When I say the phrase ‘how are babies made,’ do you giggle a little bit? Maybe you scoff and think ‘obviously the answer is sex, Ash.’
Sure, sex can be a vital part to the creation of a baby, but the real work comes after the penis has been tucked back into their pants.
After fertilization, the egg travels through the fallopian tube over 8-9 days and ‘implants’ or attaches to the uterine wall. This is where it will stay for the course of the pregnancy. This
is where the placenta forms.
So what is the placenta?
The placenta is the bodies solution to supplying babies with the oxygen and nutrients required to grow. This organ also works to remove waste, such as carbon dioxide, to keep baby healthy.
The placenta can be seen as three parts in one. There is the ‘basal plate’ which attaches to the uterine wall - uterine veins and arteries enter in through the uterine wall to provide nutrients and expel waste from mums blood.
Then we have the mothers red blood cells pooled above this. From here, the umbilical cord which connects the baby to the placenta. The umbilical cord reaches into the blood to draw the nutrients and take them to baby.
This incredible organ is birthed after the baby is born and is often tossed in the trash as medical waste. But did you know that there are ways that you can honour this connection that nourished and protected your baby as it was formed?
Planting a Tree: This is a fantastic option if you have found your forever home. You can plant a tree with the placenta buried underneath. As your baby grows, so too will their tree. If you haven’t found your forever home yet and plan on moving in the future, you can opt to plant your placenta under a tree in a pot until
you find the perfect permanent home for it. I love the idea of planting a tree to honour your placenta because of the similarities between the two. The roots draw life from Mother Earth to grow into beautiful new life.
Creating an Art Print: This is a beautiful, hands on way to create an everlasting artwork to display or to keep in your baby book. To do this, you’ll first need to clean off the residual blood and dry the placenta. Then you will lay the placenta with the side you want to print facing up. Brush your paint over the placenta and press the art pad to the placenta.
Preservation: Having the placenta dried and made into jewellery is a beautiful keepsake to honour your placenta. You can either dry it and suspend it in resin yourself or you can contact a DNA artist to have it professionally made into jewellery.
Did you have anything done with your placenta?
My name is Ashleigh Rankin of Surrender Birth Services. I am a doula and a mother of two located on the North Coast of NSW. The journey of parenthood begins long before you step out into the world with your newborn which is why it is so important to travel through pregnancy, birth and postpartum with confidence and joy. I love nothing more than to be a part of that journey and watch families flourish from day one.
For hints and tips for pregnancy, birth and postpartum, head over to my instagram @surrender.birth
To get in contact or find out more, I can be found at surrenderbirthdoula.com or by email at surrenderbirth@gmail.com.
I can’t wait to hear from you!
Ash xx
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