Things to do with a placenta

As I'm sure most everyone has heard Matthew McConaughey and his girlfriend Camila Alves have welcomed baby Levi Alves McConaughey. In a recent interview Matthew McConaughey discussed their plans for baby Levi's placenta. "It's going to be in the orchards and it's going to bear some wonderful fruit," he says, according to an interview transcript. "When I was in Australia, they had a placenta tree that was on the river ... and all the placentas of all that tribe, all that clan, whatever aboriginal tribe that was, all the placentas went under that one tree and it was this huge behemoth of just health and strength.
"This tree was just growing taller and stronger above the rest of Mother Nature around it. It was gorgeous."-- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_en_mo/people_matthew_mcconaughey



I think this is a beautiful thing for them to do with the placenta. In the majority of hospital births in the United States the placenta is simply disposed of, typically by incineration. Most all other cultures have some sort of ritual or custom to honor the placenta. Some common things that people around the world do with the placenta include: art--taking the placenta, and pressing it onto a large piece of paper, it makes a beautiful tree-like design, then framing the art, or some cultures bury the placenta, some bury it under a tree or bush such as McConaughey is doing. And still others consume the placenta, some eat it raw, others make it into smoothies and drink it, some cook it into recipes and eat it, or dry it out, crush it into a powder and put it into caplets to be taken by mouth. Typically consumption of the placenta is for the mother. It is said to help with a whole range of things from post partum depression to easing blood loss. But I must say, the most interesting thing I've heard about doing with a placenta is called a Lotus Birth, or cord nonseverence. After the baby is born the cord isn't clamped or cut, it's just simply left attached to the baby until it falls off on its own usually in 3-10 days after birth. If the family chooses they can treat the placenta with salt, lavender oil, or other fragrant oils/flowers, and wrap the placenta in a cloth diaper or placenta bag. I really like the ideal and principals of Lotus Birth, and it is something I would really love to learn more about. When I get pregnant I would like to do a Lotus Birth, but it isn't very commonplace in US hospitals so I would have to try to find an OB who is OK with it, and maybe get M on board with the whole idea.

So I'm 9 days past ovulation today, well, I think I'm 10 days past ovulation due to a nice dip on CD17, but fertility friend says I o'd on day 18 so I'll go with that. The POAS--pee on a stick--fairy invaded this morning, and I broke down and tested. BFN-big fat neg, of course, but I know it's too soon for a positive anyway. Alright, alright, I tested yesterday too...I'm so ashamed :( I'm going to really try and not test again til at least 12dpo--that will be Wednesday the 13th.

I have to go to the dentist tomorrow for a cleaning and of course I can't stop thinking "what if I'm pregnant, will going to the dentist do any harm?" I don't think I am due for x-rays but if so I guess I'll just say I'm possibly pregnant and see if they can wait on the x-rays.