I haven’t really thought what happens to the umbilical cord after it’s cut off the baby when it’s born – I figured it just went in the trash or got incinerated or something – but apparently there’s a new trend where new mothers are turning it into some kind of weird art.
Images VIA
Personally I think it’s gross and kind of weird but apparently there’s a huge demand for this kind of stuff. I suppose it is 2016. Ashly McClough is the director of Blissful Womb Birth Services and she will prepare the placenta for you to eat (shudder) or turn it into a keepsake for $50. Here’s what she had to say about her business:
The placenta is what nourishes the baby through the umbilical cord as they grow in the womb.
The umbilical cord is the baby’s lifeline and direct connection to the mother; the reason they are alive and therefore seen by many as sacredThe separation of cord from baby signifies the end of mother and baby being one.
The umbilical cord is the baby’s lifeline and direct connection to the mother; the reason they are alive and therefore seen by many as sacred.
Placenta encapsulation was traditionally seen as a pretty crunchy or natural mama thing to do, but in recent years, mothers from all walks of life are choosing encapsulation and love the keepsakes that accompany it.
To preserve the cord, I dehydrate it for nearly 24 hours.
Coloured dye is then often added, in order to make a truly personal gift or keepsake for the mother who wants it.
We are one of the only mammalian species that doesn’t regularly consume our placentas post-partum and it’s only because of societal standards and regulations.
Well yeah, I still kind of think it’s weird but if that’s what women want to do then I’m not exactly going to be one to stop them am I? I don’t get why anyone would want a dried placenta in the shape of a heart or the word ‘love’ though – it’s like keeping a collection of your toenails or bogeys or something, who would honestly want that?
Anyway, here’s a picture of what comes out of your butt after a colonic. Ain’t no way anyone’s turning that into artwork.
