So I've got my son's placenta in my fridge... what now?

[Fuzzy14]

This thread may gross out many readers, the title says it all. If you think you will be offended then please read a different thread.

First good news: my wife gave birth to my son on Thursday morning. Yay! Everything going well, he's got jaundice due to a minor problem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhesus_factor) but both should be out before Christmas.

Shock 1: after delivery the hospital offered us the placenta to take home. Didn't know they did that.
Shock 2: The wife said yes.

So I've now got a placenta sitting in my fridge (next to my beer) and I don't know what to do with it. Before anybody suggests it, I am not keen on eating it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placentophagy), although I am tempted to stuff the turkey with it and feed it to the mother in law for Christmas dinner.

Any reasonable suggestions? I've read about people burying it in the garden and planting a tree on top. Anybody else did something like this?

[leekohler]

Wow! Keep it for sure. Give it to him when he hits puberty. It'll keep his pants on for a good long time when you tell him where it came from. :)

Sorry- I'm just evil like that sometimes. ;)

[cornopaez]

[I]...although I am tempted to stuff the turkey with it and feed it to the mother in law for Christmas dinner.

LOL! :D

And then in a little bit more serious tone, did they tell you why you could take that home? I mean, it's an odd thing to take home it's not like it's a home run ball or something you can hang in your wall... ;)

[Kashchei]

As a yank, I'm not sure what all the ingredients of haggis are, but would placenta ruin the recipe? Just kidding:p

I think burying it and planting something over it is a good idea--I just don't if this is the right time of the year for that in Scotland.

[NEENAHBOY]

LOL! :D

And then in a little bit more serious tone, did they tell you why you could take that home? I mean, it's an odd thing to take home it's not like it's a home run ball or something you can hang in your wall... ;)

The placenta is an excellent source of stem cells. More and more parents have taken to freezing them for future medical needs for themselves or their child.

[rdowns]

Put it in a lava lamp. :eek:

[119576]

Put it in a lava lamp. :eek:

Good call. It would look amazing.

[cornopaez]

The placenta is an excellent source of stem cells. More and more parents have taken to freezing them for future medical needs for themselves or their child.

Wow, that's something that never crossed my head. I feel stupid. :(

Very bright idea, thou

[PupnTaco]

Donate it or throw it out.

[Fuzzy14]

LOL! :D
And then in a little bit more serious tone, did they tell you why you could take that home? I mean, it's an odd thing to take home it's not like it's a home run ball or something you can hang in your wall... ;)

They said it was our property and so up to us if we wanted to keep it! Mind you, I wasn't offered it when my first was born. Maybe it was tongue in cheek and they weren't expecting us to answer.

As a yank, I'm not sure what all the ingredients of haggis are, but would placenta ruin the recipe? Just kidding:p

I think burying it and planting something over it is a good idea--I just don't if this is the right time of the year for that in Scotland.

Quite frighteningly, it looks like liver which is one of the ingredients of haggis. I don't think it'll keep until Burns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burns_supper) so I'll put it in the freezer until spring.

[Jaffa Cake]

First thing I'd do is move it away from the beer. It might make your ale go off or something, and we wouldn't want that... :o

[Fuzzy14]

First thing I'd do is move it away from the beer. It might make your ale go off or something, and we wouldn't want that... :o

I'm working on it....

[Jaffa Cake]

I'm working on it....Ah... it's Stella.

I wouldn't bother shifting it, in that case. ;)

[jessica.]

Odd topic...can't resist. :)
First, I believe that the doctor's offered it to you because stem cell research is on-going and having it could undoubtedly save your son's life (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_Sept_26/ai_n15630453) if he were to be burdened with something bad. I would certainly speak to a qualified individual about this and look into storing it elsewhere. Perhaps the fridge at home is not the best place.
Second, it is your property (or your wife's) and it is her choice. Since stem cell research is quite controversial I would be interested in doing more research on it if I were you. Again, this could heal your son if he were to ever fall terribly ill.
Third, I'd move it away from the beer. ;)

[Nermal]

I am not keen on eating it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placentophagy), although I am tempted to stuff the turkey with it and feed it to the mother in law for Christmas dinner.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2005/20051017h.jpg

Sorry, it's just the first thing that sprung into my head :p

[cornopaez]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2005/20051017h.jpg

Sorry, it's just the first thing that sprung into my head :p

HAHAHA! :D I laughed so hard to this thing I fell off the chair. I'm a TCA in a testing center and it was kind of embarrassing, with all the testers and such... :p

That's very funny. Where did you get it?

