Placenta

For my previous pregnancy, I did request to bring back my own placenta, but the nurses were too busy trying to clear the delivery ward that they've forgotten about my request. Gynae personally apologised for the oversight and made a file note to ensure that medical personnels accede to patients' request in future. Hopefully with my current pregnancy, there would be no such mistakes.

Done some reading up on 'placenta' and thought the below would best describe its uses. In fact, based on babycentre's site, many Singaporean mothers do ask for their placentas to be stored and brought home with them.

Cultural reverence
In many cultures around the world, generations of mothers have long believed that the placenta still contains all its life-supporting goodness after the birth. After all, the placenta is the organ that supplies your baby with all the food, nutrients and oxygen she needed during her gestation. The Chinese place a great deal of importance in the healing properties of the placenta.

In the Malay community, the placenta is esteemed for its role in supporting the baby during the pregnancy. After the birth, the placenta is collected and accorded a respectful and proper Muslim burial, as a way of giving thanks to this special organ.

Many other cultures around the world have special ceremonies that honour the placenta for its role during the pregnancy. For example, the Maoris in New Zealand bury the placenta as a symbol of honouring the relationship of humans and earth.

For animals, they consume their placentas after birth. This act is called placentophagy, it is thought that the placenta provides the mother the nutrition she needs after using up all her energy for the delivery. It is also believed animals do this to rid evidence of the birth so their young do not fall prey to predators.

Mothers who consume their placentas believe it helps with post partum healing. Some think it will provide the new mother with increased energy after the birth, and help with contracting the uterus and stopping post partum bleeding. Others believe that it will balance hormones thus avoiding post natal blues, and improve complexion.

Fact is, the placenta does contain high levels of prostaglandin, which stimulates the contraction of the uterus after birth. There are also small amounts of oxytocin, a hormone which helps promote lactation.

Whether it does work or it's simply a myth... we await further research in this area.