Pregnancy and the Placenta, What to do Now?

baby birth with placenta

What to do with the placenta?

Do you know what placenta encapsulation is? Do you know if you should do it, or how to do it? Many women are paying for placenta encapsulation, which means eating their dehydrated placenta. The placenta, is the first organ that forms before the baby after conception. It connects you and your baby, delivering oxygen, nutrients, and hormones. After the baby is born, so is the placenta. Once the baby has come through you will push out the placenta as well, if you have a C-section the doctors will remove it for you.

Brief History

Eating the placenta can be traced back to Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques. The placenta is considered a sacred medicine, and an organ that is full of life. Brief examples of mothers eating the placenta are scattered through history, but it wasn’t until the 1980’s that the promotion of eating the placenta really boomed. Raven Lang, an American midwife studied Traditional Chinese Medicine, and promoted placenta encapsulation at a conference. You can find evidence of people eating the placenta in, Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America.

Today’s Trends

Today, many women are deciding to do other things with their placenta rather than eating it. Some of the trends include, 

Lotus Birth bags- A lotus birth is where the umbilical cord is not cut, but left attached to the baby. A lotus birth allows the placenta to provide the rest of the nutrients to the baby and will fall of naturally when complete. The bag keeps the placenta nicely tucked away while it delivers blood and nutrients to the newborn.

Wear it– Some mom’s opt to have their dehydrated placenta made into jewelry. Many women state it makes for a beautiful and constant reminder of their pregnancy and the birth of their little angel.

Salve– Many placenta encapsulators offer an option to create a body salve that will help with C-section scars, perineal tears, and cracked nipples.

Risk and Reward

Before deciding if eating your placenta is right for you, learn about some of the risks and rewards from joining a newborn course!

A few rewards are:

• Increased iron

• More energy

• Greater milk production

•Faster postpartum healing

Some possible dangers are:

• Cross-contamination

• Infection to the mother

• Infection to the baby

Make sure you get all your information before deciding to either eat the placenta, or not to eat the placenta.

Placenta Previa

Placenta Previa is a condition where the placenta is low in the uterus and either partially or completely covers the cervix. Placenta Previa creates a problem when the cervix begins to dilate because it may separate from the uterine wall.

Signs and Symptoms include:

• Premature contractions

• Painless bleeding in the third trimester

• Baby is breech

• Uterus measures larger than it should be

Placenta Previa is controlled through frequent visits to the doctor, and bed rest for the mother.

Learn more about placenta encapsulation and placenta previa by enrolling in NewbornCourse.com and become prepared for your pregnancy


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