[CalBoy]

Odd topic...can't resist. :)
First, I believe that the doctor's offered it to you because stem cell research is on-going and having it could undoubtedly save your son's life (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_Sept_26/ai_n15630453) if he were to be burdened with something bad. I would certainly speak to a qualified individual about this and look into storing it elsewhere. Perhaps the fridge at home is not the best place.
Second, it is your property (or your wife's) and it is her choice. Since stem cell research is quite controversial I would be interested in doing more research on it if I were you. Again, this could heal your son if he were to ever fall terribly ill.
Third, I'd move it away from the beer. ;)

I agree with this sound advice. :)

I believe there are plenty of labs around that will keep the placenta frozen for you for quite cheap. That way, should your son ever need it (here's hoping he doesn't) he's got something to potentially save his life.

Think of it like you would a life insurance policy. It's just to protect him in the future. :)

[mgguy]

It was your wife's idea to bring it home. What does SHE want to do with it?

This is a little too touchy-feely for me.

[adk]

one word...... ebay

[Fuzzy14]

It was your wife's idea to bring it home. What does SHE want to do with it?


What? You think I know how a woman's mind works???? :rolleyes:

She's still in hospital since the wee man is being kept in due to rhesus incompatibility causing jaundice (her very rare o-neg blood is causing problems with his and my rare B-pos blood) so the issue is my problem to sort.

I was very impressed by the stem cell suggestions, that's a whole issue I didn't even think off although there are a few moral and religious issues we will need to discuss first (we come from differing religious backgrounds which doesn't help.) The stem cells are only in the blood contained within the umbilical cord but I think there will be some left.

I think I'll move it into the freezer tonight but I don't think it is cold enough for long-term storage so I would need to find a lab. Funny enough, I had access to liquid nitrogen in my previous job.

However I think the favorite is to bury it and plant a tree!

[CalBoy]

If you're worried about the moral/religious implications, just remember that you haven't had to harm anyone to get it, and that it is your son's DNA that's in question. When the time comes, don't you think it should be left up to him to decide?:) After all, he can always choose to throw it away on his own later, but if you do it now without asking him, you've taken something from him.

[shecky]

eat it with some fava beans and a nice chianti?

http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2007/facelift/lecter0103.jpg

[Hmac]

The placenta is an excellent source of stem cells. More and more parents have taken to freezing them for future medical needs for themselves or their child.But so few of those parents actually have the tools or education to culture those stem cells. They'd have been better off giving the placenta to Stem Cells 'R Us.

Ask your wife what her plan was for the home placenta. Otherwise, I'd just pitch it.

[dukebound85]

lol i wouldnt keep it

[maestro55]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/3B48b Safari/419.3)

I has to agree with those who suggest finding a lab that will store it. Stem-cell research is very promising and I am glad to see people are getting options now when it comes to storing the placenta for harvesting stem cells if needed.

[Jade Cambell]

Your wife is supposed to eat it. That's what animals do. It brings her blood health right back up to normal and fully healthy after the trauma of the birth.

She can eat it raw, or you can fry it with some onions. It tastes just like fried liver then. I'm not kidding.

It'll be the best for your wife and the baby.

[Baron58]

lol i wouldnt keep it

lol stfu

It brings her blood health right back up to normal and fully healthy after the trauma of the birth.

Mmmm, no. It has to do with hormones, not 'blood health'.

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/3B48b Safari/419.3)

I has to agree with those who suggest finding a lab that will store it. Stem-cell research is very promising and I am glad to see people are getting options now when it comes to storing the placenta for harvesting stem cells if needed.


True, but it depends on what condition it's in. Has it been contaminated in the fridge? If you freeze it, the expansion of water at 4 degC will cause the cells to lyse and ruin it for any medical use. Contact a lab ASAP and see if that's still an option at this point.

[obeygiant]

lol at this thread...

plant a tree on it.

[hayduke]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/3B48b Safari/419.3)

I has to agree with those who suggest finding a lab that will store it. Stem-cell research is very promising and I am glad to see people are getting options now when it comes to storing the placenta for harvesting stem cells if needed.

Without proper post-term handling I doubt that a reputable company would agree to freezing the tissue. It is likely that it does not contain viable cells after a few hours, unless frozen.

[yg17]

Your wife is supposed to eat it. That's what animals do. It brings her blood health right back up to normal and fully healthy after the trauma of the birth.

She can eat it raw, or you can fry it with some onions. It tastes just like fried liver then. I'm not kidding.

It'll be the best for your wife and the baby.


Ugh, just the thought of that makes me want to go vomit.

Although, despite that, I must say I do support the mother in law idea :D

[Jade Cambell]

This thread may gross out many readers, the title says it all. If you think you will be offended then please read a different thread.

First good news: my wife gave birth to my son on Thursday morning. Yay! Everything going well, he's got jaundice due to a minor problem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhesus_factor) but both should be out before Christmas.

Shock 1: after delivery the hospital offered us the placenta to take home. Didn't know they did that.
Shock 2: The wife said yes.

