It’s sent away as medical waste, never to be thought of again! That tree then symbolizes ongoing life. If the newborn is a girl, the placenta is buried near the home to keep the daughter near her mother’s home. Eating the baby's placenta. The midwife then pronounces, 'you are now responsible for your life as I am responsible for mine'. Click on the red dots to explore a sampling of placenta rituals from around the world. 10 Disturbing Rituals From Around The World Women Are Subjected To For No Good Reason. and bury the placenta under a tree. Traditional Native American postpartum pregnancy customs were steeped in cultural tradition while being mindful of the health of the new mother and baby. Biology / Health / Medicine / Symbols, An editorially independent magazine of the Wenner‑Gren Foundation for Anthropological ResearchPublished in partnership with the University of Chicago Press. There, a prominent local placenta encapsulation specialist described how she prepares placenta for a mother’s consumption. Burns has observed a parallel transition in her in-depth interviews with mothers in Australia who have had home births. and bury the placenta under a tree. As Burns’ baby grew, she says it felt very special to tell her child “these are your peaches” when they got a great crop from the tree planted over the placenta. Placenta burial is the very final act of birth, it is the completion of the birthing journey. Show them a photo, and they’ll probably be a bit grossed out – even more so when they hear about some weird cultural and religious practices surrounding placentas. Since the placenta acts as a filter, wherein toxins accumulate, the organ was an increasingly poor choice of nutrients. Ideally, you can offer the baby for blessing by the household gods as the child enters the home for the first time, but realistically you can do it any time that the whole family is up for it. Proponents, including celebrities and social media influencers, insist—based on anecdotal evidence—that it can boost new moms’ milk supply and mood levels, even going so far as to say it can fend off postpartum depression. In 2010, medical anthropologists Daniel Benyshek and Sharon Young, both at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, set about analyzing the traditions of 179 cultures for handling of the placenta. The word ‘whenua’ relates to the placenta and to the land. African religions - African religions - Mythology: In African oral cultures, myths embody philosophical reflections, express values, and identify moral standards. If the newborn is a girl, the placenta is buried near the home to keep the daughter near her mother’s home. Contrary to claims that the priestesses engaged in ritual prostitution, it is more likely that they were in control of their choices of bed-mates along with the high priestess engaging in the ritual re-enactment of the sacred marriage between Dumuzi and Innana with a young man of her choice once a year on the Spring Equinox. To make your own print, use a piece of absorbent paper (similar to the paper that you would use for water colour painting). There was no look at traditional cultures,” he says. Becoming a mother sparked Burns’ fascination with placenta rituals and other elements of spirituality in childbirth. It was a beautiful October day in 2008. • Smear the baby’s first stool on your face. Those in favour of this practice argue that humans are one of the few mammals who don’t routinely eat their placentas. In Kenya, Masai midwives chew the cord with their teeth to separate the cord from the placenta. Many medicines are administered right after childbirth to aid in the removal of the retained placenta. The rituals differ among families–some bury the placenta in the earth, some stick it high in the branches of a tree–and are passed down from mother to daughter. to ' correct the erroneOUS observatiods, notions, assertions and pontifications of some foreign armchair investigators about . Emily Burns’ oldest son waters the peach tree the family planted over his younger sibling’s placenta. Placenta: a living being, a guardian angel. Or you may decide to follow one of your own cultural traditions regarding the placenta. She currently works at Parentwood Baby and Family Wellness Centre in Pretoria as a well-baby clinic sister and antenatal teacher. I had just started to date (I was a single mom through most of my pregnancy), and a boyfriend found the placenta box and asked, “What’s this?” That’s when I realized it was time to do something with it. It continues to manufacture hormones that maintain the pregnancy throughout. Gunter, who has fielded requests by mothers who want to keep their placenta, noted that the organ can carry traces of arsenic, mercury, and lead. In many traditions, people believe that improper handling of the placenta will affect the fate of the mother and/or child—or that the placenta’s condition is an omen for the child’s abilities or health. In certain African nations, the placenta is swaddled in blankets and buried beneath a tree. Instead, myths are embedded and transmitted in ritual practice. Placenta burial is the very final act of birth, it is the completion of the birthing journey. These prints are a beautiful and artistic way of preserving something of the miracle of the placenta. Within a few days after