back in feb i had a mama who was induced at 42 weeks because her placenta actually was starting to fail (afi of >1!) but the induction took 4 days!!! when that placenta was finally born it was in bad shape - it was almost TOTALLY calcified and energetically it just felt really really freaky. i was really glad this mama didn't want anything to do with encapsulation because it was just the worst placenta i had ever seen and was pretty sure it wouldn't have made good medicine for a number of reasons.

so last night i thought of another odd situation that i might not know what to do. i was working on a placenta with significant accessory lobe and i was thinking of this post (http://www.alldoulas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22823) about the bi-lobed placenta with the calcified fetus. i wondered what i would do if i discovered something like that! yes, the care provider is supposed to examine it but i have seen several births where they barely glance at it because the mama was bleeding or baby needed resus or something. or what if the care provider noticed but just didn't tell them? although it would be really rare, there are several scenarios that i could imagine it being a possibility. what would your protocol be for that situation?

what would you do if the placenta looked like the mom had been a closet smoker? what if it had been refrigerated (instead of frozen) in pathology for 8 days? 15 days? frozen for 6 years? what if it looked reasonably fine but energetically felt really really bad? what if it looked like part of a cotyledon was missing and you didn't know if the care provider had noticed.

am i the only person who gets strange or questionable placentas? what out of the ordinary scenarios have you encountered and what did you do?

I just think it's awesome that you think this way:) I personally haven't been given ANY werid placentas, but I would question it if I was. In the end though, it's up to the parents isn't it?

i was thinking of this post (http://www.alldoulas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22823) about the bi-lobed placenta with the calcified fetus. i wondered what i would do if i discovered something like that!
THAT would be a strange scenario for sure. My guess is that in a hopsital setting (at least here on the East coast) it would be nearly impossible to get a placenta that was attached to an expired fetus out of pathology. In that case, I think I would probably be careful to remove any necrotic/diseased placental tissue and use the main part of the placenta for encapsulation. I would also talk with the mom about how hosting a deceased fetus might have affected this placenta energetically. Surely though, for a baby who has suffered the loss of a twin in utero, they would benefit from any potential placental products.

what would you do if the placenta looked like the mom had been a closet smoker? I guess it's a judgement call on the encapsulator's part, but I see the "smoked" placenta in a similar light to a toxic liver. It is a diseased organ (definitely, if you can see or smell it) and so in my judgment falls out of the spectrum of normal/safe/beneficial. You wouldn't eat the liver of a diseased animal, so why would you eat a placenta that had been a toxic sieve?

what if it had been refrigerated (instead of frozen) in pathology for 8 days? 15 days? frozen for 6 years? I like to rely on my instincts for situations like this. Does it smell bad? Is is falling apart? Has it been contaminated? I think if it's reasonably fresh and there's no reason to think it will HURT the mom, then a discussion about the possibly decreased benefits is in order, and then she can make the decision.

I myself haven't encountered out of the ordinary situations with encapsulating (I'm a newbie!), but as a midwife I have come across a number of oddities that might make me question the appropriateness of placentaphagy in that situation. I think where it gets tricky is having the conversation with mom about why her placenta isn't "suitable" in your mind for the intended purpose.

Interesting questions!!

Opps, sorry for that duplicate... the forum is acting wonky.

I've always wondered about this, like, would a placenta be beneficial if mom took a lot of drugs during pregnancy. (Not the illicit kind, but like prescribed ones...) or if an induction took a long time and mediciations were given (Like narcotics...)

No idea, but it's interesting.

As for the succenturiate lobe (or extra cotyledon) I would and have encapsulated those placentas. Such lobes are of no consequence but if it's a twin placenta and you can visably see the calcified fetus I would cut that portion away and encapsulate the healthy portion.

As for refrigeration...I wouldn't do it if it was past 72 hours in fridge. I would do it if frozen no longer than 6 months. It's just like food....you wouldn't cook/eat meat that was in a fridge for that long or regular freezer for 6 years...it starts to break down and there is not much nutritional value left. A missing cotelydon also doesn't play a role as far as encapsulation as long as the rest of the placenta is healthy looking. Just my opinion. :)

Hey what about the placenta of a woman who has lyme's disease and has been on antibiotics for 4 months?

What about the placenta from a fetal demise? I hope it never happens, of course, but have been wondering, since the hormones would probably help the mama after the birth...

do you ask parents if they are smokers in your intake form or do you have a statement that a smoked placenta might not be suitable for encapsulation in your contract? or any other not suitable statement?
does anyone get back to the mother or even in contact with her health care provider if there is a missing part or a calcified fetus? the parents have the right to know, don't they? i'd take photos and possibly save that part of the placenta for the parents to decide what they want to do with it and being able to show it to their doctor. would it be better to talk with them before starting steaming/dehydrating? how do you go about it when talking with the parents about this?
placentas seem to contain the highest amount of hormones towards the middle of the pregnancy. so yes if it is a healthy placenta, i think the mom would greatly benefit especially in this difficult time for her and her family.

Interesting questions!!

Hey Laura!!!
Are you back in DE yet? We need to get together :L