Eating the Placenta After Giving Birth - Is It Tasty OR Taboo?
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Ewww, Why Do People Eat Placenta?
What Do You Think About Eating Placenta?
Would you do it? Is it is cannibalism?
A Note of Importance
Because I do realize that this might be a disturbing subject to some, I've tried extremely hard to present this discussion in the most tasteful way possible. (No pun intendend.)
Why I Decided to Write About This Topic
You may be asking yourself what inspired me to write about placenta eating, of all things...
No, I have never done it myself. The inspiration for this lens was actually found completely by accident. I was searching Google and clicked on a link that I thought was about Twilight recipes, but surprisingly turned out to be about various ways to cook human placenta. It was very graphic and quite shocking. I had heard of this many years ago, but had never given it much thought. The photos of placenta on this website made the idea a little more "real" and were pretty disturbing to see. I immediately closed the window, but could not stop wondering how many people actually do consume their placenta after giving birth. I remember seeing my own placenta in the delivery room and can tell you, without a doubt, that the thought of eating it never crossed my mind. As I mulled over the question of why someone would decide to eat a placenta, I became more fascinated with the subject. After thinking about it all through the night I finally decided that if I was giving this topic so much thought that others might be curious too. I knew that HeyMonkeyBrain is the perfect place to find out answers to the most interesting and controversial issues, and a lens was born!
I should also add that after researching the topic more thoroughly, I have a new respect for other cultures. Although, I would never eat placenta, I have learned more about some very interesting rituals and customs, like for example, the Hawaiian and Australian ceremonies of planting the placenta with a tree or shrub, which is then believed to be sacred and connected to the child as it grows.
Tasty OR Taboo?
Plan Ahead!
If you are planning to take your placenta home from the hospital with you, it's a good idea to discuss it with your doctor/midwife and hospital before your actual delivery to avoid any problems with hospital staff, rules and regulations, etc.
Your placenta can be ruined by improper care!
If you are planning to eat or encapsulate your placenta it is very important to be sure it is handled properly from the moment of birth.
Placenta Encapsulation
Some women choose to dry and encapsulate their placenta as a nutritional supplement for postpartum recovery.
*If you are planning to eat or encapsulate your placenta it is very important to be sure it is handled properly from the moment of birth.
For more information about handling your placenta properly click here.
- Placenta Capsules, Placenta Encapsulation Services
- How to avoid the baby blues and create placenta capsules.
- Placenta Encapsulation and Ingestion
- What is placenta encapsulation, and why would a mom consider doing it?
- Placenta Care for Encapsulation
- Proper Care of the Placenta - Placentas can, and do, get ruined from improper handling.
- Placenta Encapsulation
- I first came across the idea of placenta encapsulation while researching my childbirth options. At the time, I shuffled the idea out of my mind since I was quite honestly squeamish about the idea of ingesting my own placenta.
- My Placenta Encapsulation Story!!
- ...every mama should know about this amazing medicine!! Postpartum Depression
- Placenta Encapsulation Kit
- No guesswork, no gathering supplies - everything you need to create capsules from your placenta is sent right to your door.
The Process of Making Placenta Pills
Read how these mothers documented the incredible process of encapsulating thier placentas into ingestible pills.
- Placenta Encapulation Essay & Photos
- I ended up encapsulating it, which has been wonderful in avoiding post partum depression or moodiness, and in raising my dangerously low iron levels after blood loss. It's also been some pretty powerful medicine. I thought you might be interested in how we ended up preparing it, so I've put together this photo essay:
- Placenta Dehydration & Encapsulation
- My sweet sister had a baby just last week and decided she wanted to reap the many benefits of eating her placenta. Neither the pot roast or smoothie recipes were appetizing so we decided to go this route. It was actually not near as gross as I had anticipated.
Placenta Encapsulating Supplies
*If you are planning to eat or encapsulate your placenta it is very important to be sure it is handled properly from the moment of birth.
Nesco FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator
Amazon Price: $57.99 (as of 02/13/2012)
* 700-watt 5-tray food dehydrator dries in hours instead of days
* Top-mounted fan; adjustable thermostat from 95 to 160 degrees F
* Flavors don't mix; no need to rotate trays; opaque exterior blocks harmful lights
* Includes recipe book, 2 solid sheets, 2 mesh sheets, and 3 jerky spice packets
* Measures approximately 13 by 13 by 10 inches
The making of a placenta art print.