So I've now got a placenta sitting in my fridge (next to my beer) and I don't know what to do with it. Before anybody suggests it, I am not keen on eating it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placentophagy), although I am tempted to stuff the turkey with it and feed it to the mother in law for Christmas dinner.

Any reasonable suggestions? I've read about people burying it in the garden and planting a tree on top. Anybody else did something like this?

Your wife is supposed to eat it. Why would you defy nature? Go look it up. Find out why it's essential for her health that she eats it.

[Mord]

I'd eat it which is weird as I'm vegetarian due to not being able to stomach meat, cannibalism doesn't make my stomach turn like it does or animal meat :S

[Daveway]

eat it with some fava beans and a nice chianti?

[pic]

Good Lord that post made my day. lol :D

Wouldn't it be great to totally horrify your son out of the house when he turns 18 by eating the placenta for dinner one night only after you told him it was pork roast?

I know you don't want to eat it but...maybe a few years from now. And don't start bashing me on the accuracy of my statement that placenta has the same tenderness and appearance as pork roast. I'm having Christmas dinner tomorrow where there will be pork roast.

[iBlue]

If it's been kept in a fridge the stem cells might not be viable anymore. I thought that it had to be deep frozen rather promptly. I don't know for sure though.

Seems like such an odd thing for them to offer you take home. I've heard of the tree thing, which since you have it, sounds like the most non-scary thing to do with it.

[Father Jack]

I'd prefer fish and chips any day .. :o

[johny5]

your probably stuck with it now!?
I know if it were me I wouldn't know what to do about it, but couldn't throw it away fearing that it has been part of a living organism, MY living organism.
I would have a guilty conscience!

I would never have brought it from the hospital :)


Congratulations to you and your wife btw :)

[Jade Cambell]

Feed it to your wife.

[Jasonbot]

Errr whats a placenta? Not having a child of my own leaves me in tha dark about this sort of issue.

[raggedjimmi]

I've never seen a placenta before, I'm going to Google it.

Edit: It's a facehugger without any legs!
And I'm skipping breakfast.

[Jasonbot]

I've never seen a placenta before, I'm going to Google it.

Edit: It's a facehugger without any legs!
And I'm skipping breakfast.

Where does it come from? I'm a little scared to google it!

[Tymmz]

Errr whats a placenta? Not having a child of my own leaves me in tha dark about this sort of issue.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-en&q=placenta&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

[Plymouthbreezer]

I'd just pretend it doesn't exist. Bury it.

Then don't tell your kid the tree he's climbing in was fertilized with his placenta. That would freak me out.

[mrwizardno2]

I've never seen a placenta before, I'm going to Google it.

Edit: It's a facehugger without any legs!
And I'm skipping breakfast.

HOLY HELL! That's nasty looking! I just did the same :-(


I'll pass on having any kids, for sure!

[njmac]

HOLY HELL! That's nasty looking! I just did the same :-(


I'll pass on having any kids, for sure!

Good thing your mom and dad didn't feel the same way ;)

[Much Ado]

"Excuse me? Hi. I wonder if you can recommend me a good wine to go with this placenta?"

[mrwizardno2]

Good thing your mom and dad didn't feel the same way ;)

I feel so lucky :D

[BigPrince]

Put it on ebay...

[jive]

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39200000/jpg/_39200502_delia203.jpg

[savanahrose]

found this. yuck! recipes for placenta.

http://www.twilightheadquarters.com/placenta.html

The Critics Rave!
When I asked what it tasted like they said it tasted like Filet Mignon. No joke. -calvinsmom
I believe long ago when a mother lost alot of blood the placenta gave her a boost of nutrition and nurishment. -nursing mother
It is the only peice of meat you can eat that you don't have to kill to do so.... -Augustine
Yummy! I ate some of mine. I heard about the benefits so I did cook it and it was very good. -Chanda

[twistedlegato]

I love doing this. Thanks for your cat sikkinixx:p

[::Lisa::]

As I am a woman that's given birth to 3 children... *I* personally wouldn't eat it. I couldn't but if you want to go ahead. A few mushrooms and garlic butter Mmmm lol http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee295/Parrot_Smilies/lol.gif

I don't think the stem cells will be viable anymore neither. I believe it has to be lab frozen within a few hours for that type of things. Although there is an article on the web that tells you how to isolate stem cells at home (http://pimm.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/how-to-isolate-amniotic-stem-cells-from-the-placenta-at-home/) LOL!!

Other than that, I'd say bury it and plant a tree on top. I like that idea although do hope that no fox or hound etc will come across that night and dig it up and you see a dog or something running away with your wife's placenta haha, can you imagine?! http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee295/Parrot_Smilies/lol.gif

[jessica.]

What? You think I know how a woman's mind works???? :rolleyes:

She's still in hospital since the wee man is being kept in due to rhesus incompatibility causing jaundice (her very rare o-neg blood is causing problems with his and my rare B-pos blood) so the issue is my problem to sort.

