Yes, that is my placenta. Or, rather, it is my son's placenta. And yes, some people will slice and dice this thing and eat it. Raw. Perhaps in a smoothie. Perhaps sauteed in a stir-fry.
And here I thought I was all hippie-crunchy for just wanting to bury my oldest's placenta under a tree three years ago. Nope, apparently I've spent the last three years getting even weirder. This time around I wanted to eat it. And I did.
Or more accurately, I still am eating it...since I have some pills left. No, no raw placenta injesting for me. I just couldn't do it this way. I don't really even like rare steak. I'm a well-done meat eater only and don't like my meat to resemble meat. It must be from those years of being vegetarian. No way was I going to eat that thing as is.
So I had it freeze dried and encapsulated. A midwife picked up my fresh placenta (that we stored in the fridge for a few hours before she arrived) and then dropped off a bottle of placenta pills a couple days later along with that dried up umbilical cord that she shaped into a heart. I'm not sure if that heart umbilical cord is beautiful or just weird. I'm not exactly sure what to do with it. Do I keep this? Is this baby book fodder? Perhaps I should bury it. All I know is that she said to make sure I keep it away from dogs or cats because they'll turn it into a chew toy.
Anyway, these pills (Mr Woodmouse calls them my "placenta helper pills") are supposed to ward off postpartum depression. Do I notice a difference? You bet I do. About a half hour after popping a few things seem less cloudy. Placebo? Maybe. But who cares. If it works, it works and I didn't even have to eat the darn thing raw.
(and I'm now giggling that I get to put this in the "food stuff & cooking" category)