Placenta Art Prints
Okay, if you're too squeamish to eat it, but want to do something special with it, here's a few neat ideas!
- How to Make a Placenta Print
- Placenta prints make a wonderful keepsake for the baby book, or you can frame it and have fun watching your friends wonder just how that pretty tree-like art was made.
- Placenta Prints
- We are most definitely prepared for any reaction to the idea of placenta prints! EWWWW, GROSS! ... is the most common ... until people see the actual artwork.
Planting a Placenta Tree
In honor of their new baby, many people plant their placenta with a tree.
It is a Hawaiian tradition to plant the placenta (or "iewe," pronounced eh-AY-vay) in a religious ceremony. The iewe is considered sacred and when planted with a tree is watched as it grows to better understand psychological and spiritual changes in the child.
In Australia, it is an Aboriginal tradition to plant the placenta under a special tree or bush. Actor, Matthew McConaughey recently brought this ritual into news when he announced that he planned to plant the placenta, from the birth of his son Levi, in an orchard.
The placenta can be frozen until you are ready to plant it. Some cultures plant the placenta and leave it in the ground for one year before planting the tree. After planting it in the ground, the placenta breaks down in the soil and delivers nutrients that will produce a beautiful tree that you can watch grow with your child. The symbolism connects your child to the tree in a very special and beautiful way. Some families choose to throw placenta planting parties and turn the event into a big celebration honoring their child.
- How to Plant a Placenta Tree
- A baby gift that grows with your newborn.
- Matthew McConaughey To Plant Placenta Tree
- Matthew McConaughey plans to plant the placenta from the July 7 birth of his son Levi in an orchard.
- Taking Your Placenta Home for Burial
- You would like to take your placenta home to bury it. In most cases it is fine to take your placenta home as long as you can follow the basic health precautions which are explained below.
- Intimate Places
- When babies are born in this area, there is a tradition of planting a 'placenta tree above the baby's buried placenta... [See Section: "A Personal Account" to read more.]
- Australian Aboriginal Experience
- A river bank which was part of the traditional clan lands and under whose trees placentas are traditionally buried... [See Section: "An unforgettable experience" to read more.]
Gifts to Commemorate a Placenta Planting
These "tree of life" pendants would make a cherished keepsake for the new mother after the ceremony of planting the placenta with a tree.
Detailed Round Sterling Silver Tree of Life Pendant on 16" Box Chain, #8529
Amazon Price: (as of 02/13/2012)
This pendant measures 1" wide and hangs from a 16" sterling silver box chain.
Made in the USA.
Oval Tree of Life Pendant in Sterling Silver on a 16" Box Chain, #8532
Amazon Price: (as of 02/13/2012)
This charming oval shaped pendant or charm, has a "Tree of Life" design in the center and hangs from a 16" sterling silver box chain.
Pendant measures 1/2" wide and 3/4" in length.
Made in the USA.
Planting placenta.
Lotus Birth
Some mothers believe the placenta continues to provide for the baby even after the birth and choose to leave the placenta attached to the baby via the uncut umbilical cord until it eventually dries up and falls off naturally.
- Common Questions About Lotus Birth
- What is Lotus Birth exactly?
- Lotus Birth- A Ritual For Our Times
- This version updated March 2005 and features in Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: The Best Articles on Gentle Choices in Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting, Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering...
- Lotus Birth for Midwives: Asking the Next Question
- ...Why Cut the Cord?
- A Lotus Birth Picture Gallery
- "Healthy Families Make A Healthy World!" www.naturalfamilyco.com
Gifts to Commemorate a Lotus Birth
Lotus jewelry would make cherished keepsake for the new mother after a lotus birth.
Pretty Pink Lotus Flower Dangle Earrings in Sterling Silver, #8745
Amazon Price: (as of 02/13/2012)
These lotus flower earrings are sterling silver and pink enamel.
The earrings measure 1/2" wide and 5/8" long including the wire.
For matching styles please see our Taos Trading storefront. Handmade in the USA.
Round Lotus Flower Pendant in Matte Finishd Sterling Silver and 24K Gold Vermeil on a 16" Link Chain, #8809
Amazon Price: (as of 02/13/2012)
Pendant measures 3/4" x 3/4", sterling silver 16" chain included. Handmade in the USA.
