More Than Clinical Waste? Placenta Rituals Among Australian Home-Birthing Women

Abstract

The discursive construction of the human placenta varies greatly between hospital and home-birthing contexts. The former, driven by medicolegal discourse, defines the placenta as clinical waste. Within this framework, the placenta is as much of an afterthought as it is considered the "afterbirth." In home-birth practices, the placenta is constructed as a "special" and meaningful element of the childbirth experience. I demonstrate this using 51 in-depth interviews with women who were pregnant and planning home births in Australia or had recently had home births in Australia. Analysis of these interviews indicates that the discursive shift taking place in home-birth practices from the medicalized model translates into a richer understanding and appreciation of the placenta as a spiritual component of the childbirth experience. The practices discussed in this article include the burial of the placenta beneath a specifically chosen plant, consuming the placenta, and having a lotus birth, which refers to not cutting the umbilical cord after the birth of the child but allowing it to dry naturally and break of its own accord. By shifting focus away from the medicalized frames of reference in relation to the third stage of labor, the home-birthing women in this study have used the placenta in various rituals and ceremonies to spiritualize an aspect of birth that is usually overlooked.

Stakeholders’ Practices and Perspectives on Solid Medical Waste Management: A Community Based Study in Accra, Ghana

“…Apart from women who had home births, it was also reported that in some cases, placentae were taken home by women who had institutional births. This situation has also been reported in Cameroun and Australia [23] [24]. This is often tied to ethical, religious and cultural beliefs as reported here.…”

“…Based on its intrinsic value, it has been argued that placenta cannot be classified as medical waste [21] [22]. Contrariwise, the requirement for standard pre- [23]. Apart from women who had home births, it was also reported that in some cases, placentae were taken home by women who had institutional births.…”

Birth, attitudes and placentophagy: a thematic discourse analysis of discussions on UK parenting forums

“…The universal practice of placentophagy for perceived medical benefits distinguishes it from other practices associated with the natural birth movement (such as home births and placental burial) that are participated in from an explicit anti-medicalisation perspective [51]. Whilst Janszen concluded in [52] that placentophagy was part of the "back to nature" movement and founded on the belief that placenta consumption is common in other cultures and part of human heritage, this no longer appears to be the main motivation for the practice.…”

Perspectives from Patients and Healthcare Providers on the Practice of Maternal Placentophagy

“…[16][17][18] Ritualistic ceremonies surrounding the placenta are prevalent across multiple cultures. [19][20][21][22] Chinese and Egyptian historical accounts describe the placenta as having medicinal properties, used for healing and fatigue. 23,24 However, records of maternal consumption of the placenta specifically for postpartum benefits are limited.…”