Placental Options After Birth
Your placenta is an amazing organ created just for pregnancy to maintain hormone levels and aid in your baby’s growth & development. It is the only organ that a human will grow and discard in their lifetime. Pretty awesome!
Placenta means “flat cake” in Latin. It is a vascular organ with 2 separate sides. The maternal side is implanted into the uterine wall and holds on tightly during the pregnancy. The fetal side includes your baby’s umbilical cord which is an outgrowth of the placenta and connects to their belly, providing all of the nutrition & oxygen they need for healthy growth while also discarding their wastes.
Each side of the placenta has a distinct appearance and it’s own circulatory system, your blood supply and your baby’s blood supply never mix; everything your baby needs passes from your side of the placenta to their side of the placenta through diffusion.
What Happens To My Afterbirth?
Your healthcare providers will examine your placenta; checking the vessels, the cord placement and ensuring it is intact.
Many providers are excited to show you this awesome power source that kept your pregnancy running. Some parents are interested in the ins and outs of their placenta and some are not. No pressure!
After examination, with or without your audience, it is then discarded or it can be released to you. Ensure that you communicate with the staff if you plan to take your placenta home with you. You will need a cooler with ice to transport it.
If you don’t have a clue what to do with a placenta once it is outside of your body, read on.
What To Do With Your Placenta
Placentophagy = eating your placenta
Yes, there are actual recipes but if stew isn’t on your postpartum menu, just skip.
Placenta Encapsulation
Many people opt for drying, grinding & encapsulating as an option to ingest it.
You can learn more on the APPA website.
Placenta Smoothie
A raw placenta smoothie consists of a tiny piece of your placenta + mixed berries or other fruits blended together.
Placenta Salve, Tincture
Some skilled encapsulators offer additional options.
Placenta Print
If you are the crafty type, placing your fresh placenta on thick art paper will give you a beautiful print.
Bury it
It is a rich life source and many people revere it for giving their baby life. Ceremony, ritual, blessings or just a burial can all be a nice closure to the entire birthing process.
Check out the Bayung Gede placenta graveyard in Indonesia as an example of sacred placenta rituals.