This round Lotus flower pendant has been handcrafted of sterling silver and 24kt gold vermeil.
The 24kt vermeil lotus design stands out against the brushed satin background, making this pendant bold yet understated at the same time.
Placenta Poll
Angel in the Waters
Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 02/13/2012)
In its mother's womb, a tiny baby grows, explores the waters, and talks with the angel who is there.
These gentle illustrations and wise words tell the story of that baby and the angel in the waters . . . a story that delights all children, because the journey from conception to birth is their story, too.
"Mother-Cake"
The German word for placenta is Mutterkuchen and the Dutch word for it is moederkoek. Both words literally mean "mother-cake".
A Child Is Born
Amazon Price: $14.61 (as of 02/13/2012)
Life
Amazon Price: $107.49 (as of 02/13/2012)
In the Womb: Witness the Journey from Conception to Birth through Astonishing 3D Images
Amazon Price: $10.00 (as of 02/13/2012)
National Geographic - In the Womb
Amazon Price: $7.50 (as of 02/13/2012)
What Do You Think?
Please share you thoughts, opinions and personal experiences here.
What Should Be Done With the Placenta After a Baby is Born?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byEwww! The hospital staff should definitely dispose of the placenta.
SuperBrainwave says:
It all sounds a bit gross to me! People should have the right to do what they want with the placenta, but I know my wife finds the whole idea as unappealing as I do! :-)
Posted February 11, 2012
Solly says:
If people are so STUPID and IGNORANT that they can't see any distinction between eating human flesh ie: a placenta, and sausages, I wonder what the hell they are doing living in the human environment at all.
What next? Will sex with animals be made cool? Will those who oppose it be called ignorant bestiaphobes?
Posted February 02, 2012
livinglargeandhappy says:
Although I find the idea behind the Squidoo is interesting, and eye opening, I must be both squeamish and unenlightened. You said it - ewwwww. I find it nauseating and really can't go through the all of the content.
Posted February 01, 2012
ChiChi says:
I can't even begin to say what on earth I'm thinking. It's your choice though. I just can't
What I want to know is how some people go about getting all this free placenta? Do you call up hospitals and ask for permission from would-be mothers? How does that conversation...even...go...?
Then again, I don't want to give birth to children so this is not something I can imagine for myself regardless.
Posted December 24, 2011
GraceDunne says:
Yeah.. Other mammals lick their own butts too. Anyone want to jump on that band-wagon?
Posted November 05, 2011
B Min3-us1 says:
That's just fucking sick...
Posted October 05, 2011
Tipi says:
There are just some things I do not understand, to each his own, I guess.
Posted September 02, 2011
Morgannafay says:
To each their own, I would not rob a mother or father the opportunity to eat their own placenta. Had I decided to have kids, Noooooo I certainly would not eat it. If someone else wanted it, I'd give it. LOL No need to let all that placenta go to waste.
Posted August 24, 2011
AJTyne says:
Interesting lens! Wow. I never knew people did this, and not sure I wanted to know, lol. It's very interesting because recently, when I was researching for an article I wrote, I came across something on a university vet school site. It said that the mother animal sometimes eats the placenta, but not always, and that it was NOT necessary or helpful for nutrition, but just a matter of cleaning up. At any rate, I think this notion of specialness is just "magical thinking". The child is the special part!
Posted July 02, 2011
SK says:
A bit disgusting
Posted May 16, 2011
chouji says:
It's crazy. How can one eat the placenta? I don't think it's appropriate in today's modern age.
Posted March 17, 2011
Mujjen says:
This is a new thought for me, only knew of tribal practices before!
Posted January 27, 2011
S.A.H says:
This sounds very primitive and cult like. There is NO reason that humans should partake in this practice. I am appalled! Furthermore, I cannot believe that people are doing crap like this!!! YUCK!!!!!!!
Posted January 23, 2011
DaniB says:
I have never in my right mind thought of wating the placenta! I mean, EW! Who would want to eat something that came from inside them??
