“For many Indigenous cultures, the placenta is a living being.” Some other cultures believe in a sort of twinning of child and placenta. In Ancient Egypt, the placenta was considered by many to be a child's secret helper. Some Icelandic and Balinese cultures see the placenta as a child's guardian angel.
In Jamaica, bits of placental membranes were put into an infant's tea to prevent convulsions caused by ghosts. In ancient Egypt, as well, pieces of placenta were soaked in milk and fed to the infant to test for infant mortality. The Chaga of Tanganyika place the placenta in a receptacle for two months to dry.
Many people assume that placentophagy, or eating one's own placenta after birth has historically been a traditional human practice. However, based on extensive investigation looking at cultures around the world, researchers have found absolutely no evidence of women eating their placenta in a cultural tradition.
Since it is the structure through which the fetus receives nourishment, many cultures consider it rich in nutrients; it's even said to relieve postnatal depression. Preparing the placenta for consumption by mothers is considered traditional among Vietnamese and Chinese people.
For centuries the placenta has received ceremonial handling by many cultures around the world. In Western medicine the human placenta is usually regarded as nothing more than human waste. Revered for its symbolism of life, spirit and individuality, it is often buried outside.
In Samoa the placenta must be totally burned or buried so it will not be found by evil spirits. Burying or burning it at home also ensures the child will remain close to home as it moves through life.
Umbilical cord traditions in Japan
In Japanese culture, many believe that the umbilical cord directly impacts the baby's health. So, when a mother gives birth in Japan, the hospital will usually give her a special box to preserve the cord after it falls from the baby's belly button.
An English-speaking aunt of the woman in the room explained to us, “At home, in Mexico, we bury the placenta in the dirt floor as soon as possible after delivery. This guarantees that bad luck will not come to us. Here we will bury the placenta deep in the backyard so no animal will be able to dig it up.
But placentophagy -- the practice of eating one's placenta after birth -- is relatively common in China, where it is thought to have anti-ageing properties, and dates back more than 2,000 years.
The placenta, or whenua, is very sacred in the Māori culture and it is custom for it to be buried at a place of cultural significance or on ancestral land, as the Māori people believe that humans came from the Earth mother Papatūānuku, so returning the whenua to the land is a sign of respect and thanks.
Some people even promote cooking and eating it as a celebration of birth and a source of rich nutrients. In Islam the placenta is buried because it is believed that "from the (earth) did We Create you, and into it Shall We return you” (The Noble Quran, 20:55).
They're not the only ones who've openly sung the praises of placentophagy. Model Chrissy Teigen and actresses Katherine Heigl and Mayim Bialik have also opened up about eating their placenta, claiming that it improved their energy and mood and helped with their postnatal recovery.
Kourtney Kardashian has eaten her placenta from when she gave birth to her third child, as has Kim Kardashian with her second, Saint. Both sisters had their placentas encapsulated, which Khloé has also said she wants to do.
After the placenta is delivered, the cord is cut and an herbal oil, face powder, or ash mixture is rubbed on the cut section. The placenta is buried near the home, or in some communities burned. Nine days after birth, a ceremony is conducted at the placental burial site to announce the name of the baby.
Your placenta can continue to provide therapeutic value and have a 2nd life if the afterbirth is not discarded as medical waste. Components isolated from the placenta, such as the umbilical cord blood, and the amniotic membrane, are already serving a valuable role in medicine today.
The Hmong people of South Asia believe that a person has a spiritual connection with his or her placenta throughout life. It is important for the placenta to be buried at home.
It is common that Chinese people, especially the elders, eat human placentas, which, they believe are rich in nutrients and are good for their health, several mothers told the Global Times. Moreover, processing placenta into capsules has become a business in China, as some may feel uncomfortable eating it directly.
No mothers in human history ate their own placentas before the 1970s.
Placental tissue is considered part of the human body and should therefore be buried and not incinerated as presently happens in the United Kingdom. If this practice was widely known among the Muslims, they may take exception.
Native Hawaiians traditionally plant the placenta with a tree, which can then grow alongside the child. Placentophagia has a long history. Experts in traditional Chinese medicine have documented the practice for more than 2500 years.
Some bury it, some burn it, while others believe it has a spiritual connection to the infant and aims to specially dispose of it. On the other hand, others who don't want to go through the trouble of finding the finest location for burying or burning it simply hand it over to the hospitals where their babies were born.
Do Hospitals Keep Placentas? Hospitals treat placentas as medical waste or biohazard material. The newborn placenta is placed in a biohazard bag for storage. Some hospitals keep the placenta for a period of time in case the need arises to send it to pathology for further analysis.
Why is the rate of epidural anesthesia so low in Japan in the first place? Several studies have pointed to the fact that Japan puts importance on pain experienced during childbirth as a necessary step to become a mother.
The most common placenta preparation — creating a capsule — is made by steaming and dehydrating the placenta or processing the raw placenta. People have also been known to eat the placenta raw, cooked, or in smoothies or liquid extracts.
It is not uncommon for people to bring their baby's placenta home, bury it in the garden and plant a tree above it. You have the right to take your placenta home – speak to your midwife about the policy and how the hospital will support you.