The placenta is an organ that develops during pregnancy to provide oxygen and nutrients to the growing fetus. After birth, many individuals choose to save this organ for personal or cultural reasons, rather than allowing the hospital to dispose of it. Taking the placenta home requires careful planning and adherence to strict safety protocols, as it is a highly perishable biological material. Successfully saving the placenta involves coordination with the medical team, immediate proper handling, and appropriate long-term preservation.
Understanding Hospital Policies and Paperwork
Communicate your intention to keep the placenta well in advance to your healthcare providers, including your obstetrician, midwife, and the labor and delivery unit. Hospitals and birthing centers maintain specific, varying policies regarding the release of biological material. Some facilities may require the placenta to be sent to pathology for examination if there are concerns about the health of the mother or baby, which would prevent its immediate release.
You will be required to sign formal documentation, such as a Consent to Release Products of Conception or a liability waiver. This paperwork confirms you are taking the placenta for personal use and releases the hospital from liability once it leaves their care. It is helpful to have a designated support person, such as a partner or doula, handle the transport process soon after delivery, allowing the new parent to focus on recovery and bonding.
Immediate Steps for Post-Delivery Handling
Once the placenta is delivered and inspected by medical staff, safe handling requires immediate action. The placenta must be treated like raw meat, as it is a nutrient-rich environment where bacteria can multiply quickly. If desired, a quick rinse with clean water can remove surface blood, but the primary focus must be on immediate cooling.
It is advised to bring your own clean, food-grade, and leak-proof container, such as a heavy-duty plastic container or double-bagged zip-top bags. The container should be clearly labeled with your name, the date, and the time of birth to prevent mix-ups. The placenta must be placed into a cooler with ice packs or ice immediately, ideally within 30 minutes of delivery, to begin the cold chain and reduce microbial growth.
Common Methods for Long-Term Preservation
The chosen method for long-term preservation depends on the intended use for the placenta. If the placenta is to be used for burial or as a keepsake, freezing is the most common method. For this, the placenta should be double-bagged, with air removed to prevent freezer burn, and then placed into a deep freezer.
If the goal is preparation for professional encapsulation or consumption, rapid transport to the specialist is necessary. The placenta can be safely refrigerated for a maximum of 48 to 72 hours, though ideally, preparation should begin sooner. If encapsulation cannot begin within this timeframe, the placenta must be frozen and thawed later for processing.
Preparation for encapsulation usually involves steaming or dehydrating the placenta before grinding it into a powder and placing it into capsules. This professional process minimizes the time the placenta spends unrefrigerated and helps ensure proper sanitization. The capsules can then be stored in a cool, dark place for up to two years.
Essential Safety and Handling Protocols
Handling the placenta requires adherence to universal precautions, as it contains blood and is considered human tissue. Anyone handling the organ should wear protective gloves to cover any cuts or abrasions and prevent exposure to blood-borne pathogens. The placenta should only be touched minimally and kept sealed in its container.
Pathological inspection by a physician may be necessary if there are signs of maternal infection or other complications, in which case the placenta may not be released. If the placenta was exposed to chemicals like formalin, which is sometimes used for preservation in pathology labs, it must not be consumed. Maintaining a consistent cold chain by keeping the placenta below 40°F (4°C) during transport and storage prevents the rapid proliferation of bacteria.