What to do with afterbirth placenta?

[debrown]

Hi. I've heard of two good ideas for placentas: planting it under your garden for nutrients and/or drying it, crushing it, and sprlnkling it on food (chemicals supposed to prevent depression and other things.)

Anyone have any recommendations or comments on the above suggestions? I'll be lucky if my husband remembers to bring a tupperware container to the hospital to bring it home, but I'd like to do something other than just throw it away, like the hospital did for our first two kids.

[eco_mama]

I had my 1st child in a hospital and never even saw my placenta. I just had my 2nd child at home and got to inspect it all I wanted. I really really wanted to do something with it but since we were leaving to move cross country, there was no way I could bring it with me so we had to just throw it away. I wanted to bury it and plant a tree over it.

The main things I've heard about were burying it and making a smoothie out of it. I guess it's supposed to balance out the hormones in the body.

[Emilie]

I am not sure a hospital will let you take it?
I had dd at home and it is still in the freezer! LOL!
It is to be planted sometime...

[Sister Kya]

I'm up to 12...

Hi there,

I researched the subject a while back and counted up to 12 different things families do with the whenua (placenta). From placenta prints to lotus birthing to placenta essence. I collected everything I learned and wrote a little ebook on the topic I affectionately call "12 Fun Things To Do With Placenta!" I used to offer it for free on my website and ask for love donations, but I got lots of downloads, some rude comments about what a sick individual I was for writing such a depraved book and no donations, so now I sell it for $3.00.

If you're interested, it's here. Nearly everything I found was on the Internet though, so a little work with Google and the keywords "placenta" on some of the more progressive sites will get you the same info for free.

The whenua is an amazing organ with medicinal attributes for the mother. I'm heartbroken that all 3 of mine ended up tossed into the trash!

~*~ ~*~
Kya Rose
Mama to Faerin (2/92), Ben (8/96) and John (9/98)
and Empowered Childbirth

[Full Heart]

Originally Posted by Emilie

I am not sure a hospital will let you take it?
I had dd at home and it is still in the freezer! LOL!
It is to be planted sometime...

Yup, its yours they should have no problem with you taking it home. We took ours home. The people didn't even think it was wierd - which I think is wierd . How many people are asking for placentas?

[ZeldasMom]

Originally Posted by Emilie

I am not sure a hospital will let you take it?

I have a friend who took hers home from the hospital.

Another thing you can do is make placenta prints. DD's placenta is still in the freezer. The plan is to put it in the ground and plant a tree, but we are still deciding what we want to plant. I also want to try making some placenta prints when I defrost it. I am not sure this works once it has been frozen, but I figure it won't hurt to give it a go.

[cfiddlinmama]

Ok, sorta a statement and a question.

I was telling my dh that placenta can stop pp hemhorrage if you eat it or put it in your mouth. I also told him about the smoothie option and that I though it was considered a delicacy in some countries. He said that eating placenta would be canibalism because it is a human organ. Any thoughts on that?

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by Emilie

I am not sure a hospital will let you take it?

Mine does. We kept ours in the freezer for three years before we planted a Japanese maple over it. This baby will also get a Japanese maple, but a 'dissectum' variety, which has lacier leaves. Sort of the same, sort of different.

[Emilie]

well good. myu hospital i had ds in would not even let me see him if i asked so- you know....

[Full Heart]

Originally Posted by cfiddlinmama

Ok, sorta a statement and a question.

I was telling my dh that placenta can stop pp hemhorrage if you eat it or put it in your mouth. I also told him about the smoothie option and that I though it was considered a delicacy in some countries. He said that eating placenta would be canibalism because it is a human organ. Any thoughts on that?

You're not eating a person. Its a bi product of conception - like amniotic fluid which the baby digests. I ate it to cure my ppd. Which worked btw. Animals eat theirs.

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by Full Heart

You're not eating a person. Its a bi product of conception - like amniotic fluid which the baby digests. I ate it to cure my ppd. Which worked btw. Animals eat theirs.

And that's cool. But it is an organ. It's your organ, does that make it better? Like suckign on your finger when it gets cut; nobody seems grossed out by ingesting your own blood.

