Has anyone ever been able to save your placenta?

[MaryLang]

Never quite asked for it, although I did want to see it, but things didn't go as planned.

Has anyone ever successfully done this during a c-birth?

[parsley]

I haven't done it and don't plan to  But I think it should be possible.  I told my ob that we were donating our cord blood and she said that they would clamp and cut the cord and then put the placenta and remaining cord in a bucket for someone to deal with for donation while she sewed me back up.  Seems like the same technique could be used for keeping your placenta. 

[mugglesmom]

We were able to take ours home and have it encapsulated.  They wouldn't let us have it until we were discharged though.  I was allowed to have my homebirth midwife in the operating room with us and I think she reminded me about it otherwise I would have forgotten.  

[Caracol8]

I didn't have my "emergency c-section" birth plan printed out and with me when I had to transfer to the hospital.  So I'm glad I had enough marbles left in my head to ask the anesthesiologist if I could take my placenta.  He said "Oh sure.  A lot of people have wanted to do that." and called out to the OR at large that the placenta was to be saved for me.  It was echoed back by a couple nurses, like a coffee order at a cafe.   They put it in a plastic container and placed it somewhere on my stretcher when we were wheeled to recovery.  

So, it wouldn't hurt to write it out in a birth plan but it might also be a good idea to reiterate it to someone then and there.

[Orionsmama]

We got ours after my section. It took a little prodding but it wasnt a big deal.

[hildare]

with our dd, the hospital staff was very happy to accommodate our keeping the placenta.  they put it in a container and refrigerated it for us.  we had put it in the birth plan, and i may or may not have mentioned it twenty times after they gave me drugs.

[emthom]

It was in my birth plan that I wanted to keep it and I made sure every nurse, the Dr, and everyone else in the OR knew that was what I wanted. They were happy to oblige. I got asked a lot of questions after everyone found out why (for encapsulation). I guess not many people had requested it for that reason before and a lot of people were surprised to hear about the benefits from ingesting the placenta.

They put it in a container for me and my recovery nurse put it in a tub of ice and then my parents took it home for me a couple hours later.

[katelove]

I kept mine. The midwife brought it down to my room with me when I left recovery but then DH forgot to take it home that night so they put it in the fridge for me. It's still in my freezer waiting to be thawed, printed and buried.

[pittsburrito]

Yes, I was able to take mine, too.  After the c-section, my doula put on gloves and took it out of the container the O.R. had put it in and showed it to me, explaining what the different parts were, because I really wanted to see it.  Then she took it with her, straight to begin the encapsulating process that same afternoon.  Seeing the placenta was interesting, but I don't remember it very well, as I had been awake for over 30 hours by that point.  I wish someone had taken a photo of it for me.  

[Tenk]

I have wondered this too, I'm about to embark on my 3rd c-section and want to have my placenta encapsulated for the 1st time for various reason I'm sure you all are aware of.  I also think my placenta is over my scar this time and they may have to cut thru it ... I know this is not a good thing.  Anyone have any ideas on how this works??

[MaryLang]

Wow! Good to know others have done this. I may put it in my birth plan to encapsulate it. Tenk, I've had anterior placenta twice, the first time my scar was opening over the placenta, so instead of the placenta growing "into" the scar, it was just sort of floating there and spilling out. Caused a few tense moments during surgery but was easily reconciled. The other time it was just high enough to not cause a problem. As far as I recall from that time, they might have had to do some fancy cutting if it had been totally over it. And I'm sure you know our c/s's are a contributing factor to anterior placenta's, they just kinda get hung up on the scar tissue.

[MoonStarFalling]

I asked for mine (well demanded it) and it was handed over right after the surgery to the person I designated to do the encapsulation for me. The capsules were very helpful for cesarean healing and prevention of PPD! I had two cesareans without placenta caps and one with and it made a big difference.