Before I got pregnant, I had no idea there was a list of things you could do with your placenta. In fact, I wasn't even entirely clear what a placenta was. I quickly learned all about placentas, but was not prepared to be questioned about it in the that way I have. When I switched midwives about a month ago, the new practice asked me what I wanted to do with my placenta once it was delivered. And then at Christmas, there was a long discussion over dessert about my placental intentions. I have mad love for the miracle organ my body has manufactured, but how far does that love go? Does it mean storing it in my freezer, making art prints out of it (see above), planting it under a fruit tree in the backyard? I really don't know. All these questions got me thinking so I started researching it and couldn't believe some of the things I found—preserved placenta necklaces, placenta teddy bears (the idea is too grotesque for me to handle so I couldn't bear to post a picture—if you're curious, click here), encapsulation (which involves ingesting pills made out of your placenta to help your body re-acclimate after childbirth), and sautéing it up with rosemary and garlic (hold on, nauseous now…). As squeamish as this topic makes me, I obviously found it intriguing enough to research:)
I am a placenta encapsulator/art maker & lover of all things placenta :) I hope you don't mind, but I am sharing your post on my fb site. You can see it here @PlacentaEdmonton
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading more of your blog :)