Eutherial mammals (including humans) and sharks all pass placentas after giving birth to their young. While we share many things in common with our animal bretheren; such as seeking out a dark, quiet space in which to labour, surrounding ourselves with experienced individuals or withdrawing to be in private and wanting to be near our babies - there is at least one way in which most people are different from animals: we generally don't eat our placentas (a practice known as placentophagy).Traditionally, placentophagy is said to help balance postpartum hormones, enhance maternal milk supply and increase energy. Placenta contains high levels of prostaglandin - a natural chemical that helps the uterus to shrink back to its original size - and a molecule known as POEF (Placental Opioid-Enhancing Factor) which is a natural pain reducer.There are even skin and hair care products on the market that contain placenta which claim to be regenerating and nourishing.Sounds great, right? If even herbivorous mammals chomp down on placentas because they are chock-full of good stuff, why don't we humans bring our forks and knives to a birth?Well, chances are, if you are a typical North American reading this entry, you can answer the question yourself with your own gagging - many of us are completely revolted by the idea of ingesting placenta (either our own or someone elses'). It is a cultural taboo and a source of abjection - as a friend of mine once said about placentophagy, "Bethy, my body passes shit, but I don't eat that either."What if you wanted to get the benefits of placental ingestion but couldn't bear the thought of combing the Internet for afterbirth recipes (sadly, http://www.cooks.com doesn't have any)? There are websites that allow you to encapsulate your placenta inside gelatin (or vegetarian) capsules for you to pop like you would your daily vitamin.For example, http://placentabenefits.info/index.asp sells a kit that gives you everything you need to encapsulate your placenta (including a disposable cutting board and apron). If that still seems a little "hands-on" for your taste (no pun intended), some Chinese medicine health care providers will perform the service for you for a fee. Lest you think that some crunchy granola types (and what's so wrong with being a crunchy granola type, anyway? ) are the sole promoters of ingesting placenta, keep in mind that throughout the ages, many cultures practiced placentophagy and many people see it no different as eating tongue, haggis, kidneys or brains.Just some "food" for thought!P.S. If you are interested in recipes that involve placenta preparation, I do have a collection. Feel free to email me at beth.murch@gmail.com
This evening, I had the pleasure of watching an extraordinary DVD about natural childbirth called Birth As We Know It.Released by The Sentient Circle, it is a film directed by "Conscious Birth" co-creator Elena Tonetti-Vladimirova.As a doula and a birth junkie, I have seen a lot of movies and television shows about childbirth. Thanks to the popularity of reality t.v. and the Western world's obsession with knowing the most intimate details of celebrity life; many of us can compare our experiences to those of Brandy's on Brandy Norwood: A Special Delivery, Nature on Life's Birth Stories and Vicki and Kevin Wilson on TLC's A Baby Story. We've even seen Dr. Quinn, Laura Ingalls and Deanna Troi birth babies in our favourite television series. What's one more birth movie?What makes Birth As We Know It special is its frank look at natural childbirth...and how beautiful birth can be. Eleven births are shown - including a breech birth, a twin birth and an unassisted birth - and each one is glorious in its own right. Tonetti-Vladimirova talks about overcoming the birth trauma that many of us experienced when we entered the world and explains how that may impact the deliveries of our children. She introduces us to couples who birth their babies in shallow ocean lagoons, in their bathtubs, in lush gardens, and in hospitals. These are children who are born wide-eyed, often smiling, and who nurse immediately.Birth As We Know It captures how powerful pregnant women are, and how sexual the birth event is. Those supporting the women in labour tell of being astounded by the mother's energy, her strength and her ability to connect with her most primitive self.Lest you think that this is a DVD that bashes OB/GYNs, hospitals or cesarean sections, there are portions of the film that show natural births in hospitals, attended by loving doctors and it is made clear that there is a time and a place for medical intervention.This film really moved me. I feel almost as if words are too paltry to describe the sheer beauty and practicality of the movie. The Sentient Circle believes that women's bodies know how to birth their babies - and it created an amazing representation of that.Check out their website at: http://www.birthasweknowit.com/
It used to be that when your wife went into labour, you drove her to the hospital and then retired either to the hospital waiting room to sip bad coffee or to the local pub to gulp a few pints of ale. When it was all over, you would sit at your wife's bedside, where she would be pleasantly coiffed and wearing her pearls and lipstick. She would show you your new baby - bathed and diapered, tucked into the cradle of her arm.Suddenly, a revolution erupted. Men wanted to be more involved in their partners' pregnancies; they wanted to watch their children be born, and most importantly, women wanted their spouses with them in the delivery room. Television and stories paint beautiful pictures of husbands and wives holding each other through waves of labour pains, whispering "I love you" as the baby crowns, and both eagerly caressing their wet and wriggling child as she is laid on her mother's chest.What about those partners who aren't entirely sure what happens in labour? Sure, they know that a baby comes out from down there, but what does it mean when the doctor says, "Mom is fully effaced and baby is at + 2 station"? What do they do when their labouring lovely looks them in the eye and asks them to explain what their care provider just said? What about those caring dads who want to do anything they can to help their loved ones in pain, but don't know where to start?The Western world has come a long way in preparing men to assist in childbirth: there are prenatal classes for couples, Mom "n" Dad lactation courses, parenting handbooks for fathers and even "sympathy bellies" - tie-on contraptions that allow men to feel the weight and awkwardness that their mate is experiencing while carrying their child. However, no matter how many times you thumb through What To Expect When You're Expecting, you never really know what to expect!For men who want to provide their companion with every possible comfort, a doula can provide reassurance and education.Doula (pronounced "doo-la") is a Greek word that means "women's servant" or "slave". In the past twenty years, it has come to describe a person (either male or female, although the majority of doulas are female) who assists people with pregnancy, birth and postpartum issues. Labour doulas specifically work with individuals during their labour and delivery. She helps the couple create a birth plan (basically, a "game plan" and "play book" for birth) and answers any questions they may have about giving birth (at home, at a birth centre or at the hospital). The doula will spend the length of the labour with moms and dads, helping the mother to cope with labour and assisting fathers in supporting them.Doulas have been specially trained to understand what happens medically, psychologically, and spiritually during labour and birth. Their goal is to help families achieve the best birth possible for them, with an emphasis on safety, empowerment and love. Doulas don't replace dads - in fact, they work hard to ensure that a woman's partner is her best comfort. Imagine someone who can decipher the doctor's medical terms...someone who can provide moral support while the midwife is busy catching the baby...someone you can turn to when you are at a loss and say, "Help!"Some men feel threatened by doulas because they worry that they will lose their place helping their significant other give birth. Doulas understand that no one is more special to a woman than her soul mate, and so they suggest different positions, breathing patterns, and comfort techniques that men can help their partners with.When a woman looks back on the birth of her child, she doesn't always remember the touch of her doula or the sound of her doula's voice - she remembers her partner's hands in her own, his whispers in her ear, and his comforting presence...and that is a doula's dream come true.- copyright 2008, Beth Murch. All rights reserved. Duplication without express written permission of the author is strictly prohibited.
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