conception, long before you even suspect you’re pregnant, the cells of the developing placenta start producing hormones. Pregnant women greatly fear that some or all of the placenta will be retained after childbirth. (We’re sure you’ve read about some celebrities who’ve even eaten their placentas!). Placenta Rituals From Around the World. Some parents make a print of the placenta as a keepsake for their baby. is often overlooked. They also believe there’s a reduced risk of infection of the cord, as it is not cut but left intact. November 2, 2011 by Moms. is often overlooked. This is a beautiful tradition. “Also, it’s not prescribed right after birth, though it is said to treat low milk supply,” he adds. Every time you share a post from the relay, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 (per action), up to $300,000, to the Global Moms Relay, to help improve the health and well-being of moms and kids worldwide in support of MAMA, Shot@Life, UNICEF and Girl Up.Scroll to the bottom to find out more. En algunas regiones, la placenta se cuelga en el interior de la casa para que se seque o en un árbol como ofrenda a los cuervos de Odin. Contrary to claims that the priestesses engaged in ritual prostitution, it is more likely that they were in control of their choices of bed-mates along with the high priestess engaging in the ritual re-enactment of the sacred marriage between Dumuzi and Innana with a young man of her choice once a year on the Spring Equinox. These strong women often walk, 8, 10 or more miles to get to a birthing mama. Many of these rituals include ceremonial burial and sometimes planting a tree on the spot, or naming the placenta. Burns believes Western societies could benefit from adopting postpartum practices, such as intentional placenta disposal. The placenta is commonly believed to be a child’s living relative: Several cultures refer to it as a mother, sibling, or grandmother. Some African nations swaddle the placenta in blankets and bury it beneath a tree as a tree symbolises ongoing life. In Ghana and among the Ibo of Nigeria, the placenta is treated as the dead twin of the live baby and given full burial rites. Emily Burns’ oldest son waters the peach tree the family planted over his younger sibling’s placenta. “Welcome earthside sweet little Harper As a Maori baby his placenta will now be returned to the land. A researcher prepares a human placenta for a study at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The placenta would be wrapped in animal skin and then left outside for animals to feast on. Remembering the Woman Who Was My Second Mother in Cuba, How Culture Shapes Perceptions of Miscarriage. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Placentas are not a clinical waste. If a baby wasn’t breathing they may dunk it quickly in a basin of water to shock them in to breathing. Africa The Ibo of Nigeria and Ghana treat the placenta as the dead twin of the live child and give it full burial rites. The placenta is the very first of all your baby’s organs that will grow and develop. They regarded it as superstitious. Circumcision. “I asked her what research was being done into it and she said none. In countries where the childbirth process is highly medicalized, the placenta is typically whisked away to the incinerator. © 2020 Living and Loving Magazine | The Citizen |. She is not just a practitioner of placenta ritual. Christine Klynhans is a nursing sister and South African Certified Lactation Consultant (SACLC). “We can also learn the value in ritual, in a mourning ritual of burial in particular, as we might find comfort in a ceremony to say farewell to pregnancy as we move into motherhood,” Burns says. Burns knows that fact well. “It was clear quite early in the research that the placenta was not an afterthought. She is passionate about supporting parents on the journey of pregnancy, breastfeeding and the early childhood years. The organ, she explained, is typically steamed, dehydrated, ground, and placed into capsules. July 7th, 2013 – Ritualists Now Buying Babies Placenta For Money Rituals In Nigeria “Madam, I can help you raise money to pay your hospital bill, if you can give me your placenta.” This was the statement of a middle aged man identified as Segun who specialises in buying and selling of placenta. *Because of the sacredness of this subject, this is a CLOSED DISCUSSION and only open to Black people of the African diaspora. For centuries upon centuries, countless cultures around the world have ceremonially handled the placenta because to them, it is a pure symbol of spirit, life and individuality.For this reason, several cultures tend to bury the placenta instead of just wasting it. Asked her what research was being done into it and she said.... Family Wellness Centre in Pretoria as a well-baby clinic sister and antenatal teacher planning to do encapsulation... The pregnancy throughout spread across its surface like the wide, billowing of! Waste to some holds immense importance for others – this is done by putting the is... Ancient Egypt, the placenta as the dead twin of the miracle of the journey... And achieve a beneficial result the wide, billowing branches of a tree, she in. Cultural tradition while being mindful of the new mother can be performed the of... 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