I was very impressed by the stem cell suggestions, that's a whole issue I didn't even think off although there are a few moral and religious issues we will need to discuss first (we come from differing religious backgrounds which doesn't help.) The stem cells are only in the blood contained within the umbilical cord but I think there will be some left.

I think I'll move it into the freezer tonight but I don't think it is cold enough for long-term storage so I would need to find a lab. Funny enough, I had access to liquid nitrogen in my previous job.

However I think the favorite is to bury it and plant a tree!
Not real sure if the whole thing is ok now. I was reading more and what people are saying about needing to be frozen right away appears to be correct. That is a shame too because the hospital should also know better but maybe they weren't thinking stem cells. Also, given the fact that your son has some rare blood thing due to the mix of you and your wife I would say that is all more the reason to hang onto it if it was still a viable option and did not cause any religious battles around the house.

[Hmac]

Not real sure if the whole thing is ok now. I was reading more and what people are saying about needing to be frozen right away appears to be correct. That is a shame too because the hospital should also know better but maybe they weren't thinking stem cells. Also, given the fact that your son has some rare blood thing due to the mix of you and your wife I would say that is all more the reason to hang onto it if it was still a viable option and did not cause any religious battles around the house.


The hospitals aren't thinking stem cells at all. The reason for offering the placenta is warm touchy-feely stuff, not practical medical science. I can imagine the OP walking into some stem-cell lab with his child's placenta in a Tupperware container and asking them to gather the stem cells for him.:rolleyes::D

I've heard of hospitals that do this with placentas, but the majority don't, and frankly, having been in the surgery business for over 20 years, I find the concept very bizarre. How is it different than offering someone their infected gallbladder, or the two feet of sigmoid colon that come out in the case of acute diverticulitis?

Most hospitals are tightly regulated about disposal of medical waste, and that includes placentas IMHO.

[savanahrose]

I like the idea on the stem cells. If and when my kids finally has some children I will mention it to them. Thanks for the idea.

[Counterfit]

Ah... it's Stella.

I wouldn't bother shifting it, in that case. ;)

Yeah, Stella is vastly overrated.


Anyways, my placenta (I guess you could call it mine...) nearly killed my mother, so I don't think we kept it.

[Fuzzy14]

Thanks to all who posted replies, especially Jane who was quite adamant that we eat it! This would perhaps be a viable option in the situation where nutrition and vitamins were scarce, however instead be plumped for Lucozade and a kebab.

(Funny enough, as I type this they are talking about a cookery show on Channel 4 (http://www.channel4.com) where Hugh Fernely Whiterstall or whaterver his bloody name is fried and eat a placenta on TV.)

I think if stem cells were to be viable we would need to put it in liquid nitrogen within hours of the birth, rather than leave it languishing for a couple of days in the fridge (it's now in the freezer by the way, but I don't think my freezer quite qualifies for medical grade storage.) So maybe next time.

I also found placenta disposal kits on ebay (for farm use) which makes me think it's not the kind of thing I can just throw in the bin without the police chapping my door for 'a chat'.


I don't think the stem cells will be viable anymore neither. I believe it has to be lab frozen within a few hours for that type of things. Although there is an article on the web that tells you how to isolate stem cells at home (http://pimm.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/how-to-isolate-amniotic-stem-cells-from-the-placenta-at-home/) LOL!!
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee295/Parrot_Smilies/lol.gif

That's one of the scariest things I've ever saw on the web! Next, DIY human genome kit!

Also, given the fact that your son has some rare blood thing due to the mix of you and your wife I would say that is all more the reason to hang onto it

Sorry didn't explain it well, it's not a rare blood disorder, his blood and mine are normal (B+) however since the wife is rhesus negative her immune system sees a rhesus positive baby as an alien (infection, not Ripley) and tries to kill it. He's survived her and is getting out tomorrow.

[nickster9224]

Does it taste like chicken.

[BigPrince]

snip

I'm surprised you have not posted in the market place yet.

[Stridder44]

Make a doll out of it!!

Nail it up above the fireplace! Then invite people over! That's not creepy at all!

[QuarterSwede]

Sorry didn't explain it well, it's not a rare blood disorder, his blood and mine are normal (B+) however since the wife is rhesus negative her immune system sees a rhesus positive baby as an alien (infection, not Ripley) and tries to kill it. He's survived her and is getting out tomorrow.
In the states, they basically make the mother take a shot that stops that from happening. Strange that they didn't offer it to you in Scotland. Great to hear that mother and baby are fine! Congratulations!

Also, from what my wife says (pre/post OP nurse) stem cells are really only viable from the actual umbilical cord itself. There are actually Cord Blood Banks here in the US for this exact reason. The nurses harvest the stem cells right after birth if you choose to use the service.