What Comes Next? Exploring Options for Your Placenta After Birth
Bringing a baby into the world is a deeply meaningful and life-changing moment for any mama. Alongside the joy of welcoming your newborn, you may also be wondering about the fate of an important yet often overlooked part of your birth journey: the placenta. This remarkable organ nourished and supported your baby throughout pregnancy, and after birth, many families choose to honor it in a meaningful way.
If you’re exploring what to do with your placenta, there’s no shortage of options! From traditional practices to modern innovations, each choice reflects unique values and priorities. This guide will help you navigate the possibilities and find the option that resonates with you.
The Remarkable Role of the Placenta
Before diving into your options, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the placenta’s incredible role during pregnancy. This temporary organ develops in the uterus to provide oxygen, nutrients, and hormonal support to your baby, while also removing waste products. It acts as a life-giving bridge between you and your child.
After birth, the placenta is typically delivered in what’s known as the third stage of labor. While some families choose to part ways with it at this point, others embrace the opportunity to honor its significance in a special way.
- Placenta Encapsulation
One of the most popular modern options is placenta encapsulation. This involves steaming, dehydrating, and grinding the placenta into powder, which is then placed into capsules that the mother can consume postpartum.
Why Consider Placenta Encapsulation?
- Replenish Nutrients: The placenta contains iron, vitamins, and hormones that may help replenish the body after birth.
- Hormonal Balance: Some mothers report feeling emotionally balanced after consuming their placenta, potentially reducing the risk of postpartum depression or mood swings.
- Boosted Energy and Milk Supply: Anecdotal evidence suggests that placenta capsules may improve energy levels and enhance lactation.
Placenta encapsulation should always be performed by a certified professional to ensure safety and proper handling. While scientific research on its benefits is limited, many mothers feel a sense of empowerment from incorporating this holistic option into their postpartum recovery.
- Planting the Placenta
Planting the placenta is a deeply symbolic and environmentally friendly choice. In this practice, the placenta is buried in the ground, often with a tree, bush, or flower planted over it.
Why Consider Planting the Placenta?
- Symbolism of Growth: This practice can serve as a powerful representation of life, growth, and connection to nature.
- Eco-Friendly: By returning the placenta to the earth, you nourish the soil naturally.
- Cultural Significance: Many cultures have long-standing traditions of burying the placenta as a way to honor its life-sustaining role.
Families often choose plants that hold special meaning, such as a tree that will grow alongside the child, creating a lasting and living memorial of their birth journey.
- Creating Keepsakes or Art
If you’d like to preserve the memory of your placenta in a creative way, consider turning it into a keepsake or piece of art.
Options for Keepsakes and Art:
- Placenta Prints: By pressing the placenta onto a piece of paper, you can create a unique “tree of life” print that captures its intricate structure.
- Umbilical Cord Keepsakes: Some families dry and shape the umbilical cord into a heart, circle, or other meaningful shape as a sentimental keepsake.
- Jewelry: Certain artisans specialize in creating custom jewelry using placenta powder, encapsulating its significance in a wearable form.
Why Consider Keepsakes?
These options provide a tangible and lasting way to celebrate the placenta’s role in your baby’s birth. They can also serve as a meaningful reminder of the strength and beauty of your journey into motherhood.
- Donation to Medical Research or Training
If you’re passionate about contributing to science or education, you may choose to donate your placenta to medical research or training programs.
Why Consider Placental Donation?
- Advancing Research: Donated placentas are used to study pregnancy-related conditions like preeclampsia and to develop innovative medical treatments.
- Helping Others: Placental tissue is used in wound healing and regenerative medicine, offering hope to patients with burns or other injuries.
- Supporting Medical Training: Placental donations help train healthcare providers in understanding and handling this critical organ.
To donate your placenta, you’ll need to make arrangements with a medical or research facility ahead of time. Your midwife or healthcare provider can guide you through the process.
- Lotus Birth
In a lotus birth, the placenta remains attached to the baby via the umbilical cord until it naturally separates, usually within a
Why Consider a Lotus Birth?
- Gentle Transition: Advocates believe that keeping the placenta attached provides a peaceful and natural start for the baby.
- Spiritual Significance: Some families view the placenta as a sacred part of the baby’s journey, and this practice honors that connection.
- Avoiding Intervention: Lotus birth eliminates the need for immediate cord cutting, aligning with a philosophy of minimal medical intervention.
If you’re considering a lotus birth, it’s essential to follow hygiene guidelines to ensure the placenta is cared for properly during the process.
- Disposing of the Placenta Naturally
Not every family feels a need to keep or commemorate the placenta, and that’s perfectly okay! Many parents choose to let the hospital or birth center dispose of it.
Why Consider Natural Disposal?
- Simplicity: For families who don’t feel a strong connection to the placenta, this option may feel straightforward and practical.
- No Additional Steps: It eliminates the need for extra planning or decisions during an already busy and emotional time.
Hospitals typically follow strict protocols for safe and respectful disposal of medical waste, including placentas.
Factors to Consider When Deciding
When choosing what to do with your placenta, it’s helpful to consider:
- Your Values: Does one option align with your personal, cultural, or spiritual beliefs?
- Your Health: If considering consumption, ensure it’s done safely by a certified professional.
- Logistics: Some options, like donation or lotus birth, require advance planning.
- Sentimental Value: Would you like to create a tangible memory of your birth experience?
It’s also important to discuss your choice with your midwife or healthcare provider. They can provide guidance, answer questions, and help facilitate your decision.
Honoring Your Birth Journey
The placenta is much more than an organ; it’s a symbol of the incredible bond between mother and baby. Whether you choose to encapsulate it, plant it, donate it, or simply let it go, the most important thing is that your choice feels right for you.
By taking the time to explore your options, you’re honoring the journey that brought your baby into the world and the unique role the placenta played in that miraculous process. No matter what you decide, your thoughtful consideration is a testament to the care and love you’re already showing as a mother.
Birth is a deeply personal experience, and every family’s path is unique. Choosing what to do with your placenta is an opportunity to reflect on your values, celebrate your baby’s arrival, and mark this incredible moment in your life. As you embark on this new chapter of motherhood, know that there’s no “right” or “wrong” choice—only the one that feels meaningful to you. Our team of midwives at South Coast Midwifery can discuss these options with you and make sure you are adequately informed to make the best choice for yourself.
