The placenta is the first intimate connection between two beings that establishes a union and bond before the baby takes its first breath outside of the womb. This sacred gateway between mother and child, allows for oxygen and nutrients to reach the womb while also protecting the baby from waste products. The placenta first appears at the start of pregnancy, attaching itself to the uterine wall and nourishing the child through the umbilical cord. It even passes on antibodies to the baby after birth, continuing its function as an important guardian over the wellness of our little one.
In the Western World, we can’t find a tradition or a ritual that celebrates this incredible organ. In fact, most hospitals discard the placenta after birth, and, in some cases, even require mothers to fill out a consent form in order to keep it. But around the world, this miracle life force which is the only organ that the body both creates and discards on its own is protected, revered and utilized for its countless benefits. For centuries, Chinese traditional medicine used the placenta to treat liver and kidney ailments. The Igbo of Nigeria and Ghana treat the placenta as the twin of the live child and celebrate its sacredness by giving it full burial rites. In Korea, the placenta is often burned and the ashes are kept as a salve to help heal the child’s wounds. In ancient Korea, the umbilical cord and placenta, (called tae) of a child was considered a symbol of life and signified one’s destiny. After giving birth, tae was washed and buried in a ritual called taejang. For the Native American Navajo tribe , it’s customary to bury a child’s placenta to signify its eternal connection to Mother Earth.
Lotus birth is a practice that involves leaving the umbilical cord uncut after childbirth so that the baby is left attached to the placenta until the cord naturally separates from the cord, usually within 3-10 days after birth. This practice allows all the extra blood to flow from the placenta to the baby and improves the level of iron stored in the baby's body. The extra blood has significant benefits in preterm babies, such as improving circulation, it is also a gentle, less-invasive transition for the baby from womb to the world.
The placenta encapsulation process is used widely around the world today, by ingesting it, it is said it restores iron levels in the blood, increases levels of stress-reducing hormones, and decreases the incidence of postpartum depression, it increases the release of the hormone oxytocin which helps the uterus to return to normal size and encourages bonding with the baby and improves breast milk production and energy levels.
Disclaimer: This is not to suggest that placentophagia is a cure or treatment for established mental health problems. Nor should it replace any medically-prescribed treatment. It may only be one tool in helping to curb or limit postpartum depressive symptoms.
Robin Lim, an incredible midwife, author and recipient of the 2011 CNN Hero of the Year Award calls the placenta the mother-root. “In times of strife it is even more essential that we respect her and that we keep her intact with our babies, so they can receive their full supply of oxygen, iron stores and stem cells. It is the birthright of every child to have time to transition and achieve optimal health supported by the delay of umbilical cord severance,” she says.
With such reverence given to the placenta around the world, it is worth being approached with careful thought in your own birthing journey and plan. It is the first caretaker of your baby, growing inside of you, that works every day to keep your baby nourished and healthy.
What a miracle our bodies are!