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"Wanna see a triplet placenta?"


When my close friend & fellow birth worker Ari asked me if I wanted to photograph the placenta encapsulation process for a triplet placenta, I couldn't say no. It felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity. And it was SO cool!


I have documented this process for Ariana before and through my own birth work, I've seen dozens of placentas. It's interesting how different they can be. I love when midwives point out what makes the placenta stand out from others.

Birth workers get excited about these things.


I took some time to notice the details of each individual placenta. Ari took me on what we call a "placenta tour" as they examined the organ to figure out their plan of action. And then she prepped the placentas for some "placenta prints", the first step in the process.

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Preparing the organ for consumption via capsules is kind of like preparing a meal. At least from my point of view. Properly washed & handled and prepped with ginger, jalapeño & lemon slices. After the placenta is fully "cooked", it is cut up and dehydrated, along with pieces of the umbilical cord (that part is just for keepsake). After the dehydration phase, the placenta is ground up and encapsulated and packaged up for the birthing person to use as they see fit. This is just one way humans use their placenta after birth.

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Words about placentas from Ari...


"From the very beginning of pregnancy, your body begins to make a placenta which is an organ that continually grows to support the new life inside you. As if creating a baby wasn’t amazing enough! The placenta is responsible for providing your baby with nutrients and oxygen, filtering away carbon dioxide and waste, creating hormones to facilitate their growth and transferring immunity from your body to theirs. It also acts as a pillow and adds protection to your baby while they grow.


In today’s rapid paced culture, it often can be expected that when something has served its purpose, all that is left is for it to be discarded. This is the most common treatment of the placenta after it has been born. However! There seems to be a wonderful shift in curiosity and reverence being shown toward the placenta once again. If you feel called to keep your placenta after birth, below are some ways by which you can choose to acknowledge, honor, and remember it."


Check out the Lunation Full Circle Care website to learn more about their offerings. Ariana is a stellar birth worker with an ever-expanding library of knowledge and skills. You want to hire them to be part of your birth team.

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