Everything you need to know about Cord Burning
The sacred ritual of gentle umbilical cord separation
We are alllllll about doing everything to honour the sacredness of birth and ensuring soft landings earth-side for both newborn babies, and their mamas here at Sacred Feminine Way.
Cord burning is a beautiful addition to a home-birth experience (trust me it wouldn't go down well in the hospital setting :)).
This beautiful ritual is not something new, although it has gained some momentum in popularity recently.
Read on to find out all you need to know about performing a sacred cord burning ritual.
What is cord burning?
This sacred ritual has been traditionally performed in many cultures for thousands of years.
A gentle alternative to the standard cord cutting and clamping, cord burning is the act of gently separating the baby from the umbilical cord and placenta using candles.
Cord burning honours the sacred role of the placenta and cord in sustaining the life of the baby.
Why choose cord burning instead of cutting?
Many parents-to-be choose cord burning over clamping and cutting as it is a more gentle separation for the baby from it's life sustaining placenta and umbilical cord.
Rather than the 'blink and you miss it' process of cutting and clamping the cord, this method allows time for reflection as this gentle separation of mama and baby unfolds.
Cord burning also allows other members of the family (such as siblings) to take part in this significant stage of the birth process.
Allowing this gentle separation process (it can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes) also ensures there is no rush to separate the baby from her placenta, supporting the physiological process of birth.
Burning the end of the cord also prevents infection of the cord as the end is cauterized.
Cord burning can also be performed as an alternative to cutting and clamping when there aren’t sterilization or medical supplies available .
What equipment do you need?
Here are the things you will need to perform a cord burning ritual:
- 2 long candles
- a lighter or matches
- a bowl for the placenta to rest in
- a wooden box or ceramic bowl that the candles can rest in whilst holding and the cord can lay over (you can make your own or find one on places such as Etsy)
- a crochet cord tie (or you can just loop and knot the cord)
- a towel to place over baby
- cardboard and a piece of foil to place between the candles and the baby (depending on how long the cord is, or if you are using a special box/bowl, you may not need to use this)
How to perform the cord burning ritual
These are the steps in burning the cord:
- There is no rush to separate the cord from the baby. This is a gentle and slow process that takes time.
- Make sure there is either a barrier between the baby and the candles, or that there is a safe distance if the cord is long. You can place a towel over the baby as an extra barrier.
- Have bub snuggled in to mama's (or papa's) chest. The best position for cord burning is with baby laying on her side.
- Have someone gently extend the cord out, the place to burn is around 7-10 centimetres from the baby's belly button.
- Light the candles and place them opposite each other, resting on the indents in the cord burning box or bowl.
- Often there is a pop once you start burning the cord – this is normal and completely safe.
- If the candles go out at any stage, just light them again.
- It takes anywhere from 5-20 minutes (and will smell as it burns, a bit like a BBQ - so be aware if there are fire alarms present).
- As the cord becomes thinner with burning, it can be twisted so it burns evenly and all the way through.
- Once the cord is seperated, the ends will be hot. Wait for it to cool off before allowing it to rest back onto baby.
- The umbilical cord that remains attached to the baby can be tied off with an umbilical cord tie or piece of string (sometimes mamas will use the red thread from their Mama Blessing). Alternatively it can be tied in a knot.
What if I have a hospital birth?
If the cord burning ritual is something you would like to do, but you are having a hospital birth, an option would be to have a semi-lotus birth (leaving the baby and the placenta attached until you get home from the hospital).
This way you can still perform this gentle separation ritual.
Whilst a cord burning ceremony is not for everyone, it is important that as women, we are aware of the various different options that are available for our pregnancies, labours and births.
Unfortunately our modern day culture focuses mostly on the medical side of birth, and doesn't give much time or space to the rituals or traditional practices that honour this important rite of passage on our feminine journey.