Women's Right's Issue-Placenta Crisis

[Kim Trower]

A friend, birth professional and mama is fighting for her rights to have her placenta released from a local hospital, this is nothing too new many of out local hospitals including sister hospitals of this one have released placentas with a sign of a form. Please read the letter below, visit the sites of Jodi (she is the local woman who will encapsulate your placenta) and Anne, the mama who's placenta is being held. This doesn't effect you locally but it effects all women so anything you can do to spread the word, offer support, and make some big noise about this would be great.


Here is the letter with some background and info:
Hi! I hope you and your family is doing well.



You may have heard… I gave birth to a baby girl, Maxanne Nicolle Swanson, on April 12, 2007 at Sunrise hospital. Her birth was absolutely amazing and included lots of twists and turns. Her entire birth story and PhotoShow can be viewed at http://hypnobirthinglasvegas.com/announce.html. While, her birth wasn’t quite as I had planned, I am so thankful that I had my HypnoBirthing skills to keep me calm and comfortable. HypnoBirthing really is beneficial for all birth experiences.



During my HypnoBirthing classes, many have heard about the option of “placenta encapsulation” and may have experienced the benefits first hand. Before birthing my daughter, I asked to have my placenta saved to take with me upon discharge from the hospital. All I requested was my placenta. The hospital denied me my placenta; there is now a court case pending. Details can be found on this blog: http://diva-mama.com. For those that don’t know, the placenta has many benefits for the postpartum period and is believed to aid in healing. (Details on the benefits of the placenta can be found at: http://placentabenefits.info).



I and Jodi Selander (owner of PlacentaBenefits.info) were interviewed by Annette Wells from the LVRJ today about the situation. Keep your eyes open for that article.



There is going to be a peaceful and legal rally on Monday, May 7 at 10 am on the sidewalks around Sunrise Hospital (Maryland Parkway/DI). We will meet at the Office Depot across the street from Sunrise Hospital. There will likely be media coverage. Please refer to the blog for final details.



The reason that the hospital gave as to why they would not release my placenta was, they did not “feel comfortable”. The hospital is imposing their beliefs only. Even after agreeing to sign a waiver releasing the hospital of liability, they still refuse to release my placenta. There is no law prohibiting me from obtaining my placenta. Other hospitals release placentas. This is a civil liberties issue and is likely going to be a precedent setting case that may go all the way to the Supreme Court (as there is no appellate court in NV). Please come out and support me and all women. I believe it is wrong for a hospital to say “you have a right to your baby, but not your placenta”. It is my placenta. I birthed it. I want it. Period. We can have our appendix after an appendectomy for goodness sake; what is the difference with the placenta? It makes no sense.



Anyways, long story short…I need your support! Jodi has been working tirelessly on obtaining expert witnesses and the advice we have is that in order to win this case and again grant women the right to their placenta. We need three things:



1) Legal Representation

2) Media Coverage

3) Humorous and Peaceful Gatherings



We also need to set some foundations for the case. So, if you are about to give birth and are planning a hospital birth, we need you to fax a request for your placenta to the hospital. These forms are available for download through Jodi Selander [Jodi@PlacentaBenefits.info]. It is a form that requests your placenta and has options for the hospital to accept or decline your request. We need about 20-30 of these forms (written evidence) completed and returned indicating that hospitals are declining the mother’s request for her placenta.



Thank you so much for your support and I hope to see you on Monday at 10 am!



Contact myself or Jodi if you have any questions.



Blessings,



Anne Swanson, BS, HBCE

HypnoBirthingLasVegas.com

BirthYear.net

(702) 385-3331

[earthgirl]

That is unbelievable!.....well almost. What an outrage. Perhaps they no longer even have the placenta. Best of luck to her

[tlcdoula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by earthgirl That is unbelievable!.....well almost. What an outrage. Perhaps they no longer even have the placenta. Best of luck to her

That would be my guess - is that they ditched it as soon as the birth was over!!!

[CatieDoula]

They usually get thrown in the bio-waste bags at the births I've been at. I'm thinking what the others have said, they probably don't even have it any more.

[Bex]

Although I'm not a fan of placenta digestion, this is definantly outrageous!

I do agree with the others though; I hope she is now doing all of this to try to make a point/change a law, help future women, etc...but the chance of her getting her placenta back are slim to none. It's long gone.

[Kim Trower]

She is aware that her placenta is probably gone, although they tell her it isn't. SHe is also aware that the intended use she had for her placenta is an impossibility due to it's frozen state and the weeks it has been there. This is beyond just a one woman fight for her placenta....this is a civil right's issue!

[earthgirl]

What came of this Kim...any updates?

[fearlessbirth]

Wow! I just came across this for the first time....I am interested in knowing whatever happened as well

[Kim Trower]

Well here is an update for you...3 months later. Anne went to court with the intent to get an injunction so that the hospital would not destroy her placenta but hold on to it longer so this can go to trial if needed. Not only did the judge agree but immediatly ordered the hospital to return her placenta to her...so it is over. Nevada and Anne won the case. Go here http://placentabenefits.info/PBi_news.asp for more info and the full story. Before this ruling Anne and Jodi did many interviews with our local news, USA today and the Mancow show...all of which you can link to from the above website. It is wonderful news for Nevada and Anne.

[earthgirl]

Great news thank you for the update Kim!

[brilliant]

great news. i can't believe that the hospital thought they would get away with that in the first place!

[betterbirths]

I am not a fan of placenta ingestion either but I am a fan of human rights and they should have given it to her immediately. I am glad she won her case.

[jessa_bee]

Great news!

[Babycatcher]

GOOD!! I am so glad she won!!

[amymaew]

for the judge!!!! And for them getting their placenta back!!!