Posted December 27, 2010
Cari_Kay says:
I was high risk and my son was truly a miracle baby. That placenta was studied after I gave birth. Even if they hadn't take the placenta, my son was my gift. The placenta sustained him temporarily (and didn't do a very good job) and then it was my turn and I did a much better job of it :) That said, I talk to pregnant women daily and have known a few who have taken the placenta afterward (so I wouldn't actually choose 'Ewwww! LOL)
Posted December 21, 2010
pumpnut says:
I can't really see the point. Very interesting lens. Heck of a research job!
Posted November 29, 2010
Placentaman Hollyween costume says:
It should licked like an ice-cream. Its so beautiful. Its so sacred. You should light candles and worship it like a pink and bloody Bhuda. And then go to bed with it and kiss it good night. Draw placenta portraits and make placenta photo albums. You should give it a proper name Introduce it to people an dinner parties (but not on the menu, cos thats in compassionate). Yes all you people who eat placentas are murderers. Shame on you. I know they delicious, especially raw, with some salt, but its wrong. Please support me my save the placentas foundation and donate a placenta today!
Posted November 17, 2010
Honey says:
i think that it is disgusting and agree with kab. your body thinks its waste, dont eat the thing! i also have a question. do they like eat it with knifes and forks? or just, ...eat it?
frankly, it makes me sick.
Posted October 27, 2010
Brandy says:
Get rid of it.... Do not eat it, play with it, so forth.....
Posted October 25, 2010
Baby Shower Invitations says:
Absolutely insane! Just to discuss this is disgusting!
Posted June 28, 2010
susy says:
I adore my children. I didn't find any aspect of giving birth to them -- or any part of their existence (except for the "lice incident") -- to be disgusting. However, I am fortunate to live as a human in the industrialized world, where we do not have to eat our placentas for protection or nutrition.
When I was six, I had my tonsils and adenoids out. Although I was a fairly anemic child (thanks to the constant tonsillitis), nobody even considered feeding my organs back to me. Similarly, when I had my gallbladder removed, I did not ask that it be preserved so I could consume it now that I had stopped vomiting after any food intake. If I have any other body parts removed, it will be just fine with me for them to go into the medical waste bin.
There's no evidence that eating placenta prevents postpartum depression. There is no evidence that eating placenta is beneficial to mothers in any way, other than in situations where she can't receive nutrition any other way. Eating someone else's placenta? Seems like a recipe for prion disease. This whole trend (and yes, in the western world, it's exactly that) is just another part of the competitive Mombie movement. "You had a waterbirth at home after your organic vegan pregnancy? Well, I ATE MY OWN PLACENTA!(after paying someone to come and prepare it for me, of course. I'm not handling that nastiness myself. I just had a baby, after all)"
Believe it or not, there are hundreds of millions of women out there who are grateful to be alive after delivering their babies in tents, in shacks, in refugee camps. They pray for the survival of those same babies, surrounded by disease and malnutrition. Maybe, instead of spending the money having someone come "prepare" your placenta for questionable medical benefit, a more meaningful commemoration would be to donate that money to provide food and basic medical care for a less fortunate mother and child.
Posted March 12, 2010
Pukeko says:
While there are great arguments in favor of it, I just don't think I could do it. Yuck. I don't it things that come out of my body. Maybe the tree idea would be ok.
Posted November 12, 2009
Basinski says:
When I had my daughter in the hospital, I told the nurses that I did not want to see the placents at all, the thought of just seeing it just gave me the creeps. It was very hard for me just to look at the pics on here. I don't regret not looking at it at all. The only reason I decided to look this up was b/c it was a conversation that got brought up with my sisiter-in-law and I didn't believe people really did that! It just seems so wierd. But, everyone has their own opinions!
Posted September 27, 2009
Amy_Williams says:
I had an unassisted childbirth with my 4th, but transferred after for a tear and delivered the placenta there. I was glad to let them deal with it, it's just an organ! I picked "ewww" but I don't really think that, it's more "meh, it's not a big deal". I definitely wouldn't eat it, in any form.
Posted July 16, 2009
CCGAL says:
In the early 60's, we knew a hippie couple who gave birth (and named their daughter Groovy, I'm not kidding) and he made her eat the placenta - I guess he breaded and fried it in butter. omigod, it makes me gag to even remember them telling the story. Sorry, it might be OK in other cultures, but I think it's disgusting.
Posted June 04, 2009
Tonique says:
Um, I'm Australian and we most definitely DO NOT plant out placenta's with a special tree or bush.
