Is Your Placenta in Your Birth Plan?

You may have spent 10-16 hours in a childbirth education class learning all about your options for childbirth. You might even learn a little bit about the postpartum period and infant feeding. You’ll be told “planning is important”, and “being flexible” is even more important. You might even get a birth plan template that asks you questions like:

-Would you like intermittent or continuous fetal monitoring?

-What position would you like to push in?

-Are you giving your baby Vitamin K and antibiotic eye ointment?

-What is your preferred feeding method?

But rarely does it ask what your plan is for your placenta…

Most people allow the hospital to dispose of their placenta as normal, when they don’t know what their options are. Even when people know what their options are, taking a placenta home is not something that everyone desires. Make sure you inform your care provider and your hospital if you plan on taking your placenta home with you, because otherwise they will dispose of it as medical waste immediately after birth. Because it isn’t “standard”, the 3x rule is recommended: talk to your care provider about it prenatally, inform the hospital upon admission, and tell the clinical staff again immediately after birth.

Why would you take your placenta home?

There are various reasons why someone would take their placenta home. Some have plans for placenta encapsulation, others have various cultural practices to honor than placenta. Some families bury it in their backyard and plant a tree over it, since placental nutrients are healthy for the soil. Some families dehydrate placentas, and instead of consuming, they make placenta art, keepsakes, and jewelry out of their placenta. Some people would just prefer to dispose of their placenta on their terms instead of having the hospital either dispose of it as medical waste, or take it for research.

Things to keep in mind when taking your placenta home for encapsulation…

These are the recommendations when taking your placenta home for encapsulation:

-Bring a placenta transport kit (sometimes provided by your placenta encapsulation specialist)

-Use the 3x rule for communication about your desire for placenta encapsulation

-Ask questions of your medical team if they tell you that your placenta can’t be taken home

-Call your placenta specialist as soon as possible after birth - most hospitals have a 2 hour pick up rule

Have a plan for your placenta!

Even if placenta encapsulation isn’t for you, decide if you have an alternate plan before going into labor -and make sure your clinical care team knows about it! Not sure if placenta encapsulation is for you? Read more about it here!