Placenta Plans? - Page 2

[kawa kamuri]

I do love this print

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1383319696961&set=o.11198402346

[pants]

were going to bury our. Under our veggie garden. I have to retill that area and start fresh this year. So why not start fresh literally. We will not be encapsulating them.

[kawa kamuri]

Has anyone given this more thought? 

I recently bought my watercolour paper, which is gorgeous and spendy stuff. 

The old prints - made in blood - on this same paper are still fine looking but only about 18mo at this point so that may change. I'm thinking of buying some paint this time but don't like the look of painted placenta prints so I may just buy red. Watercolour paint? Do any of you know which is best? I'd like it to look as close to blood as possible. Is that terribly macabre? 

After that we'll probably plant both placentas (one frozen) in the yard. We're renting, don't have foreseeable plans to buy a place and, while it's kind of amusing to bust out the ol' placenta parlour tricks for special guests, my 12yo has accused me of placenta hoarding 

[jshannyn519]

For the paint you might try some acrylic paint mixed with water to thin it. It will be a thicker consistency than watercolors so it won't run all over the place, but it won't be as thick and goopy as if it were straight out of the tube. Plus, acrylic is colorfast, durable, inexpensive and easy to use.

[Smokering]

DH encapsulated mine last time, and will do the same this time. It's really not that hard (and he's a terrible cook, ha!). My iron levels were great after I'd been taking them for a month, and I don't think I got PPD while I was diligent about taking them, so yay. :)

[tracymom1]

Originally Posted by kawa kamuri 

The old prints - made in blood - on this same paper are still fine looking but only about 18mo at this point so that may change. I'm thinking of buying some paint this time but don't like the look of painted placenta prints so I may just buy red. Watercolour paint? Do any of you know which is best? I'd like it to look as close to blood as possible. Is that terribly macabre? 

IDK, Kawa, I think a tie-dyed placenta print would be pretty cool!  If I wasn't going to consume mine, that's what I would do.  Think of all the pretty colors swirling together  (I am actually serious about that :) 

I would have to imagine that there is some type of natural preservative out there that you could use if you were to go with just the blood and not paint.  Aren't there cave paintings out there done in blood that have lasted tens of thousands of years?  

[presslermom]

My midwife charges $100, I think $1000 is really crazy. But I go to help my mom encapsulate my sister's a couple of weeks ago and it was MUCH easier than I thought it would be. Now if I could get DH to do it for me so I could relax:o. We'll see, I think he doesn't want to have to worry about it either!

[coharmony]

I have no desire to do anything with it. I need to talk to my mw to see if she has suggestions.

[kawa kamuri]

Originally Posted by coharmony 

I have no desire to do anything with it. I need to talk to my mw to see if she has suggestions.

She or someone she knows may want it! 

[Smokering]

Yeah; if you know any gardeners with strong stomachs, they should definitely be keen to take it off your hands! Those things are GREAT for the garden.

I'm skeptical about the cave paintings... wouldn't those be red clay or ochre or... something? I'm not sure blood would last that well. Side note, someone once spilled a chocolate milkshake on some concrete steps at Uni, and the resulting stain looked suspiciously blood-stain-like and lasted for literally years. For all I know, it's there still. Makes you wonder what they put in the syrup, no?

I also happen to know a recipe for fake blood - golden syrup and food colouring - which was used on The Lord of the Rings film sets. Probably not so great for placenta prints, though. And why am I waffling about blood? I need a nap.

[lithigin]

I spent an evening last month reading all about placentophagy and encapsulating and such, and I have some interest, although since it takes awhile to get over the initial revulsion, I'm not sure it will happen or if DH will help. As he pointed out, "that's great that mammals eat their placentas. But dogs also eat their own poop, so...." Made me laugh! I could probably do a smoothie or two right away with the frozen berries we keep on hand. Forgot to ask the hospital at our L&D tour if they resist removal of placentas; it appears that many want to use their own biohazard procedures.

[Smokering]

Will you be staying in the hospital for a day or two after the birth? 'Cause if so, maybe they'd be more willing to hand it over once it was securely frozen and triple-bagged and whatever else it is they do?

[lithigin]

But if i want to eat it in smoothies, don't I want to take it home in a cooler and cube it up there to use most of it fresh? I assume it's like fresh meat, where you're not supposed to thaw it whole, chunk, then re-freeze?

[Smokering]

Oh, right. I was thinking of encapsulation. Well, according to the other thread in here about freezer meals, it's OK to refreeze meat if it's been thawed in the fridge, not on a counter or sink. I really can't vouch for how that applies to placentas, though. :p

[moppet]

Whoa on the $1,000 dollars to encapsulate it. Here I was bemoaning where I was going to find the 100-200 dollars that I've seen people charging around here. I agree that seems outrageously expensive.

In case I can't end up affording it, I might entertain the smoothie idea but I am not entirely sure I could stomach it. I used to have a cast iron stomach but ever since I got pregnant I have turned into a total wuss. Is it all in one smoothie or do you do multiple ones with it?

[Mommy2Austin]

  I always look forward to my smoothie after birth!

[Spinnerette]

I live in a really conservative small town with no midwives for 3 hours in any direction. My OB balked at the idea of me using a squatting bar for the second stage of labour, saying "I don't want to deliver your baby laying down". I said "yeah, neither do I!". Anyway, this is what I'm up against when it comes to my preferences for birth.

Is there any reason or "medical" excuse I might be met with to discourage me from taking it? I understand that if end up with drugs during labour, it's probably not a good idea to consume it, but I'm doing my best to avoid that scenario. 

[kawa kamuri]

Originally Posted by Spinnerette 

I My OB balked at the idea of me using a squatting bar for the second stage of labour, saying "I don't want to deliver your baby laying down". I said "yeah, neither do I!". 

beautiful! good for you! 

[BHappy]

Originally Posted by mad4mady 

Wow that is a lot!! I would not be able to do it if it cost that much.  I have not shopped around at all for pricing so I may be getting the deal of the century but, I am having it done for $150.

^^^yeah. If I'm not mistaken, the service we plan to use is $150 as well. They come to our house, disinfect the kitchen, and do all the prep there. Nice.

[Spinnerette]

Originally Posted by kawa kamuri 

beautiful! good for you! 

Thank you.

This was two weeks ago, the first time I worked up the courage to ask for the options that I'd like available to me. I left the appointment with my husband completely defeated, and other than UC (which we are SO not prepared for) I have no other course of action. I'm stuck. I didn't even bring up my desire to have light food available to me in case I'm hungry, or for intermittent fetal monitoring. I asked about squatting to help with labour progression, to shorten stage 2 and to possibly help prevent tearing - he told me that whoever told me that it might help with tearing was lying to me, and that there is absolutely nothing my husband and I can do to help myself not tear (including massage weeks in advance). He said that he is the only one who knows if I'm going to tear, and if he thinks I'm going to tear he is going to cut me (unless I want to be incontinent), then basically shooed me out of the office, saying that I've never done this before, implying that I couldn't possibly have an idea of what I want. I'm 32 weeks now, and I have another appointment tomorrow. I've shed many tears and lost all hope of getting the birth that I want and I'm just going to try to make the best of it with what I'm given. I'm just trying to figure out what I'm up against when getting put through "the machine" and wanting the placenta afterward.

I've been dealing with hard core antenatal anxiety and depression and I'd like to try to encapsulate it to stave off the dark while I recover.