A Baby’s Love for Grandmother Placenta

by Patricia Couch, PattyCake Birthing Services 

Have you thought about your placenta today? People all around the world, including you, celebrate that joyous connection to the sweet and loving placenta each year without even knowing it. Placenta is Latin word for a round flat cake, and the birthday cake may have originated as a tradition to honor the placenta. The placenta is especially the uterine organ that connects the mother to the child by way of the umbilical cord.

Can you remember back to the time when this amazing grandmother cared for you inside your mothers’ womb? She helped you to grow and thrive by nourishing you with oxygen, vitamins and minerals. She designed you your very own special blood, different than your mother’s blood. She helped with detoxification of your waste impurities to ensure your health. She protected you and played for you her beautiful song day and night.

When you were born the world was colder than the safe warm space that you were used to. The cool 70 degree breeze brushed across your wet skin and the bright lights streamed into your sensitive eyes. Your umbilical cord was quickly clamped and cut, instantly separating you from the loving pulse of grandmother placenta. In that moment everything shifted and changed and you quickly gasped for breathe, because you had no other choice. You were on your own, bathed and bundled and placed in a bed. Your process was quick and felt scary, violent and stressful.

Imagine a world that honored your relationship to your placenta, a world that allowed you to you say good-bye to her. The dim lights gave you ability to look around and find the faces that went with the familiar voices of your loved ones. The cool temperature gently helped your umbilical cord to slowly hug arteries and vein and you as transitioned into yourself. This gentle hug slowed your grandmother placentas ability to deliver the oxygen and blood to you. You were able to experience your lungs slowly fill with oxygen, as well as your shift from fetal to neonatal circulation, without fear. No one made you cry they let you be.

You were able to say good-bye to her for a couple of hours. The attachment between you and your placenta was left undisturbed. You and your grandmother placenta spent your last bit of time together sharing your memories and she gave you the last bits of blood that she had stored for you. She gave you all you needed to be healthy and to stay strong. She protected you and kept you in the safe and caring arms of your mother.

Grandmother placenta knew that the best place for you is your mother’s arms. She stayed connected to you and helped you to maintain that connection. You learned that you could live without your placenta, as the pulse of cord slowly stopped. Safe and secure breathing on your own, yet not alone, you were in the arms of your mother. Breast milk nourished you and protected you from sickness. Your mother’s body kept you warm. She gave you your gentle birth, she trusted nature and you trusted her.

Imagine you re-birthing yourself.

Celebrate the gift of life and remember how is happened.

Resources for further information on cord clamping and a gentle third stage:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3747098.stm
http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/natural/resources/labor/labor04.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060618224104.htm
http://www.geocities.com/total_mommy/umbilicalcord.html
http://www.midwifeinfo.com/content/view/61/40/
http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/articles/leaving-well-alone.htm
http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/MSM_98_4/index.html
http://www.elvovemd.com/files/LateCordClamping2.pdf