So I have no idea where you got that from :s
But it makes me kind of reluctant to take any of the other facts you've provided very seriously. sorry.
Posted May 11, 2009
Jimmie says:
I think it's pretty gross. Can you think of anything else that comes out of a human body that we'd be willing to eat? The whole concept is pretty shocking.
But that's not to say that it's WRONG to use it in some sort of special way. The tree ceremony is very beautiful.
In China, a woman can sell her placenta to those who use it in Chinese medicine. My friend told me she earned around $15 for hers. She was going to dispose of it, so why not earn a bit of money? Makes sense. I know other women who have eaten medicine made from human placenta.
Posted April 15, 2009
foreverme says:
I have to agree with kab though I truthfully didn't want to think about it at all.
Posted April 05, 2009
kiwisoutback says:
Ahh.. yuck. Ditch that placenta. I've had polenta, but never placenta. I think it's kind of cannibalistic to eat it.
Posted March 25, 2009
kab says:
Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! You're body thought it was waste, why do you think otherwise? And if God wanted you to eat it, it would come out breaded and deep fried.
Posted March 24, 2009
It's a gift! The placenta should be eaten or done something special with.
Arron Nash says:
The mother & father should eat it together while making love, licking it off each other, swapping the juices while passionately kissing etc. And they should feed some of it to the baby & include the baby in the lovemaking.
Nothing is wrong with it. It's only society's primitive conditioned minds that can't get over it. It will inevitably be normal one day as enlightenment reaches a global scale.
Posted February 13, 2012
Stacey says:
Its a person's choice. You don't have to eat it if that is not what you want to experience. I would not eat it. I believe that we have evolved to a place where that is no longer something we need as a women. But if women still feel attached to that past and feel it gives them what they need then may it be blessed and eaten.
Posted February 03, 2012
Stevie says:
las vegas women who have been denied their placenta should come together and file a law suit against the hospital because this has probably happened to more of us then we all know and it is wrong and can cause major life changing problems with depression that can never be undone if you are in las vegas and have been denied your placenta in the past or now reply PLACENTA THEFT to stevieswain@hotmail.com maybe we can stop the pain and suffering
Posted January 30, 2012
sfdalj; says:
There's nothing wrong with eating your own placenta. The placenta itself has a lot of nutrition lost from the woman's body and the best way for her to recover those nutrition is to eat her own placenta. Some people think it's gross and it's cannibalism, I'd say those people are just stupid and ignorant. It's like some people think eating meat is unethical and some people think eating sausages are gross because it's made out of intestines. Purely stupidity.
Posted January 24, 2012
AR says:
I think the placenta should be put back in the mother to be used in the next birth.
Posted January 19, 2012
Moxley says:
If you dont like it, don't do it....But if I want to do it, I fucking will.....if my sweet lady wants to do it, i'll do whatever I need to do to bring that home and will be the best placenta chef ever...
I have cooked all kinda of placentas in my days - pig placenta, human placenta - placenta from big girls, placenta from models, placenta from every type of woman you can imagine... The russian placentas taste kinda like vodka- the chinese girls placentas are good with general tso's sauce.....but mexican american girls are the besst I must say, you get a sweetness And tangy spiciness that just isn't found elsewhere....
Posted December 11, 2011
workingmomwm says:
I can't see myself actually eating the placenta (I didn't - didn't even think of it as an option when I delivered my two girls), but now I kind of wished I'd saved them - maybe done something artsy-craftsy with them. They are really special. :-)
Posted August 26, 2011
Mar says:
Im from New Zealand where it is common practice to take it home and plant a tree. I recently had twins in Australia and had to battle with a doctor to take it home she was appalled. Which I thought was very narrow minded the midwife said just wait until she has gone and we will save it for you. The twins are 1 in a month and we lookfoward to our planting.
Posted August 17, 2011
DaveHiggsVis says:
I would have fried it in some butter and eaten, but my wife was too grossed out by the idea. I don't advocate this for everyone, but, as a chef, I wanted to try it out.
