Lauryn's Life Tree
FYI: The following may contain TMI (too much information) so you are warned lol ;)
Hugh and I decided that one of our gifts together this year for Christmas would be a tree or plant for Lauryn's placenta. (Ok, might want to stop reading there lol.) And yes, it's been in my freezer for 2 years and when we are low on meat it has been mentioned that we should have placenta for dinner lol. Anyway, I am completely fascinated by the female body's reproductive qualities and all that it takes to sustain a pregnancy. When I was pregnant with Kamryn, the question came up about me keeping the placenta and to have it in our birth plan. Well at first I thought 'ewwww, yuck, I don't think so'. Then next I thought 'I wouldn't feel right planting something personal here just to leave it behind'. And I remember when Kamryn was born, my midwife asked if I wanted it and I said no. Then she asked if I wanted to see what sustained my baby for all of that time. Again I refused. I don't do blood and gore very well lol. And I swear I would be a midwife if I could handle the blood and complications of the job lol.
With Lauryn it was different. I was in a different frame of mind. I was 9 days overdue. And every placenta has a 'use by date'. That is why they won't let you go much over your due date for fear of the placenta expiring. I was fine to go 2 weeks over but anything after then a scheduled c-section would have been put into place. So the fact that the placenta fed and grew Lauryn for all those months and still hung on until she was ready to be born herself, amazes me. Such a miraculous thing that happens in every pregnancy and without it we wouldn't have babies. And it's also something that is tossed out in the garbage just as quickly as the baby is born. Well I didn't want this one to go out, so we kept it. Since I had an emergency c-section everything was fuzzy afterwards and I wasn't even sure it got kept. But I was soon reassured it did.
So in all this time it's been in our freezer. With my fear of leaving it behind at this house when we move onto another one. But I decided this year was the year to let go. To move on. Give back to mother Earth. And nurture a little plant like it was nurtured and nourished Lauryn. Nothing was said. No explanations needed. With tears in my eyes, I let go. Let go of my fears for future babies, disgust about my emergency c-section, and worry for my growing child. Holding onto the placenta wasn't helping. We live here now. We lived here when Lauryn was born. It's only fitting that it return to where we call home now.
posted by Christi @ 10:32 PM
7 Comments:
cool thing to do.......better giving it back to mother earth than the freezer. Must say though I would have been like you the frst time round too and wouldn't have wanted to see it.
I think it's a really neat idea. I kind of wish we had kept the boys' ones and planted them, especially since we *know* we aren't moving from this house. Not that it matters anyway, like you said you are "letting go" and that's really cool.
I remember looking at my placenta after Ethan was born - he was 10 days overdue - and it was pretty amazing. I don't remember seeing Tyler's, although I know I did look at it. They are amazing things, that's for sure!!
That story was very heart warming and made me think that what would I have done in your situation. I had 3 C-Sections and the thought of keeping the placenta never came up. Hearing storys like yours makes you wish you kept them.
I never got offered mine and didnt even know you could keep them till I was looking in my sisters freezer and found the bag with "Placenta" in black pen! We have Brooke's here - Ashleigh wants it planted here at her childhood home (probably because it will be a cold day in hell b4 we move!) I would have kept mine with Jess and Jos - with Ash it ruptured and there wasnt much to keep - LOL! I love that you planted it with such an open heart - awesome Christi!
Hi Christi, we kept Alexander's for a year before planting it at mum’s house under a kowhai tree.
My midwife kept on asking if I wanted to keep it - and after my emergency c section I found it in my room - mum said she brought it back for me.
I felt it was a part of my body so it felt right to keep it - must say I didn’t really wants to look at it though.
oh i find placentas really interesting too...we grow a completely new organ...and not just once but each time we r pregnant...no wonder u r so bloody tired each time we get pg too lol
i never kept either of mine...i did see lillys and have a good look..emily's was taken away...actually i remember my doc asking me if i saw that because the nurse walk past we with it...and it was just this matter of fact oh yes the placenta...yep..and he was shocked that i didnt care...i too did the c section thing and not by choice..letting go of that is good...they suck to put it nicely but it also means babies and mothers survive and thats cool
Wow! I wish I was offered to take my placenta. But back in my day I guess it was like when my mom had me. No men where allowed in delivery when I was born. And that changed. When I had kids they didn't even think about showing let alone keeping the placenta. And that has changed. I know when my grandson Gage was born my daughter-in-law got to see hers and was asked if she wanted to keep it.I thank that is pretty amazing.
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