opening. To truly get as much as you can out of the book, please approach it with openness. I can say with complete certainty that I am a better birth worker/doula and person after reading this book.

[Marina Girona · Rating 4 out of 5]

En un principio lo dejé, el toque tan espiritual me hacía que me costase leerlo. Sin embargo, a las semanas volví, la razón es porque como estudiante sanitaria también debemos abrirnos a conocer los conocimientos de otras culturas y aunque no tengan muchas de las cuestiones lo que se ha llamado "evidencia científica", se trata también de conocer las prácticas y conocimientos de otras personas de otras culturas completamente diferentes.
El conocimiento de sus prácticas que expone Robin Lim me parece que crea un gran libro.

[Iulia Ionita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful, easy read. But it only makes the case well enough for delayed cord clamping, not for a lotus birth or placentophagy. No research based evidence for the latter two and very one sided.

[Marissa Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book - everything about it

[Janette Barth Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional learning read. So much information to take into account to make informed birth choices. Loved this!

[Elyse Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concepts I liked it

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated 5 because this book blee my mind. I def would have a Lotus Birth if I get pregnant. Yet it is repetitive. So you can skim through a lot of it. It's the only let down.

[Largercircle]

"The baby was born and did not begin to breath. ... Thirteen minutes later, when the placenta was born, ... we placed the placenta, still connected by it's cord to the baby, into the warm water, the baby's grandfather added Tirtha, holy water from the family temple, and instantly, the baby shuddered and took a breath. The baby is perfectly healthy and his name is Tirtha." p 7-8

This was a really interesting book. Many of the stories and details were fascinating, but what really caught my interest was how it combined factual information and an interest in research with storytelling and multi-cultural mythos. Lim seems really to draw from a multitude of worldviews about the placenta. Of course, she's pulling bits and pieces that agree with what she believes about the placenta, but that's okay - it's not like she's trying to conceal some other truth or fact and it's an interesting hypothesis. Not quite how I personally think about the spirituality of birth, but I can see why and how she thinks what she does.

It also made me reflect on my own birth giving experiences. I think that my first baby's cord was cut fairly quickly, probably before the placenta was born, but I don't actually remember and I didn't write it down at the time. My second baby we cut the cord "after 6 minutes" which was definitely before the placenta was born. My third baby we didn't cut the cord until several hours after birth, mostly because our older kids had gone to their grandmother's house for the birth and we wanted them to be there for the cord cutting. My fourth baby we more or less waited until the placenta was out on purpose, and again the older siblings were intentionally involved in the cutting. Honestly, I don't think that particular aspect of their birth experiences is reflected in their personalities or experience of the world. Their overall birth experiences, maybe, but I can't point to when the cord was cut as the one indicator. I am in agreement with Lim that probably, waiting to see the baby, cord, and placenta all together is a gentler way to do things, but there are so many variables in birth and life that ascribing as much power to any one of them as she does seems simplistic to me.

[Cookie La Doula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book and really wish medical professionals understood the IMPORTANCE of the placenta and how it could be a life saving organ if they’d leave the baby attached.

I also think it's beautiful that many cultures do not simply discard the placenta, but instead they have a ceremony or process by which they honor the placenta for being a companion to the baby while gestation and being a lifeline by which the baby is dependent on until they are born into their parent's arms.

No other words can describe how much I enjoyed reading this book.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful! Absolutely a must read for.. well everyone IMO. If only the whole world was aware of the profound nature and magic of the placenta and what it can gift us, if we honour it. So fascinating to read about placenta folklore from all around the world, the varying ways which the placenta is handled after birth, from encapsulating to consuming raw!
Loved the interweaving of spirituality and practical info, and just the sheer passion of Ibu Robin Lim.

[Ucu Suryani]

gimana cara bacanya

[Michelle Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I don't plan to have a full lotus birth, I do love reading about the magic of placentas. Truly the most important of the discarded, disrespected organs in the human body.