placenta

Welcome to the world Ivy Ellen!

The birth was just how we wanted it, at home! One of the innumerable benefits of a home birth is that the next time you open the fridge you find the ziplock'd placenta the midwives stored before they promptly exited.

Here is my method, advised by midwife Corrina, on how to dehydrate the placenta for vitamin and hormone packed capsules that Ivy and I can take as needed for years to come.

First photo: washing the placenta. This is the side of the placenta that was attached to the uterus.

Second photo: This is the 'shiny' side of the placenta, with the vascularization and umbilical chord.

Third photo: Checking out the membranes, also known as the amniotic sac. To be removed.

Fourth photo: Umbilical chord! To be removed. I coiled it and baked it to preserve it.

Fifth photo: Preparing the steam bath for the placenta, add cayenne pepper, fresh lemon and two slices of ginger to water in a steamer pot.

Sixth photo: Steam shiny side down first and then flip, done cooking when it no longer bleeds when poked with a fork.

Seventh photo: Smells good! Cut the cooked placenta into thin slices to be baked at the lowest possible temperature in the oven for many hours. Mine took 6 hours. Remove when crispy.

Eighth photo: Put the pieces into a coffee grinder and pulverize until a smooth powder is made. Then fill "double zero" gelatin capsules 3 quarters full with the powder.