The placenta is an incredible human development, supporting growth in pregnancy, growing alongside baby, and then expelling and leaving no trace behind. It is our only temporary organ, and acts as a key filter between parent and baby. After its essential function and glory for whatever length of pregnancy, it can be important to honour and respect the placenta for its hard work. This can come in the form of ritual and ceremony, certain placenta traditions, or simply humbling yourself before this organ for all it provides us.
Books
Placenta: The Forgotten Chakra: a well-researched look at benefits of leaving cord and placenta uncut, as well as traditions around placenta use worldwide.
Placenta: The Gift of Life: comprehensive look at placenta use and lore, preparations, recipes, etc.
The Placenta: A Guide To Examination: an excellent guide to common placenta development, anomalies, unusual and usual features, and properly examining them after birth (order through Patricia Edmonds here)
Articles
What You Need To Know About The Placenta: a very basic medical look at placentas
Examining The Placenta (Video): a video showing a (medical) examination of a placenta after birth (content note: video includes birth of baby, placenta, and bleeding)
Honoring Placenta Wisdom: a personal narrative about relationship and exploration with placentas
How the Placenta Evolved From An Ancient Virus: a look at evolutionary placenta biology
Comparative Placentation: a look at placenta development in a myriad of animals
Placenta Development & Physiology
Placenta Development: a scientific look at the stages of placental development
Development and Physiology of the Placenta and Membranes: a scientific look at placenta physiology
Placenta Previa and the Magic of Placental Migration: a look at how placentas grow and move within a uterus, as well as low-lying placental complications in pregnancy
Placenta Rituals (Processing, Encapsulation, Prints, etc.)
The Rebirth of Placenta Rituals: a brief look at placenta rituals globally
Information on Placenta Encapsulation : from a certification company. I do not endorse a certain certification company, but PBi has excellent complied studies on this page.
Find Placenta Encapsulation: a search engine to find placenta encapsulation specialists in your area.
Human Maternal Placentophagy: Possible Benefit and Potential Risks : a scientific look at consuming (eating) placentas
Lotus Birth: a look at the tradition of keeping umbilical cords intact after birth until they dry up and fall off on their own, thereby keeping baby and placenta attached.
What to Do with Your Placenta if you Don’t Want To (Or Can’t) Consume It : options for keepsakes and ceremony around placentas
Further Learning
Placenta Leaning for Midwives & Midwifery Students (Facebook Group)
Placenta Encapsulation (Facebook Group)
Placenta Alchemy II (Facebook Group)
The Placenta: A Guide to Examination (Facebook Group)