Placenta Magic
With every birth of a baby, there is the birth of the placenta. The placenta is the organ that grows in the uterus and is also the home to your little one. It provides all the nutrients, oxygen, and fluids that your baby needs to thrive in the womb. This being said, the birthgiver’s blood & baby’s blood are never mixed because they each have their own circulatory system!
How does the placenta transfer nutrients to your baby?
When you eat food, the particles are broken down and proteins & other nutrients enter the bloodstream. This is passed through the placenta, umbilical cord, and to your growing baby. It’s really important to have good nutrition during pregnancy so your baby can grow and develop! (Another blog on this topic here soon)
If this organ doesn’t seem magical enough, the placenta also acts as a barrier and protector for your baby. If the birthgiver has a bacterial infection, baby will be protected. The placenta also provides antibodies for your baby right before birth.
The placenta is the only organ used once and then disposed of! It functions as it’s own entity without being connected to the brain or spinal cord.
Did you know that other mammals eat their placenta after they give birth? As humans, we can do that too! There are a couple ways to consume the placenta, encapsulation, and eating it raw- encapsulation seems more appealing to some people!
Consuming the placenta can be traced back to the 1500’s in traditional chinese medicine and while there aren’t many huge studies, there are some reported benefits:
Balancing postnatal hormones
Increased energy levels
Iron replenishment
Less bleeding
Increase in milk supply
Increase in satisfaction in postpartum period
Listen to your intuition when it comes to consuming your placenta. Some questions to feel into: Does my body want or crave the extra nutrients? Can my baby benefit from consuming my placenta? What was my birth experience like? What is my placenta holding?