...and a side order of placenta please

[HeartsOpenWide]

I was wondering if any of you have run into mamas that want to eat their placentas. I know it is done, I have read about it in some birth books from the 70's and 80's. I just wondered how common it is today and if any one every runs across it. Would it be against hospital policy? A friend told me she wanted to keep hers to plant a tree and they would not give it to her because they said it was a bio-hazard, therefore it could not leave the hospital.

[jeepgirl, LPN, NP]

I do know someone who has done this, of course, it was a homebirth situation. From the reading I have done, this had been done in the long distant past. Eating the placenta would stop uncontrolled bleeding.

I guess it's dependent on what part of the country you are from. West coast, I could see it happening more, but here in the midwest, I could see someone declaring it a biohazard and refuse to let the family have it.

It's a shame as there are some traditions among families to plant the placenta under a tree (for nourishment) after a baby is born. That would be a nice one. Plant a new tree for each baby. :)

It's a nice idea until your dog, or one of the dogs in the neighborhood, gets a wiff and decides to dig it up, tear it up and eat part of it... of course, leaving the other part just laying in your yard. Then your cat will come along and throw it on the porch like they do with the dead mouses they "catch". Animals like dead things... like placentas.

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

Well ladie and gents ,I want you to know I sitting here with a placenta conditioning treatment on my hair. :rotfl:

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

I do know someone who has done this, of course, it was a home birth situation. From the reading I have done, this had been done in the long distant past. Eating the placenta would stop uncontrolled bleeding.

I too have read about eating the placenta to stop hemorrhaging (mostly in books about home births)

Okay, I know that having sex can help bring on labor (because seminal fluid contains Prostaglandins which stimulates smooth muscle, stimulating uterine contractions. But what does the placenta contain that stops bleeding?

[chuckc, BSN, RN]

I have learned this practice it used to help w/postpartum hemorrhage in the homebirth situation.

Personally I would just take the shot of methergine or hemabate and pass on the placenta-eating. But to each her own, I guess.

I have been part of the out of hospital experience, don't think you have time to eat the placenta if postpartum hemorrhage is occuring. you need the drugs. :uhoh21:

[Dayray, RN]

Yeah, I have had 3 patients that said they were going to eat the placenta. Several others that wanted to plant it under a tree. there is a special form they have to sighn to get it released which just says that they take responsiblity for the possible risks of infction and such.

I don't really think eating a placenta does anything other then taste bad but I place it in the same catagory as religous belifes. I may not agree but it's their placenta and (yuk) stomic so have at it. I always ask why the patient wants the placenta not becuse i have to, just out of curisoity. If they tell me they want to eat it I'm careful not to seem judgemental about it but I do ask them questions out of geniun curiosty.

I think planting a tree with it is kinda neat in a sentamental type of way although I dont think I would take things that far personaly.

I also remember the Lotus birth thread and have to say I think thats carrying things way to far. Lotus birth is definaly way weirder then eating a placent in my book plus the stuff about the cats just made me luagh. thankfully lotus birth has never come up at my hospital save for a propsed class plan turned in by one of our (non RN) childbirth educators. the plan was vetoed by the head of education due to lack of evidance based data.

[naggytabby, BSN, RN]

so here you have someone who has, on several occassions, partaken of placenta. stir fried and in stew. i couldn't handle the smoothie idea. another use has been to dry the placenta, either in a dehydrator or in the oven (not on the clothesline..:chuckle ) then pulverize it and put the dried matter into capsules for use during menopause.there is a jounal "placenta" (a medical journal) that goes into uses of placenta in a few articles.

my placenta consumption was in the 80's and early 90's when i was very active in homebirth. here's a thought: placenta is the only meat you can consume that does not entail killing anything.

in this day and age i would be very cautious about eating anyone's placenta though. but not because of mad-momma disease (or however mad cow translates to moms, as one prior poster referenced):biggringi

how would your hospital handle the request of a woman who wanted to take her plalcenta home- and there are several cultures that do dig a hole (deep) and plant a tree over top or do something similar.

thanks for starting this thread!

[midwife2b]

....how would your hospital handle the request of a woman who wanted to take her plalcenta home- and there are several cultures that do dig a hole (deep) and plant a tree over top or do something similar.

I learned a lot about the meaning of the placenta to various cultures when I was in midwifery school. The Hmong families I worked with take their placentas home, and bury it (place of burial depends on whether it is a boy or a girl). A lot of the Navajos and southwest tribes also wanted their placentas. Where I work now if the family wants the placenta we put it in a plastic container (sans formalin) and place it in a red bag. The placenta is the only organ persons are allowed to take out of the hospital.

[Fiona59]

My childbirth educator (a Kiwi) was all for our class doing our own thing with our placentas.

My husband point blank asked if she ate hers. "No" was the response. His was then why do you want to have a bunch of suburban houswives in Calgary eat theirs?

That kind of ended that conversation.

But if you want it, go for it!

[scampi710]

I am definitely out of the loop on this one. I never before heard of placenta eating. And what is lotus birth? Obviously I am not in MCH but this is fascinating.

[ulianka]

Hmm... never eaten one, but my perspective on this - you wanna eat it or plant it you have earned your right to do so. I am the mother of two kids, seen my placenta once, use placenntal type of products for hair - because... where do you think your placenta goes afterwards? - pharmaceutics, cosmetics or research.

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

would this be considered a form of cannibalism? I mean, it is human flesh. And I don't quite understand how it would help with hemorrhage. I read the lotus thread too, and that was quite ridiculous...especially when that one woman claimed her children remembered the pain of having their cord cut! I would not judge a patient whether they wanted to eat their placenta, bury it, or dress it up in a tutu. Personally, I find it strange and I want them to take the slimy thing out of the room and never see it again. The baby is what I waited nine months for, not the afterbirth.

[FLstudent06]

Wow... I really wish I hadn't started reading this right after dinner. I,ve seriously never heard of this. I have several friends who have done home birth and are into all the natural healing & organic everything, but none of them have ever mentioned eating placenta. Too bizarre for me!