Not too many people give much thought to their placenta. I question why this is and strive to educate women on the amazing capabilities of this disregarded "organ".
Once the baby is born all eyes, focus and attention seem to resonate only with the new little person. This is fine -- except for the Midwife who knows how equally important attending to the placenta is. Making sure the placenta is delivered, bleeding is controlled and the uterus is contracted down is THE biggest life saving skill involved in a birth. Postpartum hemmorhage ensues because these things do not take place ... or do not take place completely. It is an essential piece for a birth to be safe for the mother and baby.
Because I deal with placentas often -- inspecting, comparing and handling -- I'm always so curious at the differences of each; some being big, others being small; some being filled with vessels, others being quite dull in appearance. I had one the other day that was literally in the shape of a heart (It would have made an excellent picture had my camera there).
There are some people who believe consuming the placenta after birth is a good thing. Their reasons stem from the fact that humans are the only mammals who do not eat their placenta ... think of cows or cats or horses you've seen have their babies. After the baby is delivered, the afterbirth is then consumed. Brimming with hormones, the belief is that the consumed placenta delivers huge boosts of essential hormones to the mother making breastfeeding, postpartum depression and hemorrhage all function better. I have heard of people eating the placenta raw (placenta smoothie?) but mostly, 'placenta encapsulation' takes places where the placenta is cooked in a special herbal mixture, dehydrated and then ground to a powder to place is capsules.
Of course, the details and opinions of this are too much for this one post. You should out this for more information.
Here in Uganda, no one eats their placenta. It is very normal; however, to delay clamping the cord for several hours after delivery. This entails placing the placenta in a covered bowl next to the baby on the bed. It is really not a big deal and allows ALL of the blood in the placenta to drain into the baby before cutting. So much research has looked at the benefits of this practice ... and so far, on all indicators, it is preferred and is practiced by many Midwives. (This would be something easy to request from your OB/GYN in a hospital birth if he/she is not already doing this as a routine part of their practice)
Once the placenta is cut, the Traditional Birth Attendant then takes it into the 'bush' ... a large grassland area behind the birth center to bury it. This system works quite well...typically. Although I haven't seen it myself, I've been told of the wild pigs coming along to dig them up and running around with a placenta in their mouth! Umbilical cord behind them, flapping in the wind! You can imagine how disconcerting this scene would be for a new mother to see.
To alleviate this possibility a placenta pit is being built. Requiring massive amounts of manual labor, the pit is being dug by hand by two local guys and then cemented inside. It is no where close to being finished, but certainly a new addition for our center.
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| A placenta with the cord barely attached -- only by the vessels. This is not normal. |
Once the baby is born all eyes, focus and attention seem to resonate only with the new little person. This is fine -- except for the Midwife who knows how equally important attending to the placenta is. Making sure the placenta is delivered, bleeding is controlled and the uterus is contracted down is THE biggest life saving skill involved in a birth. Postpartum hemmorhage ensues because these things do not take place ... or do not take place completely. It is an essential piece for a birth to be safe for the mother and baby.
Because I deal with placentas often -- inspecting, comparing and handling -- I'm always so curious at the differences of each; some being big, others being small; some being filled with vessels, others being quite dull in appearance. I had one the other day that was literally in the shape of a heart (It would have made an excellent picture had my camera there).
There are some people who believe consuming the placenta after birth is a good thing. Their reasons stem from the fact that humans are the only mammals who do not eat their placenta ... think of cows or cats or horses you've seen have their babies. After the baby is delivered, the afterbirth is then consumed. Brimming with hormones, the belief is that the consumed placenta delivers huge boosts of essential hormones to the mother making breastfeeding, postpartum depression and hemorrhage all function better. I have heard of people eating the placenta raw (placenta smoothie?) but mostly, 'placenta encapsulation' takes places where the placenta is cooked in a special herbal mixture, dehydrated and then ground to a powder to place is capsules. Of course, the details and opinions of this are too much for this one post. You should out this for more information.
Once the placenta is cut, the Traditional Birth Attendant then takes it into the 'bush' ... a large grassland area behind the birth center to bury it. This system works quite well...typically. Although I haven't seen it myself, I've been told of the wild pigs coming along to dig them up and running around with a placenta in their mouth! Umbilical cord behind them, flapping in the wind! You can imagine how disconcerting this scene would be for a new mother to see.
Great article, SJ! So interesting to see the cultural piece! I've heard a few recipes get tossed around in my circle of mothers - though mostly my moms encapsulate theirs with some going the raw/frozen chunks in smoothies route.
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