It is no wonder that women around the world and throughout history have experimented with their placenta after birth. The placenta is the only organ that is grown and naturally expels itself once its purpose is fulfilled.
“The earth, like a womb, is our origin. The earth, like the placenta, sustains us. Sacred Birth companion, we honor you. We ask for your gifts, healing and strength. Returning you to the body you come from. Returning you to the womb that held you.”-Sara Harkness
1. CREATE ART BY HAVING IT PRINTED…
This is a beautiful way to honor and remember the work the placenta did in bringing your baby Earthside safely and it serves as a visual reminder. Creating prints of your placenta is incredibly easy and can be done at home as a family or done by certain doulas or through a midwifery practice. This can be done through Amanda at Beloved Placenta Products.
2. TURN IT INTO A TINCTURE…
Tinctures are highly concentrated liquid extracts of herbs, plants or other natural products. A placenta tincture can stabilize hormones and increase energy levels. It can be used during times of stress or transition. They are consumed by placing a small amount of drops under your tongue or in water, juice or tea. A placenta tincture can stabilize hormones and increase energy levels and can be used during times of stress or transition. It is an excellent option for those wanting a remedy to support them through menopause later down the road. Many midwives offer this service as an add-on or an encapsulation specialist can prepare it for you.
3. HAVE IT ENCAPSULATED
Placenta encapsulation can offer a myriad of benefits and has been rapidly growing in popularity, however, the practice goes back centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. Placenta encapsulation is the process where the placenta is turned into a powder form and put into pill capsules to be ingested postpartum. The notion behind ingesting your own placenta postpartum is that, as a remarkable organ full of nutrients that nourished the baby, it can also provide nutrients to the mother after birth –the main nutrient being iron. In addition to iron, the placenta is full of vitamins and minerals such B6 and B12, as well as hormones like progesterone and estrogen. These reproductive hormones drop after you give birth. Like the other services listed above , many midwives offer this service as an add-on or an encapsulation specialist can prepare it for you. This is also something we offer to our clients through Amanda at Beloved Placenta Products.
4. PLANT IT OR HAVE A PLACENTA BURIAL
The burial of the placenta can be incredibly symbolic and ceremonial. Many families opt to plant a new tree or shrub in their yard specifically for this intimate farewell. The actual burial is considered an occasion to ceremonialize the birth in some way, even if few people are present. Many women speak of the burial as a completion of the birthing journey, the final act of birth.
5. USE IT AS A SALVE
A placenta salve can be used on most skin irritations or minor wounds, or just as a soothing balm as desired. Many clients find that it helps soothe a healing perineum or cesarean incision after birth and can be used on your baby’s diaper area.
6. MEMORIALIZE IT IN JEWELRY
A personal favorite keepsake of ours revolves around turning your placenta into jewelry. This can be done through companies like Honoring Motherhood or Milk Memories and even many etsy shops. This jewelry can even be added to your registry as a gift or timeless heirloom piece to signify and honor the miraculous work of your placenta.
7. KEEP IT ATTACHED TO YOUR BABY (A LOTUS BIRTH)
An easy thing you can do with your placenta….is to simply do nothing at all. A lotus birth is a post birth method of leaving the placenta and umbilical cord attached to the baby until it naturally severs and breaks away. Some of the many benefits include: an increase in blood and nutrients from the placenta, decreased injury to the belly button, and a less invasive transition from womb to world. The process in which the cord and placenta completely detach can take between three to ten days in total.
No matter what you decide to do with your placenta once your baby arrives, there is no doubt that it is one beautiful and revered organ.
What did you do with your placenta? We want to hear from you! Let us know in the comments down below if you’ve done any of the things on this list or if you tried something else instead!