What did you do with your placenta?

[MonkeyPrincess]

I would like to plant a tree on top of the placenta after I have my baby in November. I'm wondering though, if I can do that in the fall (I live in Eastern Pennsylvania). Are there certain trees that can be planted that time of year? Or should I freeze it until the spring? (I should mention I've never planted anything other than the little sprouts my kids bring home from preschool.) TIA for any tips!

So, I'd love to hear what everyone does with their placentas

[fourgrtkidos]

I planted a tree with my two homebirth placentas. The growing trees are nice reminder of the births and my growing children.

[stafl]

I ate mine. The cords and membranes went in the freezer and were later planted with our xmas tree. It gets lots colder where you live, but I think most trees are ok to be planted as long as the ground isn't frozen, and as long as they are acclimated to the cold.

[sadean]

I was not able to save my first, so I froze and them split my second and planted them under a pair of lilac bushes in late spring.

I would freeze it and plant it in the spring/early summer. That way it has time to thaw and leech nutrients into your tree.

[applejuice]

I have put this on other threads.

I planted a rose bush for each of my children.

My DS#2 used to pick roses for his high school sweetheart from his when he was in high school. He has a Jack Frost, a white rose.

[momto l&a]

I have 2 in the freezer as dh and I havent decieded what to do with them yet. This fall we'll have 3 in the freezer. :LOL

[Raven]

I actually let my midwives take both my placentas. Now I wish I did something else... planting a tree or other plant is an excellent idea.

[Dreaming]

Ours is in the freezer.
Thanks for reminding me that I need to plant that thing.
Maybe I'll plant a bed of perineals over it.

[georgia]

One went to medical waste , and the other is in our freezer...soon to have another frozen one, too. We're going to plant them next to their own tree once we find the home we plan to stay put in.

[KKmama]

Ds1's we saved (freezer) in California, then shipped on dry ice when we moved back to Colorado. We bought a house, and we planted a catalpa (tree) on his last fall. We've got ds2's in the freezer, and we'll plant a tree for him this fall or spring.

[True Blue]

I wish DH wasn't military, it would be so cool to plant trees...but I'd never get to see them again.

[Mama2ABCD]

planted it with a pink dogwood as those were in bloom on the day my dd was born (first day of spring). don't know what happened to the first two placenta's as they were in the hospital.

[2BMamaof3]

With #1 my midwife showed it to me and I gagged.

With #2 my midwives showed it to me and we still have it in the freezer (DD is nearly 3!!!) for the day we plant it...somewhere. The "somewhere" is eluding us and that is why it is still in the freezer.

With #3, I ate part of it in a stir fry to prevent PPD and the rest is in the freezer waiting for a "somewhere" we can plant it.

[TRIBE]

#1 & #2 went to medical waste.

#3 went to our garbage after I inspected it to make sure it was healthy. I wanted to freeze it then ship it to my dads to plant since I know my dad will always own the house he is in but I worried it wouldn't make the long flight from HI to SC so I threw it away.

With this one, I just don't know. We are military so we move a lot. I am thinking maybe I will dehydrate it and put it in the gelcaps to help ward off PPD which I am prone to. I dont think I could cook it an eat it but the dehydrating it and putting it in pills would certainly work fine for me

[stafl]

http://birthrites.edsite.com.au/placent.html

[Changed]

My first went out with the hospital biohazards.

My second went to pathology to figure out why it was prematurely ratty.

This one is going anumber of place. It's going to be made into a placenta print to hang in my bedroom.
Then part of it is going to me made into a tincture.
Then the rest of it is going to be planted in the soil that will be a veggie garden for babyfood.

I'm just hoping that I can keep it fresh enough for all that. They say i'll only have to stay 12 hours in the hospital if all goes well. I can't really count on anyone else to make the print or tincture.

[redtentmomma]

call your nursery about planting times

I live in the desert (Utah) and trees actually grow best when planted in the fall here. We planted a tree on my placenta last May and it died from the heat. But we took it out and planted another tree in November, I think, and it's grown 3-4" (pretty good for a pine). And it had a chance to get its roots deep enough to survive the long hot summers we have here. So if I were you, I'd call your local nursery and ask them when the best time to plant a tree would be-it really varies by region.

Also, you can freeze your placenta until then, or you can plant the placenta (deep enough it won't attract animals) and let it decompose a bit before planting a tree, and then plant the tree when it's ready. Means you have to dig the whole twice, but some dads are happy to do that in exchange for not having placenta in their freezer

And, to add to the list of things you can do with a placenta, I've heard of drying, grinding it up and capsuling it to take daily, if you're not sure about eating it with a knife and fork but still want the nutrition. Never tried it, but it's another idea.

Happy Birthing to you and your family!