Baby’s First Mother: Placenta
What is Placenta?
THE WORD ‘PLACENTA’ COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD “CAKE”, OR “DISC SHAPED”. SOME REFER TO THE PLACENTA AS THE BABY’S “FIRST MOTHER”. THE PLACENTA IS FORMED FROM THE SAME SPERM AND EGG CELLS THAT FORM THE BABY.
The placenta acts as a barrier, never allowing your blood and baby’s blood to come into contact with one another. This allows a mother that is rhesus negative to have a spouse and possible offspring that is rhesus positive. The intricate structure of the inner-placenta creates a barrier so that no blood is exchanged. Additionally, there has been suggestion that the placenta, if ingested raw, can suppress the immunological response of creating antibodies should baby and mother’s blood ever come into contact with one another.
It serves as a connection between the mother and the developing fetus, allowing for the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and waste products.
The placenta plays a crucial role in providing hormones, protecting the fetus, and contributing to the immune system development of the baby.
Passing of Genetics
During pregnancy fetal and maternal cells are able to transfer across the placenta. This is called fetomaternal microchimerism.
“The significance of fetomaternal microchimerism remains unclear. It could be that fetomaternal microchimerism is an epiphenomenon of pregnancy. Alternatively, it could be a mechanism by which the fetus ensures maternal fitness in order to enhance its own chances of survival. In either case, the occurrence of pregnancy acquired microchimerism in women may have implications for graft survival and autoimmunity. More detailed understanding of the biology of microchimeric fetal cells may also advance progress towards cytotherapeutic repair via intravenous transplantation of stem or progenitor cells.”
The cells work similar to stem cells and have been found to repair the tissues and even the heart in the mother during pregnancy. If the small amount of cells transferred across the placenta can help with this, then consuming your placenta, which has even more cells becomes an interesting topic for health and healing postpartum.
You can read the full study here.
Is Placenta a filter?
The placenta does not filter out alcohol, drugs, nicotine and medications.
The placenta alchemizes the maternal blood to remove Vitamin K which cloths blood so that the blood passing to the baby does not cloth and clog the unbiilical cord.
Postpartum Depression
Starting off, it is very important to know that “baby blues” and postpartum (or postnatal) depression are not the same occurrence. Baby blues is the feeling that most women get as their hormones stabilize in the first week or so after giving birth. It sometimes only lasts for a day or two, some up to 2 weeks and varies in severity. This may include getting overwhelmed easily, weeping, over emotional, unable to make concrete choices and sensitivity. These are some of the same symptoms that can persist and lead to postpartum depression. Postpartum depression occurs after the baby is born and can affect both men and women. It is more common for it to affect first time dad’s than seasoned father’s. Typically, postpartum depression can be diagnosed using a questionnaire derived from The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.
Common Symptoms of Postpartum Depression
• Sadness
• Hopelessness
• Low Self Esteem
• Guilt
• Overwhelmed
• Sleep changes
• Not being able to be comforted or reassured Tiredness Social withdrawal
• Anger
• Easily irritated
• Decreased sex drive
Symptoms of Severe Postpartum Depression
• Inability to care for the baby
• Not wanting to care for the baby
• Extreme weight loss
• Low appetite
• Suicidal thoughts
• Irrational thoughts
• Anhedonia
• Impaired speech and writing panic attacks
Placentophagy: Benefits of Consuming Your Placenta
Some of the things the placenta can help with
• Preventing and lessening the risk of postpartum depression or ‘baby blues’
• Replenishing your iron from blood loss during birth and to prevent postpartum anemia
• Lending you a consistent flow of oxytocin long after your birth euphoria ends
• Providing the HPL hormone to help establish early and healthy milk supply
• To stabilize your ever changing hormones post birth
• To replenish your B vitamins and energy that were used during the birthing process
• Protection from infection and bleeding due to retained placenta tissue or membranes
• Offer natural pain relief from the labor and birth of the baby
Hormones known to be in the placenta
• Oxytocin a mammalian hormone that has many functions, the most notable having to do with pregnant or lactating mammals. In this capacity, some of the hormone’s main functions are preparing a female’s body for childbirth, stimulating milk “let-down” so that a baby can properly feed, and facilitating the bond between a mother and a newborn infant. The hormone is also thought to play a role in sexual arousal and orgasms in females who are not pregnant or lactating, as well as in males. In nonsexual human relationships, the hormone is credited with increasing trust, generosity, and cooperation. It can also stimulate a nurturing aspect within males and females who are not mothers.
• Cortisone is a hormone that unlocks energy stored in the body and combats stress (cortisol). This hormones stimulates the immune system to fight off infections while the mother is healing from birth.
• Prostaglandins acts as an anti-inflammatory.
• Hemoglobin replenishes iron, stimulates iron production in blood.
• Urokinase inhibiting factor & factor XIII Lessens bleeding and promotes faster healing.
• Prolactin/HPL stimulates healthy mammary function and milk production.