I don’t know about all you but I have always found the female body very fascinating, anyways a placenta is an organ attached to the lining of the womb that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby. The placenta is crucial to keeping your baby alive and well during pregnancy.
Structure and function
The placenta is a large organ that develops during pregnancy. It is attached to the wall of the uterus, usually at the top or side. The umbilical cord connects the placenta to your baby. Blood from the mother passes through the placenta, filtering oxygen, glucose and other nutrients to your baby via the umbilical cord. The placenta also filters out substances that could be harmful to your baby and removes carbon dioxide and waste products from your baby’s blood. The placenta produces a number of hormones that are needed during pregnancy, such as lactogen, estrogen and progesterone. It keeps the mother’s blood separate from the baby’s blood to protect the baby against infections. Towards the end of the pregnancy, the placenta passes on antibodies to protect the baby after birth.
Location of the placenta
The placenta often develops low in the womb but moves to the side or up as the womb stretches. The position of the placenta will be checked at your 18-week ultrasound. The placenta is expelled from your body after the birth, usually about 5 to 30 minutes after your baby is born. After the baby is born you will continue to have mild contractions. You will have to give one more push to deliver the placenta. Sometimes your abdomen will be massaged or you will be given an injection of oxytocin and the umbilical cord will be gently pulled to help deliver the placenta.
If you have a c section, the doctor will remove the placenta at the same time. It is important that the whole placenta comes out after pregnancy. If any fragments of the placenta stay inside, they will have to be surgically removed to prevent bleeding and infection
Options for placenta after birth
Options for the placenta after the birth
In some cultures, families bury the placenta in a special place.
There is also a rare practice, known as placentophagy, in which women cook and eat the placenta. Some commercial service providers will offer to turn your placenta into capsules for you to swallow.
However, these practices should be treated with caution since there is no regulation in Australia either of these products or the providers of placenta pills.
Recent research shows there are no known health benefits from eating the placenta, but there may be a risk of infection from poor production standards.
Eduindex News 