From the beginning of time women have given birth, bringing forth new life. All over the world when women have their babies, a new mother is born. Globally, there are extensive traditions surrounding mothers and babies. In the days immediately after birth, rituals for healing and blessing encompass mothers. Likewise, postpartum healing is rich with traditions and customs. Above all, each culture is unique. Every community has ideas based on anecdotal evidence or just plain superstition. This blog is going to focus on traditions surrounding the placenta.
The Practical Placenta
First of all, what is a placenta? When a woman becomes pregnant, the placenta begins forming almost immediately. It begins functioning as it is forming and is completely functional by the end of the first trimester. The placenta performs many jobs that are essential to the pregnancy.
There are five functions the placenta performs. It acts as the baby’s:
- barrier to keep out toxic substances
- endocrine system, balancing hormones
- digestive system, nourishing the fetus
- excretory system by getting rid of waste
- respiratory system by bringing oxygenated blood to the fetus
The placenta with the umbilical cord is born soon after a woman gives birth to her baby.
10 Traditions Surrounding the Placenta
1. United States
In the US, when a woman gives birth, usually the hospital throws her placenta away with all the other bio hazardous material. There are no traditions in the states surrounding the placenta and it is a mere afterthought that is quickly and quietly disposed of.
However, in other nations and tribes, the placenta has significant purpose and it is handled with utmost care. Let’s take a closer look at some of these cultures.
2. Hawaii
Hawaiian traditional midwives considered both the placenta and the umbilical cord an extension of the body, so they were treated with utmost respect when buried to allow spiritual involvement holistic healing. The midwives wash the placenta and bury it with a sapling. After that, when the baby’s cord fell off it was taken to one of many sacred places and put in a hole with a volcanic rock over it.
3. Germany
Ancient Germans, planted the placenta with a tree as well. The tree’s shadow, size and shape predicted the life path of the placenta’s “milk brother” or person who grew with the placenta in the womb.
4. Europe
Many countries in Europe believe the fruits of an apple tree planted with a placenta were could ensure a woman who ate them was to be a mother of new human life. And so the tradition is to plant an apple tree with the placenta. Europeans said that eating the apples of a healthy apple tree planted with a placenta would transfer healing energy to it’s “milk brother”. Milk brother is a term Europeans use interchangeably with the baby and his placenta.
5. Switzerland
In Switzerland parents plant placentas under trees. If the baby is a boy, the parents are to plant the placenta under a nut tree and they plant it under an apple tree if the baby is a girl.
6. Sudan
Sudanese parents bury the placenta of their child near their desired path for the child. For example, many parents in Sudan bury the placenta near the medical facility in hopes their child will become a doctor.
7.Tanzania
In Tanzania the midwife’s assistant is to bury the placenta, along with salt and coins in a secret place for good luck. The burial place is supposed to be kept a secret. Therefore any person who may be jealous of the baby’s future wealth can not “lay an evil eye” on the placenta.
8. Other interesting traditions
Also in several other cultures, a dried piece of the umbilical cord is to be kept in the pocket or wallet at all times for good luck. For instance, one story tells of a German mother sewing a well kept piece of her baby’s umbilical cord into the hem of her adult son’s pants. She believed the piece was lucky and would keep his number from being picked in the war draft.
9. The Pacific Islands
When a baby is born, Islanders tie the umbilical cord into a knot and then dry it. Once the child can untie the knot from the dried umbilical cord he may join the adult circles. This is an ancient rite of passage in the Pacific Islands.
10. Traditional Chinese Medicine
In Traditional Chinese Medicine the placenta is drained, steamed, and dried for consumption by mothers. The placenta is not solely for the mother’s postpartum healing, but has many uses within the TCM community at large. Those who practice TCM think very highly of placentas. They believe it restores and balances chi. The placenta nourishes consumers, instilling energy and fighting fatigue. TCM practitioners consider the placenta one of the most warming “herbs” in use. Instead of a mother consuming her own placenta, any person who was “too cool” could benefit from either consuming dried placenta or using placenta topically by means of a salve.
The Placenta’s Value
In conclusion, traditions surrounding the placenta are many and varied, worldwide. Many cultures use the revered placenta for healing a variety of ailments, particularly post birth recovery. Additionally several communities consider the placenta good luck and a blessing for the mother and/or child, . Each culture has its own wonderfully unique ideas about the use of the practical placenta.
The placenta is known for promoting post-birth recovery.