Posted May 17, 2011
glitterfrog says:
Ok, I guess I could see the planting it with a tree thing. But I honestly don't see what anyone would expect to get out of eating it. I mean, if you had your appendix removed, would you eat that? Yeah, I didn't think so. I think once your body is finished with something, it's waste. I mean no disrespect to anyone who does eat it, I just don't understand it and wouldn't do it myself. I'm going to click "it's a gift" because of the tree-planting idea, but I'm not sure that I really think of it as a gift!
Posted April 28, 2011
U_Inspire_Me_2 says:
I don't know what opinion I have of this. Animals do this, and we are animals too. It's normal and very likely good for us under certain circumstances. I have not eaten mine, and likely would not. However, if it actually does make a difference with post-partum depression, then the pills should be an option for all mothers.
Although, I will make a choice below, I am actually fairly undecided about it, non-judgmental about it and also kind of icked out. :)
Posted April 10, 2011
daoine says:
I kept my baby lotus for 12 hours and then we planted the placenta in our vege patch so that the nutrients could continue to provide for us :-)
Posted February 10, 2011
Heather says:
WOW! The thought never even crossed my mind before stumbling across this article. Now I am pondering the idea. I would never be able to eat it...that just makes me want to gag. But I love the idea of planting it with a tree. The symbolism is precious.
Posted January 06, 2011
GaiaWorld says:
I had my placenta encapsulated by a doula. It was steamed, dehydrated and ground up with spice added to it the traditional Chinese medicinal way. I chose to do it because I have had anxiety attacks in the past and read about how healing the placenta can be for mom after birth. I noticed a difference don't underestimate those hormones.
Posted December 17, 2010
Ecomum says:
It should be definitely remembered in some way, I wouldn't eat it, but maybe planting it could be kind of nice gesture. Definitely! Nice lens, thank you.
Posted April 22, 2010
LeanneChesser says:
I've never given this any though until now, so I don't have a formed opinion. I didn't know there was any other option when I had my kids, so the hospital staff disposed of my placentas. At that time, I don't think I would have made any other choice. Now, though, it might be cool to plant it. I definitely wouldn't eat it though. I could really go on either side of the debate . . . I'll pick the gift side because I would now consider something like planting it.
Posted February 07, 2010
_Joan_ says:
Definitely a gift. I made placenta prints with both of mine and then composted them. I love my garden so using the placenta to feed my garden was special to me. Also, my husband would have freaked out pretty badly if I had tried to cook it.
Posted December 29, 2009
Lynnea Shrief says:
The placenta is a amazing organ and should most definitely be consumed after birth. I believe the best method is the ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine capsules where the placenta is dried and can be used for years post-partum. The placenta contains all the nutrients a new mother needs post birth and supplements her loss of iron, hormones and essential protiens for rebuilding and healing her body after birth trauma. For Placenta Encapsulation Services visit Koala Therapies in the UK. http://www.koalatherapies.com/placenta.html
Posted November 26, 2009
Captain Pwncaptainrob says:
In response to Captain Rob: They don't eat human liver you nub cake.
It is a personal choice of the person with their placenta to do as they wish, I am not one to judge, so I say do what they want with it; it's their own organ afterall.
Posted July 04, 2009
Tangie says:
Honestly, I think that the placenta should be attached to the baby as long as possible. I have seen undrugged babies cry when the cord was cut and it seems rather inhumane. A lotus birth seems like a beautiful thing.
I would definitely have a lotus birth if I were given the chance.
Posted June 28, 2009
Tassiegirl says:
I'm Australian and it is quite a common practice to be given your placenta after birthing in hospital and take it home and plant it under a special tree. In fact I did that with my son's placenta 9 months ago. Unfortunately the walnut sapling died LOL but we'll plant another and won't tell him what happened! haha!
As to eating it. I probably would if someone encapsulated it for me. I'd just pretend it was a vitamin tablet :)
Posted June 06, 2009
Captain-Rob says:
The placenta is an organ just like the liver is an organ. People eat liver, right?
Posted June 04, 2009
draik says:
What I have heard is that eating placenta will give you really good skin and make you look younger. I am not sure if it is true. I have also heard of somebody mother in-law actually minced the placenta with pork and wrapped them into wanton. After that, she serve the whole family without them knowing what is inside. Yuck!
I might take a small bite to see how it taste like but I will not eat the whole chuck of it. If someone can make my own placenta into capsulate pills, I think I might.
