Raine: Patchwork Girl

Curiosity is a wonderful thing. It leads me to search some very interesting things on Google. I have been known to get excited about things like leperacy and other slightly morbid things. Today, however, I have discovered what the Placenta looks like. For some crazy reason I thought it would look like a jelly fish. squidgyfishlove thought it would look like a pig's stomach. It doesn't really look like either, actually. It's more like an alien brain on a rope. I find this fascinating. I hope I can find the energy and tear myself away from the baby long enough to photograph the placenta when it comes out of me. I expect squidgyfishlove will just pass out or throw up at the sight of it. I, however, want documentary, photographic evidence of this thing that was so exhausting for my body to build.

Images of placentas are here:

• Patti Ramos Photography. My favourites are The Tree of Life images PL5, PL6, PL7, PL8.


• UNSW Embryology: this one is not too squidgy for squidgyfishlove or anyone else with a weak stomach. It's an image of a cute little embryo, I'm guessing around 7 weeks, give or take a week.


• Llama Placenta


• Mmmm... Placenta: iStockphoto

There are, of course, more of these... but I'll leave you with those. :-)

Fun Fact: The reason most women regain energy after week twelve and the risk of miscarriage simultaneously drops is that the placenta is finished and functioning around this time. The primary reason that the risk of miscarriage drops is that the placenta creates its own supply of progesterone, the hormone most responsible for 'staying pregnant' during the first trimester, so even if the mother's supply is otherwise lower than it should be (like mine would be without the 300 mg I take per day) the placenta creates enough that the mother's levels become irrelevant.

Less Fun Fact: The Placenta produces another hormone called somatomammotropin, aka placental lactogen, which increases the amount of lipids, or fat cells, in my blood stream as well as Relaxin which is responsible for me needing new shoes (allowing my feet to elongate due to relaxed ligaments) as well as lower back and pelvic pain which will ultimately create more room and flexibility for passing a small human through a tight space and putting the first crack in my pelvis. On that note: in forensic archaeology a woman's pelvis is inspected for cracks to determine how many children to which she may have given birth- each one creates a crack in the bone. Yeah, ouch.

Yum Yum: According to Wikipedia, In most mammalian species[none human], the mother bites through the cord and consumes the placenta, primarily for the benefit of prostaglandin on the uterus after birth. This is known as placentophagy. However, some humans apparently find this tasty, including Tom Cruise who was quoted in GQ Magazine, with regards to the birth of baby Suri via Katie Holmes, as saying: “I’m gonna eat the placenta. I thought that would be good. Very nutritious. I’m gonna eat the cord and the placenta right there.” In case you're interested, I've found some Placenta Recipes.

I personally have no intention of masticating my placenta, or anyone else's for that matter... but to each their own.

I wonder what a bin full of those would look like... best not dumpster dive behind any hospitals.

( Upcoming Midwife Appointment )