Placenta Ceremony Planning

My goal is to shine a spotlight on an often-overlooked aspect of the birthing process—Placenta Rituals and Placenta Traditions. The placenta burial isn’t just a clinical waste; it’s the culmination of the incredible journey of childbirth.

I plan ceremonies for diverse families, including single mothers, single fathers, couples, and larger families that involve grandparents and relatives. These ceremonies encompass various elements, such as handling the placenta if others prefer not to touch it, creating placenta prints, bestowing blessings on the mother’s ears, eyes, hands, and heart, and engaging in a holographic removal of any negative emotions the mother may have experienced during pregnancy. We also provide a biodegradable cocoon crafted entirely from flax leaves. If desired, you can enhance the experience with flowers, food, prayers, dancing, and photography.

It’s crucial to sign a release form to take your baby’s placenta home with you when entering the hospital before giving birth. Otherwise, it might be discarded as clinical waste. 

Understanding the significance of the placenta in different parts of the world can shed light on the beautiful Placenta Rituals and Placenta Traditions:

• In Indonesia, the placenta is wrapped in cloth and placed within a coconut for burial.
• Among the Hmong culture, the placenta is buried with great care, believed to be the spiritual jacket of the baby.
• In Iceland, the placenta is considered the baby’s guardian angel.
• The Navajo culture buries the placenta in the family’s land, connecting the child’s spirit to ancestors and the land.
• In the Igbo African culture, placenta burial links the child to the spirits of the ground.
• The Chinook and Quinault culture affectionately calls the placenta “grandmother.”
• In the Maori culture, the placenta is buried to tie the child to tribal land.
• In Mayan culture, the tree under which the placenta is buried is revered for its protective powers over the child.
• Japan includes a formal burial ceremony for the placenta, considering it linked to the child’s destiny, wrapped in silk cloth and placed in a wooden box.
• In China, the placenta is washed in special water, wrapped in silk, and adorned with auspicious items.
• Egypt assigned its own hieroglyph to the placenta, and tombs were constructed to house the royal placentas of the pharaohs.

Did you know that, unless you or your baby has a monozygotic twin, there is nothing else genetically identical to you apart from your placenta? Small wonder it’s called the “little twin” in some cultures. 

The placenta keeps your baby alive throughout pregnancy, making it worthy of the honor bestowed by families who find personal meaning at the end of their gestational journey.