Please Pass the Placenta

So I was bored, and perusing a birth board of other mommies in the US who are due in April ’10 like me. I read a thread a woman posted; and she was asking if any other women were planning on eating their placenta too, after giving birth.

My Diet 7-Up I’d just taken a mouthful sprayed out my nose. And that stung.

I’ve seen my numerous kitty lovers throughout the years partake of their placenta after birthing their litter of kittens. It’s supposed to be full of nutrients, and I guess on an instinctual level, help get rid of the smell of birth matter so that predators don’t come to dine.

But I have never, ever, EVER heard of humans eating the placenta. And I consider myself a knowledgeable Woman of the World.

Let me illustrate for those of you who have never given birth or know what a placenta looks like what you’d be getting yourself into: when I gave birth to Cade, my placenta was about 8 lbs. And it was big. And like purple and veiny and bloody. Really, it looked like a deflated punching bag. My doc hefted it up for me to see, and I was like GEEZ PUT THAT AWAY. I mean it was gross.

And every woman for herself, okay? I’m not here to judge any of you placenta-eaters. I just couldn’t, well, stomach it. The woman went on to say that she packed it in salt (like beef jerky) and then froze it and then she would cook it like regular meat (it tastes like liver!) and season it as she would a steak, and if her husband was grilling chicken or steak on the grill or something, he’d just throw on a slab of the good ‘ol placenta for her to eat. She sprinkled it on top of her fettuccine; she put it in her soup, and worst of all, every morning she blended some up in a fruit smoothie. And, to date, she still has two uneaten placentas in her freezer that she’s still getting to.

And when her daughter was born? Oh they had a party to celebrate that, and what were the hors devours? Just some crackers and cheese and placenta. (Did they tell their guests?) (OMG)

So I’d like to officially state for the record that I am not planning on partaking of my placenta after birthing my little Polly Pocket. But if anyone’s having a craving – cuz these are kinda hard to come by! – let me know, and you can have mine.

Yum.