Posted April 15, 2009
clouda9 says:
As an after thought, our guys are now in their 20's, we would have lovingly placed their placenta in the ground with a tree start. Imagine the stories as we watched that special tree grow!
Posted April 11, 2009
brown says:
I had a home birth. My midwife saved my placenta and used it in the catching the baby class that she does for dads in case they dont make it in time!!
Posted March 27, 2009
lollyj says:
Let everyone do what they want with their placenta. Animals eat the placenta for the nourishment. Years ago placentas were used to make gamma globulin. Not sure if that is still done or not since GG is not used as a treatment so often nowadays.
Posted March 25, 2009
hlkljgk says:
the hospital asked me if i wanted to take ours home to plant, and i said yes; but they threw it away. :(
Posted March 23, 2009
harmony says:
The thought of eating the placenta wants to make me hurl. But, I do think, if planned out right, it would be a great thing to plant it with a sapling.
Very interesting topic for sure!
Posted March 23, 2009
Placenta Recipes
WARNING: These are not for the squeamish!
For more information about handling your placenta properly click here.
- Placenta Recipes - Lasagne - Spaghetti - Stew - Pizza - Roast
- All "food" should be properly cleaned prior to cooking, and all "food" should be properly cooked prior to eating. Cut the meat away from the membranes with a sharp knife. Discard the membranes.
- Making Placenta Essence
- For this recipe, you will need a 40 oz. bottle of vodka or some other non-smelling, non-colored drinkable alcohol. This amount will make enough essence to last your whole life. If you want less, just use less vodka.
- Vegan Placenta Casserole
- First of all I need to get the main ingredient out of the freezer. It's always better to have your meat fresh, but with the newest Manley child being kept in the neonatal special care unit for a while, it was not practicable, so it needs time to defrost.
Is Eating Human Placenta Cannibalism?
Those who disagree with the accusation that eating human placenta is cannibalism (or self-cannibalism) argue that the placenta is a temporary organ that is only eaten after it is expelled from the mother's body.
Consumption of uncooked human placenta carries risks associated with other human blood products,
primarily risk of hepatitis B,C and HIV infection.
However, eating one's own placenta does not carry those risks.
Placenta News, Stories, & More
- Moms' bizarre ritual is hard to swallow - Women's health- msnbc.com
- When Devorah Shalev became pregnant with her second child, she looked for ways to stave off the baby blues - and found herself doing something surprising. She ingested her placenta.
- Judge: Hospital Must Return Mom's Placenta - CBS News
- A woman has won a court fight to keep the placenta after her daughter's birth. She had planned to grind it up and ingest it as a way to fight postpartum depression, but now plans to bury it.
- Mother to Sue Hospital For Refusing to Release Her Placenta
- A woman in Las Vegas is suing the hospital where she gave birth to her child because the hospital is refusing to release her placenta to her, and she had been planning to ingest it for its nutrients.
- Placenta Pictures
- Beautiful photography of the amazing placenta.
- Hawaiian Law Now Permits Parents to Keep Placentas
- Native Hawaiians typically "plant" the placenta in the ground following a religious ritual that is kept a closely held secret. A move to declare placentas "infectious waste" angered Hawaiians who use the placenta in religious ceremonies, highlighting the conflict between modern medicine and traditional culture. A law now guarantees women the right to take the placenta home.
- Ingesting the placenta: Is it healthy for new moms? - USATODAY.com
- Among a small but vocal contingent of expectant mothers and proponents, it is strongly believed that the placenta created by the woman's body to pass nutrients between mother and fetus and is expelled after birth is rich in chemicals that can help...
Heart and Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy and Birth
Amazon Price: $19.91 (as of 02/13/2012)
Spiritual Midwifery
Amazon Price: $12.36 (as of 02/13/2012)
More About Pregnancy, Childbirth & Motherhood
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4liberator
Dec 3, 2011 @ 3:25 am | delete
- Very Catchy Title,,,,,,, I have to say I really though I needed to look for a trash can when I saw this........
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FixbuttonHQ
Oct 25, 2011 @ 2:42 pm | delete
- Whoaaaa..... I never even thought about it. I don't knw whether to be interested or grossed out. Awesome topic!
