I’m a birth photographer from South Wales and I figured I’d compile a list of 16 remarkable things you can do with your placenta!
You must keep reading to find out what’s made it onto the list (I’ve saved the strangest until last!)
Included are links so there is no need to lose hours of your life scrolling through the vortex of Google to find out more about each of them.
Some of them might surprise you, they surprised me!
So, what’s made it on the list?
1. Why not make it into a fruit smoothie? This can consist of a piece of raw placenta blended with some fresh fruits like berries, bananas, apples, and some spring water. Click here for some placenta smoothie recipes!
2. Encapsulated it. This involves steaming, dehydrating, and grounding the placenta to make easy-to-swallow pills. This is quickly becoming a popular choice if, you’re considering consuming your placenta. Jenny Wren at The Woman’s Witch offers a placenta encapsulation service in South Wales
3. Tincture: This is where the grounded placenta is mixed with some alcohol and is taken as drops. This can help to ease the uterus contracting back.
To find out more about tincturing your placenta visit Lisa Doula at Birth Roots she offers a Placenta Tincture Service and is based in South Wales!
4. You could try putting on some gloves and inspecting your placenta. Add this to your birth plan so that your midwives can lay it out ready for you. It’s an incredible organ, take the opportunity to explore it!
5. You could even make some jewellery with it. Yes, I was surprised to find this one! I found a UK company based in Brighton called Grandmother Turtle that offers this service – Take a look here!
6. Donate your placenta. The blood that still remains in the placenta and throughout the cord is full of stem cells. However, it’s advised to wait for white before cutting the cord.
Whatever is left could be used for research and development but only if you’ve given your consent Here’s a link for more information!
7. Make it into a Salve: A placenta salve is a balm that can be made using organic beeswax, nutrient coconut oil, essential oils, and your placenta. This is often used to heal cracked nipples. Here are some handy recipes to make your own!
8. You could photograph your placenta: Whether you hire a professional birth photographer or you capture a snapshot on your phone, at least take a photograph of it. They’re truly fascinating and so beautiful in my opinion!
9. Consider burying it in the garden and planting a tree on top of it. You’ll need to dig down at least 12 inches and add soil between the placenta and the root of the tree.
Popular trees include Maple Trees, Fruit Trees, Tulip Trees, and the Lilac Tree. To find out how to bury your placenta and plant a tree above it – take a look here!
10. Let the Hospital, Birth Centre, or Midwives take care of it. If your placenta is something that doesn’t interest you, the midwives attending your birth can dispose of it for you. You’re not obligated to do anything with it!
11. You could always freeze it. If after nine months you’re still unsure what you want to do with it, why not just freeze it until you’ve had more time to think about it? There are plenty of freezers out there with placentas in them!
12. Umbilical Cord Art: Yes, this is a thing! You can shape the cord to spell out the word “love”. Once left to dry, you can then frame them. Making the shape of a heart is a popular choice too. Click here to see some examples!
13. Make a Placenta Print: I’m a sucker for these and offer them as part of my service! They’re becoming increasingly popular. The shape and detail of the placenta make a stunning “tree-like” print which once dried looks beautiful framed!
Here’s what you need to know to make your own placenta print!!
14. Take a quick look even if you decide you’d rather not do anything with your placenta.
15. What about a Lotus Birth? This is when you leave the umbilical cord connected to the placenta until they separate naturally. This can take up to 3-10 days. Here’s an article I found that outlines the benefits, risks, and other things to consider.
16. Finally, make a teddy bear with it. Yes, you read that correctly! I have to say this is the most bizarre one I’ve discovered (and to be honest, it looks like something that came right out of a Hammer Horror movie, it’s that stitching…)
Have I managed to capture your curiosity?
Here’s what one looks like complete with instructions to make your very own! Show me the Placenta Bear!