Cord Burning Rebirthing Ancient Rituals

Supplies Needed:
piece of foil covered cardboard with a slit cut ­
Two long stemmed white candles ­
Banana leaf or bowl to catch the dripping wax
­Roll of sterile gauze

Cord burning requires two sets of hands. The mother should be holding the baby on her belly or chest, skin to skin. Place the piece of foil­covered cardboard 4­6 cms away from baby’s belly and around the umbilical cord using the slit that you cut. The foiled side should be facing the placenta. Baby, cord and placenta should remain attached until the cord separates from the baby during the process. Holding both lit candles on a thin section of the umbilical cord, begin rotating the cord making sure all sides of the cord are being burned. Use the end of the flame as it contains the most heat. Hold the cord taut, but do not pull, especially from baby’s belly. The cord will crackle and pop as the gases are released from inside. Sometimes it even puts out the flame! It does not smell. This process can take anywhere from 10­15 minutes depending on the thickness of the cord. Once the cord has separated, wait a few minutes until the baby’s end is cool before letting the cord touch baby’s skin. Position the remaining cord into a spiral on baby’s stomach and wrap with the sterile gauze. The gauze should be removed the next morning and the spiraled umbilical left to air dry. Most mothers notice that the remaining cord falls off with 1­2 days. You can add goldenseal powder or tincture to the umbilicus or cord to encourage quick drying, but never on the actual placenta if mother plans to ingest