Placenta Possibilities: Five Options Post-Birth

The placenta is a temporary organ created during pregnancy, which has several functions:

• Oxygen, nutrients, and antibodies pass from your blood to your baby
• Waste products from your baby are passed to your blood for disposal
• Produces needed hormones

After your baby is born, you will also birth the placenta. Your care provider will perform a quick examination* of the placenta before it’s typically discarded as medical waste. You do, however, have the right to keep you placenta. We will cover five options for this organ beyond throwing it away:

• View
• Consume
• Create
• Bury
• Donate

💡 Tip: If you decide to do anything with your placenta other than have it discarded as medical waste, make sure to include your preferences in your birth plan.

1. View

You can ask to view your placenta right after birth. Your care provider can also give you a quick “tour” of this amazing organ your body created, if you’d like. You can also have someone on your support team snap a photo of your placenta while you’re viewing it.

2. Consume

Some people choose to consume their placenta post-birth, which is called placentophagy. There are several options for preparing your placenta for consumption, with encapsulation being the most common. 

Some may choose to consume their placenta based on claims that it can help to prevent postpartum depression, improve milk supply, and more. While anecdotal evidence exists for these claims, health benefits of placentophagy have not been proven. 

🔗 Placenta Encapsulation | Evidence Based Birth®

It’s also important to be aware of potential risks associated with consuming your placenta.

🔗 Notes from the Field: Late-Onset Infant Group B Streptococcus Infection Associated with Maternal Consumption of Capsules Containing Dehydrated Placenta — Oregon, 2016 | CDC

There are also situations where doing so is contraindicated, like when not stored properly and in the case of infection.

If you’re interested in consuming your placenta, talk to local birth workers who provide placenta encapsulation and other services. They can provide you with information on proper storage and more. You can also check out the website below for more information on this:

🔗 Association of Placenta Preparation Arts

3. Create

Creating art from your placenta is a unique and symbolic way to commemorate your pregnancy and birth experience. Placenta art involves using the organ as a stamp to produce prints on various surfaces. The intricate patterns of the placenta's vascular system make for visually interesting and one-of-a-kind prints.

While local birth workers may offer this service, you can also create your own art work. 

🔗 How to Make a Placenta Print | Verywell Family

4. Bury

Burying your placenta in your yard can be a great option, especially if you’re looking for a way to honor this incredible organ. Some people choose to incorporate a special ceremony or even plant a tree on top that can grow with your baby. If you choose this option, just make sure to bury it deep enough (a few feet) so it isn’t disturbed by animals.

5. Donate 

It’s also possible to donate your placenta, which can provide healing to others. This is an option that will need to be set up in advance with an accredited tissue bank. Find out more by clicking the  link below:

🔗 Birth Tissue Donation | Donate Life America

*Sometimes your care provider will recommend sending your placenta to pathology for a closer look after this initial examination. If this is the case for you, feel free to ask any questions that you have and learn more about your options.