What do you do with the placenta?
By beeh13u
@beeh13u (1037)
Philippines
November 15, 2010 8:20am CST
Hello mothers out there.
I am wondering what you do with the placenta after delivery? Here in the country, they bury it under the banana tree. I don't know why it's specifically under that tree, but they believe it brings luck. Others eat it. (Ew)
I'm not superstitious, so I guess if it was me, I'll just let the hospital donate it for cosmetic purposes.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
16 Nov 10
Nothing interesting is done with the placenta after delivery here in the United States. I think that the mother has to deliver it and then at that point it is relinquished to a biohazardous waste. I believe that all biohazardous waste like that is incinerated after it is removed from the hospital location. I know that this isn't something that is really neat to think about, but I also don't think that I would want to have to handle it either.
2 people like this
@kquiming (2997)
• Philippines
15 Nov 10
hmm...i think they just dispose it here, with the proper way of doing it of course. i remember the placenta coming out of me when i gave birth to my first... i saw it once, and never saw it again, hehe, so they probably just disposed it somewhere. i don't think we have any belief or superstition with placentas...
@academic2 (7000)
• Uganda
15 Nov 10
A placenta is just a birth waste-once the baby is born, the placenta looses its meaning and relevance-burying it anywhere or burning it could still serve the same logical intention
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
30 Nov 10
It is no longer considered as waste.
There are now banks for storing the cells and these can save lives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placenta_Cord_Banking
@shaggin (72119)
• United States
25 Nov 10
A friend of mine burried it in her backyard and when she moved her friends made her up a shirt that said My heart might be in texas but my placenta is in Pennsylvania. Or something like that. I cant even remember the state she moved to lol. My placenta I didnt worry about I believe the hospital incinerated it. I know that in some cultures they eat it which is so gross but I guess it has a lot of nutrients so its really healthy for you. I remember when I was young shopping at the dollar store and hey had shampoo that had placenta in it. It was disgusting I'd never buy that. I remember being really grossed out about it even at that age.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
15 Nov 10
Since I gave birth to my son in the hospital I don't really have any idea what they did to my placenta. However, nowadays I've heard that they store the placenta because of the blood content or something. Human placenta is also good for the skin, as you've mentioned for cosmetic purposes.
Long time ago my aunt gave birth in her own house and my uncle buried the placenta underground. It didn't matter though whether it should be under the banana tree as long as it is buried.