[MsElle07]

Originally Posted by maxmama

And that's cool. But it is an organ. It's your organ, does that make it better? Like suckign on your finger when it gets cut; nobody seems grossed out by ingesting your own blood.

Many women also ingest fluids of another person that contain genetic material, proteins, etc., during sex. You don't hear too many guys thinking that's cannibalism.

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by MsElle07

Many women also ingest fluids of another person that contain genetic material, proteins, etc., during sex. You don't hear too many guys thinking that's cannibalism.

Excellent point. Maybe it's the meatiness factor of it that grosses some people out.

[IamPink]

At the local hospitals here, you are absolutely not allowed to have your own placenta. Funny though how some of them come up missing when certain nurses are working!
I don't think that there is a person big enough to tell me that I am not *allowed* to keep my own placenta!

[RockStarMom]

Originally Posted by ZeldasMom

I also want to try making some placenta prints when I defrost it. I am not sure this works once it has been frozen, but I figure it won't hurt to give it a go.

I did that. I just defrosted it completely and had no problem.

When I had my daughter, the nurses said they don't allow patients to take the placenta but hinted that if it disappeared there's nothing they can do. So we quickly wrapped it up and packed it with my stuff.

I made placenta prints and plan to plant it...it's currently back in the freezer.

[AllisonR]

How do you make a placenta print? Do you clean it, or leave it as is, then dip it in ink and put it on blotter paper? Exactly how is it done? Can you use different colored inks? What types of paper work best - smooth, glossy, watercolor board...? Does it have to dry, or can you make placenta prints right afterwards? How many can you make?

Do you think a midwife would mind making the prints instead? For me personally, the whole bloody mass is not beautiful, miraculous.... it is just gross. I say that with complete respect for those that think otherwise, and / or eat it, as I have heard it is very useful for stopping hemoraging afterewards, as well as nutritious. But me personally, I don't want to have to deal with all the "gross" parts. I just want to see the pretty print afterwards. Is this silly? It's like roasted duck. I cook a boneless duck breast with a lovely brandy/brown sugar sauce, and love to eat it. But if I had to see the live duck beforehand, kill it, defeather it, remove the bones.... I'd never be able to eat it.

[ZeldasMom]

Originally Posted by AllisonR

How do you make a placenta print? Do you clean it, or leave it as is, then dip it in ink and put it on blotter paper? Exactly how is it done? Can you use different colored inks? What types of paper work best - smooth, glossy, watercolor board...? Does it have to dry, or can you make placenta prints right afterwards? How many can you make?

Do you think a midwife would mind making the prints instead? For me personally, the whole bloody mass is not beautiful, miraculous.... it is just gross. I say that with complete respect for those that think otherwise, and / or eat it, as I have heard it is very useful for stopping hemoraging afterewards, as well as nutritious. But me personally, I don't want to have to deal with all the "gross" parts. I just want to see the pretty print afterwards. Is this silly? It's like roasted duck. I cook a boneless duck breast with a lovely brandy/brown sugar sauce, and love to eat it. But if I had to see the live duck beforehand, kill it, defeather it, remove the bones.... I'd never be able to eat it.

I have not made a print myself, so I don't know the answer to all your questions. Here are some pics of some women making one.

Since it is something that is optional and just for my enjoyment, I don't think I would be inclined to ask my midwife to make a pp for me because I thought it was too gross. I know you don't mean it this way, but there is something about saying it would be too gross for me to do, but not for you, that might come off sounding a little rude. If I was feeling really squeamish I think I would either pass on having a pp, or work on processing and seeing if I could work though my feelings.

Another idea would be to try freezing it and then do it when things are calmer. I have mine in a freezer in a zip loc bag and look at it all the time. That might help desensitize you.

[shannon0218]

another thing you can do with placenta if you're not up for doing something yourself is to donate it to a search and rescue organization. Placenta is used for training search and cadaver dogs. One placenta can train a lot of dogs...dogs that may later help your child....just a thought

[arlecchina]

hmm I am doing lotus (not cutting the cord at all). I havent made any decisions as to what to do with the placenta itself after it drops though.

[BusyMommy]

Just a thought...if you use it in your garden, bury it very deeply. We buried ours under a beautiful new tree. The dogs dug it up & ate it & the tree died. :

Very interesting idea about SAR dogs!!!