hospital won't release placenta!

[mandalamama]

i guess no one in CT tries to keep theirs?? the hospital said CDC rules prohibit them from releasing "human tissue" yada yada we called a funeral home and they were very happy to go pick it up for us. but the manager of the funeral home got spooked by the paperwork the hospital wants them to fill out, they've never done this before and apparently the hospital is making it so even a funeral home doesn't want to mess with the pile of legal papers. we could have just taken it if i'd had a vaginal birth, the nurses said they just look the other way when it happens. but because it was a c-birth it went straight to Pathology where it'll be discarded after 30 days. this is the best f***ing comfort i've been able to hold onto, knowing we'd be burying Willow's placenta under a willow tree at her Wiccaning next spring!! *arrrrrgh* i know i have her and she's healthy and i should be happy but dammit this is a religious thing, i don't know what to do! my husband is Wiccan clergy in Mass. but here in Conn. apparently religion has nothing to do with a placenta what can i do?

[Clarity]

try another funeral home, or who delivered? Here they give the same song and dance but at least one midwifery group has the hospital release it to them, then they give it to the parents. I would move up the food chain at the hospital too...

[mwherbs]

I just looked on the CDC web site and did a search. I couldn't find a rule that spefically addresses placentas. Depending on how serious you are you could probably get a lawyer to write a letter for you.
First though I would probably challange them to show you where it says that they have to dispose of it and can't give it to you. I guess this would be one reason to have a lotus birth just to keep the placenta

[mama7x]

I'm with pp- I'd move up the hospital food chain quickly. What about a very nice letter to the director noting your extreme concern with the hospitals lack of sensitivity and acknowledgment of your religous preferences. I'd play it along those lines. That your certain that in keeping with their mission they want to provide care to patients that is supportive of their spiritual needs, whatever their religious preferences and that releasing the placenta to you is extremely important within your Wiccan religion, so that you might have the appropriate ceremony. The hospital may also have a patient advocate- call the hospital operator and ask for him or her, explain what's going on in terms of needing the placenta for religious purposes- I'd bet you'll get somewhere.
Good luck, and be persistent. As a last ditch effort, you can always threaten them with a letter to the editor of your local paper describing how insensitive they've been to your spritual needs- hospitals hate bad PR- but I would use it as a last measure. Good for you for pursuing what you feel is right. Don't give up!

[Clarity]

that's exactly how I'd play it (the religion element.) Several families have fought this with hospitals over fetal remains - many would not release them for burial even to a funeral home unless they were over a certain age, instead they destroyed them as medical waste. Most hospitals have changed policies (some were required to by legislation) Googling for the activism in that area might be illuminating. It would be worth investigating rules in your state over home burial. In mine, for instance, it's permitted for humans of any age. Not the same thing, but a useful argument.

The CDC has no "laws" about this, but they do have recommended guidelines (universal precautions) for handling bodily fluids and for the disposal of medical waste. The hospital fears liability if you dispose of it improperly. Tough, in my opinion, since sick people with contagious disease at home throw contaminated waste into the trash every day.

[lunchbox]

I got the same song and dance and I had a vaginal birth. The dr. said they would send it to pathology because of some complications that I had (excess fluid, large baby - whatever). I was so disappointed because we were planning on burying it under a chickasaw plum - not a Wiccan thing, just something we wanted to do.

A few months later, I got my hospital records (dd had some problems) and there was NO PATHOLOGY REPORT. I was soooo mad.

Take it up the food chain and the media if you have to! The ACLU may be interested as well!

[mandalamama]

thank you all for your support! the CDC thing the hospital uses as their policy is about releasing a biohazard type of thing, as far as i can tell. the not releasing to a funeral home is about making the funeral home sign a paper stating they have total legal responsibility for any outcome, pretty ridiculous thing to have to sign for such a small thing! we're calling more funeral homes in the morning and my husband is going to the hospital to see what they have in writing that says we can't have the placenta. i doubt they have anything in writing to show us!

i know it's not the end of the world if we don't get the placenta, because of course we have this beautiful baby but it's part of my healing from the unexpected c-birth and also just a quietly sacred little thing that means so much.