If you haven't heard yet, it is starting to become more and more common for new moms to keep their placentas instead of letting the hospital toss them away with the medical waste.
While there is some debate about the actual health benefits of using it to heal the outside or inside of a new mom's body, many women, doulas, and some doctors swear by the benefits of utilizing the organ that gave the baby life throughout the entire pregnancy. Some parents feel emotionally attached to the placenta too, even if they don't really feel that it can be used in a medical capacity.
Believe it or not, there are many diverse ways to use the placenta after it has served it's original purpose of sustaining the unborn baby. Moms have gotten very creative with the organ, and some of them are really pushing the boundaries.
Would you ever consider using your own placenta in any of the 10 following ways? I'm not sure that any of this is for me, but I give plenty of credit to the women who want to harness the placenta power!
Please SHARE with fellow moms and grandmas on Facebook to see what they think about them!
1. Turn It Into Moisturizer
Some women choose to send their placenta away to a company that turns it into cream or moisturizer. These moms swear by cosmetics that come from the organ that gave their baby life.
The placenta is turned into a powder and combined with any number of creams and ingredients for new moms to use on their skin.
2. Make Jewelry With It
If you don't want to smear the placenta onto your skin, what about wearing it around your neck? Many women choose to have the organ made into a little charm to wear, so they can always keep that symbol of life and the bond between mother and child close to their heart.
One way to make a pendant is to take dehydrated powder from the placenta and encase it in resin.
3. Make Dinner With It As The Star Ingredient
To some, the thought of eating the placenta is out of the question, but others think it can bring good health and nourishment back to the body, as it was the thing that sustained the baby throughout the pregnancy.
There are entire books written on ways to prepare the placenta for consumption, including pizzas, lasagnas, and stews. For this, you usually have to get cooking soon after the birth, because it can actually go bad if you wait too long.
Most folks that choose this route only ever have wonderful things to say about the positive effects. But if you're considering it, always weigh your options and speak with your doctor.
4. Blend It Into A Smoothie
If making a dish starring the placenta doesn't suit you, new moms also have the option of taking a part of the placenta, freezing it, and blending it into a smoothie with some sweet fruits. This option has a much more pleasant taste, but again, speak to your doctor about the pros and cons of this route if you're interested.
5. Have A Teddy Bear Made With It
There are at-home kits for sewing your placenta into a teddy bear – yes, an actual teddy bear. This isn't for cuddling, though, it's more a memento or a piece of art. The organ is treated with sea salt and other natural things, and tanned into a sewable material. It can then be cut into shapes according to the pattern.
6. Create A Healing Balm With It
For those who rely on homeopathic and herbal remedies, placenta powder can be used as a healing salve when combined with natural oils and and herbs. This can be applied to treat anything from cracked nipples to hemorrhoids and sunburn.
Many mothers prefer these natural ingredients to the chemicals in other balms.
7. Dehydrate And Encapsulate It
For new moms who want to ingest the placenta without having to actually eat it, there is the option to dehydrate it, pulverize it, and put it into capsules to take like any other medicine. This is believed to restore the iron in the body and to aid with overall mood and health.
You can choose to go through the process yourself, or again, you can send the placenta away to be turned into capsules by someone who has made a career out of doing so.
8. Use It As Fertilizer
Instead of letting the placenta get tossed away with other medical waste, some new parents choose to bury it in the ground and cover it with a plant that will forever be connected to their child. This can be a beautiful reminder of their birth just sitting in the backyard.
9. Transform It Into Home Art
As out there as it might sound, another option is to use the placenta as a paintbrush of sorts to create a piece of art. New parents can either make the art themselves or send the placenta away to an artist who will clean it and use it to paint a picture.
10. Cast It In Bronze
Or cast it in anything at all. You've probably heard of pregnant mothers casting their pregnant bellies, like in the picture above, but have you heard of casting the placenta and keeping it? This is a pretty cool option for parents who want to find a special way to preserve the organ.
Do you know anyone who has used a placenta in any of these ways? Did we miss any from our list? Let us know in the comments and please SHARE with fellow moms and grandmas on Facebook!
