PPD and Placentas

Gross title I know, what I am considering is far worse.  Way back at our first doctors appointment I asked what they did with the placenta after delivery.  I was given three options.
1. Keep it
2. Eat it/ encapsulate it
3. Give it to the midwife

At first I was just disgusted that people actually choose to keep there placentas in the freezer and then take it out after a year and plant it.  A tradition like keeping the top of your wedding cake.  This was not an option for B as the thought of getting into the freezer and seeing the placenta would make him loose his cookies.  I was concerned about it taking up space.  Not to mention we don't have a tree or anything to plant it with, and what if we move somewhere down the road?  Do we have to tell the realtor there is bio-hazard waste buried on the property?

Second option of eating it.  My first thought was no freaking way, I am not a dog or cat or any other type of creature that eats the remains.  I was throughly grossed out by the thought of putting "that" back into my body after just expelling it.  My midwife also told me about encapsulation.  Basically drying it out, crushing it and putting it in pill form.  Not as gross but still visually disturbing.  The more I thought about it and did research there actually are remarkable benefits of eating the placenta after birth.  I suppose thats why all mammals have been eating it for centuries.  Technically humans are mammals, and therefore the benefits it gives fluffy it should give me!  I got upset by people judging me for my birthing choices so I figured I should stop being a hoity-toity when it cam to being " too good" to eat that.  I must push past my comfort zone and at least try it, if it doesn't work I can stop taking it.  I have seen what postpartum depression can do to people and its ugly.  I will try anything to stay away from the "baby blues".

The third choice of giving it away seemed like a perfect idea at first.  No mess, no looking at it, and no eating it.  That however was my rash decision before doing my research.  I am also weird about sharing, I flat out hate to share.   Meaning its my placenta, I grew it and you can't have it for no other reason than its mine.  What an awesome example I will be able to set for Bean.  I worked hard to keep it inside and healthy for 10 months and to just give it away seems crazy.  So because I am too selfish I could not give away Bean's life support.

http://placentamom.weebly.com/ This website was quite interesting.  I will continue my journey in researching and coming to grips with eating my own placenta. This ought to just throw some of my skeptics into a tisy hehe!