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billfiddle
Oct 18, 2011 @ 8:28 pm | delete
- wow! weird or what?! but learned a LOT so congrats on a work well done...:-)
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DougAllen
Sep 17, 2011 @ 11:52 pm | delete
- Wow! Never thought or heard of this practice. Great lens and very thought provoking!
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Tipi
Sep 2, 2011 @ 2:10 am | delete
- Whew, talk about going where no one has gone before!
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workingmomwm
Aug 26, 2011 @ 6:16 pm | delete
- Very interesting. I think that last poll should have a "maybe" option, though. I'm kind of on the fence as to whether or not eating the placenta is actually cannibalism ...
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AJTyne
Jul 2, 2011 @ 11:00 pm | delete
- Well-done lens. Very detailed. I don't think it's cannibalism unless you eat some other person's placenta (or other body part). But I do think it's gross and also not really helpful.
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DaveHiggsVis May 17, 2011 @ 6:53 pm | delete
- Best quote from the above debate: "If God wanted you to eat it, it would come out breaded and deep fried." Major lolz!
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FrankChapman May 8, 2011 @ 12:49 pm | delete
- I'm sure there is a time when this could be very beneficial, during famine, war, third world.
Nature provides, but I had a hard time reading this.
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Wedding_Mom
Apr 26, 2011 @ 7:53 pm | delete
- VERY INTERESTING! I know that placenta is just the most wonderful thing since it supplies all the nutrients that a baby can get and I've also been well informed that some would burn their placenta and turn it into powder and dab it on the face because supposedly it is great on the skin. ChrisDay is so right the topic was handle with so sensitivity. Love reading your lens! Well done!
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Senora_M
Apr 17, 2011 @ 9:38 pm | delete
- Wow, interesting lens. I watched the movie The Business of Being Born by Ricki Lake and one of the moms froze her placenta. I was asking my husband what he thought she did with it. He thought it was gross. I haven't heard of eating it, but I heard that Matthew McConague (sp?) planted his girlfriend's placenta in the garden or something like that. Anyway, interesting lens.
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UKGhostwriter
Apr 8, 2011 @ 4:51 pm | delete
- Interesting and tasteful (no pun intended)
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ChrisDay
Feb 4, 2011 @ 10:25 am | delete
- Bravely and sensitively handled for such a tricky and individual subject.
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ChrisDay
Feb 4, 2011 @ 10:24 am | delete
- Many species eat the placenta - even herbivores. However, as a veggie family, we didn't opt for this. It is a very interesting topic and each individual must be guided by her own instincts at the time (which cannot be predicted, since hormonal changes at childbirth are overpowering).
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Mujjen
Jan 27, 2011 @ 7:19 am | delete
- This was so interesting! Think I could grasp the planting of a tree or something better than eating it. Nobody ever asked me before giving birth, though!
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scar4
Jan 13, 2011 @ 1:04 am | delete
- I'd rather not eat placenta after giving birth. It's savage and disgusting.
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hotbrain
Dec 15, 2010 @ 10:54 pm | delete
- I see that the poll is 50-50 on whether eating the placenta is cannibalism. I sure hope our government doesn't ever decide to make a law about it because the debate and subsequent protests/marches would fill the news for months. Not to mention the court cases and the FDA becoming involved....
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TWOnline2 Dec 13, 2010 @ 11:17 pm | delete
- i did not know this was something still done or even done at all these days
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MommyArt
Oct 12, 2010 @ 3:04 am | delete
- Because I did a very natural birth (at home, etc), I was reading all the stuff about it. A friend of mine, who also did an at-home birth said her midwife asked her, "Do you want me to cook the placenta for you?" She said she politely, but rapidly, declined.
While I don't think the umbilical cord should be cut immediately after the baby is born, I don't go for the lotus birth option, either. We left the placenta attached for around 6-8 hours after each of our children were born (long enough for me to sleep).
First one we buried in the yard, second just went out with the trash, since we didn't have a yard anymore...
Great lens, reminds me of some things I wanted to forget about the whole birthing experience, but in a manner that doesn't make me want to keep forgetting it. Smile!
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daoine
Feb 10, 2011 @ 5:20 pm | delete
- That is considered a lotus birth, MommyArt :-) Or at least a partial lotus. Ours was lotus for 12 hours.
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About the Author
by enslavedbyfaeries
No, I have never eaten placenta, but I am fascinated in learning what you think about this bizarre practice.
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