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

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
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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 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?!
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Fuzzy14 said:
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!
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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.
 
jessica. said:
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.
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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.
 
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.
 
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 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'.

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

jessica. said:
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
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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.
 
Fuzzy14 said:
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.
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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.
 
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