Placental Traditions

Though many of us in North America simply throw the placenta away after birth, many cultures follow specific rituals in order to honor their children and the role that the placenta played in their birth. In Indonesia, the placenta is seen as the baby’s twin or elder sibling. The placenta will act as the child’s guardian angel throughout life and therefore, it must be treated well. It’s the father’s responsibility to clean, wrap, and bury the placenta on the day of the birth.

In China the placenta is viewed as a life-giving force and is dried and added to certain recipes in order to increase a person’s energy and vitality. In certain African nations, the placenta is swaddled in blankets and buried beneath a tree. That tree then symbolizes ongoing life. When you give birth, you may decide to keep your placenta or donate it to medical science. Or you may decide to follow one of your own cultural traditions regarding the placenta.

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Placental Traditions