The placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall of the mother to allow nutrient uptake, waste removal, and gas exchange via the mother’s blood supply. The actual word comes from the Latin word for Cake. As you await the arrival of your child, here are just 10 things you can do to make use of the placenta. If you have other suggestions to share, write a comment on the forum section of this page.
10. Throw it out
Like most human beings, you may choose to throw the placenta away….but if you decide against it, we recommend that you read this article further. Curiosity may strike the heart!
9. Placenta Capsule
There are known professionals who do placenta encapsulation, which is basically steaming, dehydrating, and then grinding the placenta into a powder, and then filling it into capsules for you to ingest like a vitamin. The benefits of the capsule are undeniable — it helps with postpartum depression, increases energy and breast milk supply.
8. Plant the Placenta
If you are not very fond of keeping your placenta, why not plant it instead? It’s best to keep it in the freezer for about a year, then plant on your child’s first birthday along with a beautiful tree or add it to enrich the garden. You can of course also just plant it deep into the ground after birth –it’s a known ritual in various cultures. It feels very Mother Earth and natural.
7. Placenta Facial Creme
If the placenta facial is the perfect gift for Victoria Beckham, what’s your excuse for not buying one? The 38-year-old makes regular visits to Beverly Hills dermatologist Dr Harold Lancer for the afterbirth ‘fixes’ that are said to use the power of the sheep’s stem cells. She is also said to slather on night cream containing bee venom in an effort to plump up her epidermis.
6. Placenta Whitening Tablets
Women in Japan looking to lighten the hue of their epidermis have access to pills “infused with placental protein” that will make their skin “visibly whiter in just 14 days!”
5. Eat it Raw
I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. One woman told me she ate her daughter’s placenta after adding it to a smoothie she drank over the course of her first postpartum days. It worked to relieve the pain for the woman.
4. Placenta Art
Take the blood from you placenta and draw with it on a piece of paper. Then, let it dry, and frame it for safe keeping. Or you can press the placenta onto the paper, letting it make its mark for one original art piece. That’s the blood of life, which is truly sacred.
3. Placenta Teddy Bear
The Placenta Teddy Bear is a good alternative for mothers who do not necessarily want to eat or carry their placenta with them. The placenta is treated with sea salt, tannin and egg yolk, before it is made into something cuddly and cute. No word on whether the teddy bear comes bearing a coupon for the therapy the child might need after learning from where their toy came from.
2. Lotus Bag Placenta
A lotus bag is a bag you carry all your baby stuff in. So instead of cutting the cord, you can wrap your placenta in absorbent cloths and place it in the lotus bag. Oh, did I mention that it’s a good idea to bathe your placenta in a salt bath? Yeah, that’s how you preserve it.
1.Placenta Lasagna
Many cookbook sites offer recipes on how to cook your placenta and serve it with a side of salad. One popular dish is the placenta lasagna (the organ is used in lieu of a layer of cheese). There are also recipes for making juice (it mixes nicely with V8), stew (but only if you can stomach it in “bite-size chunks”) and pizza. Bon appetit!