Another idea is to bury it under a tree. Or you could have a Lotus birth - leave the baby attached to the placenta until the cord dries up and falls off on its own.
And yet another popular option is to EAT IT a.k.a. placentophagia. Many animals eat their own placenta, for various reasons, including the fact that it contains oxytocin (happy-feeling drugs), which, among other things, make you happy about your new baby!
Supposedly placentophagia also helps prevent postpartum depression and contract the uterus after the birth.
An alternative to placenta lasagna or placenta smoothie is Encapsulation - the placenta is dried, ground, and encapsulated so that you can ingest it like vitamins. You can take them for as long as you need them, and then even save them for menopause if you like!
I'm not sure how I feel about this. I think burying the placenta under a tree is nice - circle of life and so forth - but I don't know if I could take a pill and not think about the fact that it was once my own organ. Thoughts?
Dear Anthrodoula,
ReplyDeleteWhat a very interesting post! On the whole, I would be down for encapsulation. Pills are already full of strange things anyway!
A. Doula,
ReplyDeleteDo ppl reaaaaally eat their own placenta?? That made me shudder and gag, until I read about the benefits. I actually am scared of PPD, so whatever helps... I actually think the pill form would be MUCH more palatable, but why do they have to be so huge?!
-renny
Hmmm, maybe if you thought of it as a shared pregnancy tool between yourself, the father and baby, and not your organ like cannibalism style. It is really the baby's placenta, genetically speaking.
ReplyDeleteP.s. I've eaten my own and they don't make you gag :) no taste or weird stuff have I burped up. Now the tincture...that has a flavor, although not altogether unpleasant. If anyone in St Pete Florida area, I am now an Encapsulation Specialist and have been trained in the placental arts. www.bluemoonbirth.com
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