I am going to claim my placenta!
***Pause for you to read that again.***
Okay, you with me?
I have blogged pretty openly after having Trent about suffering from postpartum anxiety. That was a really awful period. Was I over-the-moon about having a wonderful new addition to my life? Duh. Was I also beyond paranoid that something would happen to him to the point where I couldn't sleep and was barely functional? Yes.
In one word - it SUCKED.
Before getting pregnant with Baby Gurl, I randomly started hearing about placenta encapsulation. I didn't really pay much attention to it, until I read this post by an amazing hippie mom who I am happy to say is now a bloggy friend. After reading that post, it clicked. I knew I NEEDED to do this whenever Brent and I had another baby.
To say I was nervous to tell Brent was an understatement. He might go along with most of my hippie stuff, but I was worried this would be too much for him given I would EAT my placenta. I had my whole argument prepared. I asked my psychiatrist, my old OB, and my homeopath. All agreed it couldn't hurt. I ended up chickening out and sending Brent a link to the website saying I wanted to do that. His response? 'Whatever you think will help.' When I asked him about it, he said he remembered that time too and anything that might help he was all for. That goes to show you A) I have an awesome husband and B) that time really sucked for everyone.
To quickly list the benefits:
-Balance your system
-Replenish depleted iron
-Give you more energy
-Lessen bleeding
-Increase milk production
-Help you have a happier postpartum period
But...this has not been an easy process. Whether I agree with it or not {and I don't}, the law states that once the placenta (really any organ) leaves your body, it becomes medical waste. It isn't yours anymore. So even though a hospital just throws it away, I have to go to court to get permission from the state to be able to take home THE ORGAN MY BODY CREATED!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you can't tell, this irks me to no end. {If Brent had relented on my plea to have Baby Gurl in a birth center, this wouldn't be an issue.}
Luckily, living in Austin {hippie central}, I was easily able to find an encapsulation specialist through Placenta Benefits. The woman who is encapsulating my placenta has been so helpful. She had all the forms I needed and step-by-step instructions for how to go about the court order process.
So tomorrow, I hit up the Travis County Courthouse and ask them to kindly give me back my placenta. Oh, and I give them $240 too. {Boo on that.}
Wish me luck!
