category: Blog
What can I do with my placenta, other than throw it away?” is a common question asked in my prenatal classes; often said with a hint of curiosity and sometimes, I think, a little fear.
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You can plant it and have it nourish your garden, you could make placenta prints (often an exciting project for siblings), or encapsulate it and enjoy its benefits, just to name a few.
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Your placenta has numerous benefits for you, but all too often it just gets thrown out, not even looked at or appreciated for its amazing capacity to feed and support your child.
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Other cultures honor the placenta and recognize it as being something sacred. Many Native American tribes bury the placenta to bind the child with its native land. The Ibo of Nigeria and Ghana consider the placenta to be the baby’s twin. Aymara and Quecha peoples of Bolivia say that the placenta has its own spirit. Malaysians consider the placenta to be the older sibling to the child. When the baby smiles unexpectedly, it is said that he is playing with his brother.
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How other cultures respect the placenta is so awe inspiring, it often saddens me that there is little to no respect or honor given to it in our culture. Many couples I meet are disgusted just by the idea of it. They’ve never seen one, but they don’t want to either, just the idea of it makes them shudder. Perhaps we need to take a step back and look at it with the curiosity and admiration it deserves.
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As a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist that is something I’ve been trained to do while working with a woman’s placenta. We are to give the placenta our complete attention and treat it carefully and respectfully. It’s such an amazing feeling to work with this organ that was there sustaining baby for so long. How wonderful it is that it can continue its work once its delivered by nourishing the mother now, through encapsulation.
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Your placenta is an incredible source of natural iron, protein, vitamin B6, minerals and hormones. Women taking placenta capsules have reported an increase in energy, mood enhancement, milk supply, and an overall easier transition into parenthood.
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Perhaps this can be our legacy, respect for the placenta through encapsulation. Not only is it a beautiful tradition, but it may also help to decrease depression rates and increase successful breastfeeding rates, creating an overall happier family.
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Why wouldn’t we want to do something that will help ourselves and the lives of all those who learn from us? All women deserve the ultimate postpartum experience intended by nature.
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