Placental Thoughts

I've been thinking about placentas. I realized I missed "viewing my placenta" from the list of things I wish I'd been able to do during my cesarean birth. It's been bothering me that I forgot that one. I have the most beautiful pictures of my first placenta, but sadly didn't see my cesarean placenta before it went to pathology

I think they are important links to our animal self. I've lived on a farm, watched new mama animals eating their placentas. They are these unique, one time use organs, that our bodies create.

I see that the placenta is the living tie between mother and babe. I also think it's interesting that the placenta loses it's life at every birth as it is shed from both bodies.

I thought about consuming my own placenta. My uninformed idea was that I would have had to eat two pounds of placenta stir-fry. I just could quite see myself doing that no matter how good it is for me!

Turns out I should have looked in to it more.

I've been learning about placental encapsulation and it sounds super cool. I t allows the placenta to be stored and consumed easily. The benefits are reported as preventing postpartum depression, helping with milk supply and even help with menopause hormone changes.

Here is a link to a youtube video of a reporter following a professional "placenta-lady"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuxeAbeDcU0

And here's a blog post, with pictures, of a mama doing it herself.

http://mamamojo.wordpress.com/2008/06/10/placenta-dehydrationencapsulation-phase-one-complete/

Before I had a cesarean I had never thought of not seeing my placenta. Giving birth vaginally it's just not something you would miss, 'cause you have to push it out. It wasn't until the day after my cesarean that I thought about it at all.

If I had it to do over I'd encapsulate mine, or at least think to ask to see it.

p.s. just found this great site with lots of info:

http://www.placentabenefits.info/