Yup. I am.
I realize this officially makes me a Radical Mama. I am using the word radical instead of weird, because I honestly don't consider myself weird. Different yes, but not weird. I love me some Pottery Barn and Banana Republic, I am a conservative Catholic (except for a few things, like gay marriage, which I fully, 100% support and I think its wrong, wrong, wrong that we don't extend equal rights to everyone), I drive an SUV and live in a neighborhood that looks like it came out of the Truman Show, complete with white picket fences. So in some areas, I am pretty traditional and American, but increasingly, in other areas, I am about as radical as it gets.
I have always been a bit different, going along my own path, but when Penelope arrived, things have gotten more radical in nature, because I care so much about her, her physical and emotional health and the condition I leave this earth in for her grand babies.
If you have been reading this blog, and have stuck around, you know that I am kind of different.
I make chicken stock from scratch, I cloth diaper and do elimination communication, I don't vaccinate Penelope at all, I will breastfeed for as long as Penelope wants, even if that means she still nursing when she is 5. Yes, 5. I want to home-school or send Penelope to a school like Grass Roots or Montessori, I practice attachment parenting and co-sleeping, yoga is a huge part of my life and Penelope's. I am a home birth advocate and aspiring Midwife, I like to make things myself and I am as environmentally responsible as I can be by doing things like gardening and using cloth toilet paper. But even with all of that, I feel like I can still wear some pearls and authentically fit in with most of the women in the Junior League and in my neighborhood.
But oh, eating my placenta might change that! I feel like eating my placenta is a huge milestone! Yoga, eating organic and even cloth diapering are pretty socially acceptable these days...but eating your placenta!? That's crossing the line! I might forever be known as, the-lady-who-ate-her-placenta, but I don't give a shit. The nutritional and healing benefits far outweigh any gossip and discrimination that might come my way.
My original plan for my placenta was to bury it and plant a tree on top of it. But we never did it, because I couldn't bear to plant it in our current backyard with a impending move to Chile (which is not happening anymore), so I kept it frozen, planning to just plant it eventually.
But then last week, I had a few minutes to myself and opened up my Google Reader to the hundreds of unread blog posts, that I never have time to read and quickly grazed the list and clicked on this post.
It was almost like a switch got flipped in my brain,after reading it and I realized, "duh!! I should eat it!!"
And just in case, I am ostracized for eating my placenta, I convinced my two best mama-friends to eat theirs with me. We are going to one awesome dinner party. A PLACENTA dinner party!
Stay tuned folks, its only going to get crazier!
I'm curious to see how this turns out and how you think it has impacted you. I've read numerous benefits of eating the placenta, but I wonder what/if any benefits that you will have from eating now that P is a year old. Have you read any?
ReplyDeleteI'm not a mom, but a mama friend of mine suggested I follow you on FB. I think you are an inspiration to all women, moms or not. :-) So do what ya do!!
ReplyDeleteI have to know...what does your husband think about the placenta-eating thing?
ReplyDeleteMe too Melissa! I am very excited. From what little I have read and midwives local and throughout the state have told me is that it is most beneficial in the early days post partum, but that it would still be beneficial now, even a year later. Then there is a whole other side of it, a sort of spiritual ritual/cleansing/healing that takes place by eating the amazing life force that sustained and nourished your baby for 10 months! I will go more into depth about both in coming posts.
ReplyDeleteHi Kerry B! Welcome! Thanks for your sweet comment, its so nice to hear!
Oh Shereen, you should have been there. At first he said "I don't know, it just doesn't sound like a good idea." When I asked why and if he was just uncomfortable with the possibility that people were going to think HE was weird. And he said yes. Then I talked about the benefits and he said, well, ok, but don't you make me eat it!!
When I told him about the placenta party, he just rolled his eyes and said we are going to have a whole house full of weirdos eating placentas, GREAT. :)
oh and I forgot, he also said "um, isn't that cannibalism or something?!"
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what Peter said too... I can just imagine La's face and response. I don't even think I have told her about your placenta yet. It's too late for HC's, I had always liked the idea of planting it, but honestly forgot to tell anyone or grab it out of the bag to take home. I plan to remember next time... and was going to plant it but who knows... will be waiting to see what you come up with. Have you decided not to encapsulate it?
