Thursday, June 12, 2008

The Placenta Is Buried--Not For The Squeamish

I dug up a garden plot last week. I have wanted a garden for the last 8 years and I finally just went for it. I have also been waiting for the right moment to thaw Graham's placenta (that has been living in the freezer the last nine months) to bury it in the ground. The garden plot seemed like the perfect place. A placenta is what gives the baby life in the womb and I like the idea of putting in the ground somewhere that will grow plants which also symbolize creation and life.

I had mixed emotions about burying the placenta. I felt sad and I wished that I had some close friends with me to celebrate the moment. I know it sounds strange--I can imagine many eyes rolling as this gets read or some ewwwww gross faces. That's okay. Placenta burying isn't for everyone. But it was right for me and I wished that I had enough foresight to have some reflection time before actually burying it. I think that part of me felt sad because it felt like I was saying goodbye to part of Graham's babydom. What if he is my last baby? I think there was a small part of me mourning that possibility. Plus, there was something cool about having the organ that sustained Graham throughout his development in my womb. Here are the pictures of my little "ceremony".


This is the bag that was holding the placenta. You can see the cord hanging out a little.

I wanted to inspect the placenta. I didn't really get to look at it much after Graham was born. Things were a little chaotic right after he was born and I was too busy bonding with him after that.

I wasn't sure what the placenta would look like after it had been frozen and thawed but it looked just a normal post-birth placenta. The cord was still jelly like and you could still see the veins.


Here I am holding up the amniotic sac where Grahammy lived for 9 months. It was so neat to see how big the sac and placenta was.

It is about to go in the ground. We put the dirt over it and I planted some pepper plants around it. I hope to have a lot of fun with my little garden and I think I will smile every time I look at it because I know that some extra part of who we are as a family went into making it.

I'll post some more pictures soon of the finished garden. I already have some lettuce, radish, pumpkin, and okra shoots coming up. Woo-hoo!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

ok, when i got past acting like a middle school boy about this, it's a great celebration of a baby. thanks for posting it!

"where he lived for 9 months" - just crazy. i can't count the number of times over the past year that either amanda or i have looked at ace and said "she came out of me (you)!"

Unknown said...

I am with Daniel. Once you get past it, it is kind of a cool science experiment. Except a really personal one. I hope the peppers turn out well!

Sharon M said...

What a great experience. Wish I could've been there to share it with you.

The Herd said...

Julie told me about this last night--some of the ladies that we were with had never heard of the "things" you can do with placentas.

You are right--it's not for everyone, but I hope that your garden grows tall!!

mamabrown said...

Wish I had been with you during your placenta burying ceremony. The placenta is a very, incredible, interesting, and totally amazing organ and certainly worthy of making wholly wonderful peppers since it grew such a beautiful baby like Graham!! God is so very amazing, awe inspiring, and incredible in his mighty works...how can anyone deny God when all one has to do is see a baby's smile and see His handiwork in all things. Inadequately said, but you get my meaning. Loved the entry and enjoyed the pictures too! You are an amazing woman and a wonderful daughter! Hugs to you!