ReplyDeleteI loved what Kerry said...'so do what ya do'! :)
I still have mine too. We moved it up here with us. lol! I remember the first time I saw a placenta: one of our cows had just given birth and when we pulled up, the mother was eating the placenta. It seems like a very natural thing (unless you're a human). Very interested in the recipe you are going to use!
ReplyDeleteOh, you should do some placenta prints with it before you chop it up. :D
ReplyDeleteSO interesting, SO crazy!! I cant wait to see what kind of meal you guys whip up on the dinner party night!! :)
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I am so glad to have found your site--so many interesting, informative and inspiring posts! <3
ReplyDelete@Ali...I think I may encapsulate half of it. I really, really like the idea of having a magic pill on days I am feeling stressed or depressed or milk supply is low. I am worried about the dehydration process though, my oven does not have a dehydration setting, so I am testing it out with vegetables right now to see how it does.
ReplyDelete@Jen...that is so freaking awesome you saw a cow eating hers! I wonder at what point in birth history did it eating our placentas stop being natural and normal.
I was thinking about doing a print..but since I am going to eat it...I wasn't sure about putting paint on it. I have really good, non-toxic finger pants that I bought for Penelope so maybe I could use those and just wash it off real good...I don't know, I am on the fence.
@Dulce de Leche, welcome! Glad you found us!
How did you find us by the way?
How are you going to prepare it? I'm having a baby in about a month, and I'm planning to encapsulate the placenta and eat it that way. Ingest, not eat, I suppose. :)
ReplyDeleteI found your blog from parentsconnect.com which headlined the fact you plan on consuming your placenta. At first, the idea gave me goose bumps but it looks like there is positive research for placentophagy. I'm now considering of doing the same as I am pregnant and planning on my second natural birth with a midwife.
ReplyDeleteOh! But before I go....the placenta photo you have above is a bit too strong. Please replace with a softer photo. Thanks and have a great day!
Hi MD Bless! Welcome!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had come across this information when I was pregnant. I am working on the follow up post now but not enough hours in the day to get done as fast as I would like.
That is so interesting that you think the picture is "too strong". It's actually not a picture of mine, just one I found online. But they all look about the same, so I won't be able to replace it with a softer one, sorry. :)
To be honest, I think you should remove that picture; it's too bloody! By replacing with a softer picture, I mean like a picture of flowers, babies laughing, or maybe women dining!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for your follow up story. Have a great day! MD Bless
I don't think the picture is to bloody or to strong. It shows what she is talking about.
ReplyDeleteI wish I new about this when i had my baby girl 11 months ago. i could use the pills for more energy. Also for the milk supply which I had trouble with. I thankfully never had post partum depression but the energy I sure could of used them for and the milk supply would of helped me breastfeed longer. I won't be having another baby for a very lonnng time but when I do I will for sure do the ecaplation...I don't think I could eat it!!
There are plenty of green, natural, highly effective and non-human-flesh-eating ways to nourish your body and spirit. I am, by nature, of a "live and let live" mindset, but this disturbs me. Yet, I suppose if it's your own flesh you're consuming, there aren't any laws against it. Are you seeking to fill a void with this venture? I'm sincerely curious.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to encapsulate mine the first go-round, but Archer came 3 weeks early and totally caught me off-guard. There are people who encapsulate professionally, which is what I would like to utilize for my second birth, due in January.
ReplyDeleteFor those who think is this is some sort of freakish/wrong/backwards practice, I ask "why are we the only mammal species who DOESN'T practice placentophagy?" (anymore, at least, it used to be a common practice in many cultures) When you look at how birth depletes you of nutrients and how nutrient-rich the placenta is, it seems only natural. I've also heard that the capsules are an ideal remedy for menopause symptoms.
Regardless, thank you for sharing!
So did you do it, and if so, how did it go??
ReplyDelete@Rebecca..I did! You can search for the post, it is titled, Yes, I did Eat My Placenta. :)
ReplyDelete