Ethan Rhodes
There are a variety of reasons why someone might want to take their placenta home from the hospital after giving birth. In some cultures, it is traditional to consume the placenta after birth, and celebrities have also touted the benefits of placenta ingestion, including increased milk production and a reduction in postpartum depression. However, the practice can be complicated and expensive, and some hospitals may be reluctant to allow it due to biosafety policies. In the US, individual states have their own placenta regulations, and as of December 2024, there were 15 states where it was definitely or probably possible to take home your placenta.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Placenta consumption | Controversial, considered a biohazard by some |
| Reasons for consumption | Fighting postpartum depression, increasing milk production, cultural reasons, nutrition supplement |
| Placenta regulations | Vary across US states, some hospitals control placenta decisions |
| States allowing placenta to be taken home | Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas |
| Hospital policies | May include time limits, biohazard bag requirements, and paperwork |
| Recommendations | Communicate intention to take placenta home in advance, bring appropriate containers |
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What You'll Learn
- Understand hospital policies and placenta regulations in your state
- Know the responsible person to contact and required container type
- Placenta encapsulation services can help with the process
- Placentas are considered medical waste and are treated as biohazards
- Complications during pregnancy or delivery may affect your ability to take the placenta home
Understand hospital policies and placenta regulations in your state
The placenta is considered to be biohazardous medical waste, and each state has its own laws about its disposal. In some states, the ability of parents to take home their placenta is governed by the specific language of the state regulations on medical waste. For example, do the regulations include an exemption for placentas? Do the regulations only consider human tissue to be waste if it is discarded? Do the next of kin have a right to retrieve remains for burial?
In some states, hospitals let women take the placenta home once they sign a liability waiver. In other cases, the placenta is sent to pathology, which is not a sterile environment, and women cannot take the placenta home. Some hospitals will release placentas after pathology testing, but this must be explored on a case-by-case basis.
As of December 2024, the states in which you can definitely or probably take home your placenta are: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Texas.
Even within the same state, different hospitals may have very divergent approaches to the placenta. For example, is it automatically sent to pathology? Is the hospital willing to let parents take it? What documents do parents have to sign?
If you are considering taking your placenta home from the hospital, it is important to research the specific regulations and policies in your state and at the hospital where you will be giving birth.
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Know the responsible person to contact and required container type
It is important to know the relevant laws and hospital policies regarding placenta disposal and release. In the US, individual states have their own placenta regulations, and within each state, hospitals have the autonomy to control placenta decisions inside their facilities. As such, it is essential to research the specific laws and policies of your state and the hospital where you plan to give birth.
To bring your placenta home from the hospital, you should first identify the responsible person to contact. This could be your care provider, a hospital staff member, or a representative from a company offering placenta encapsulation services in your area. They will be able to guide you through the process and inform you of any specific requirements or restrictions.
In terms of container type, hospitals typically require placentas to be placed in a biohazard bag and kept refrigerated. When released, the biohazard bag should be placed inside a leak-proof container, such as a cooler, for transport. Some hospitals may provide these containers, while others may require you to bring your own. It is recommended to bring two gallon-size ziplock bags to the hospital so that your placenta can be double-bagged.
Additionally, it is worth noting that hospitals usually have time limits for removing the placenta from their premises, often as soon as the mother moves to a postpartum room or within two hours of birth. Therefore, it is crucial to communicate your plan to take home the placenta in advance and ensure that you or your placenta encapsulation specialist can pick it up within the specified time frame.
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Placenta encapsulation services can help with the process
Placenta encapsulation is a process that allows new mothers to ingest their placenta in pill form. This practice is believed to have several benefits, including increased energy levels, a reduced likelihood of postpartum depression, balanced hormones, and increased milk supply. The placenta contains various nutrients, such as vitamins B6, B12, and E, iron, cytokines, and stem cells, as well as important hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and oxytocin.
While the practice of placenta encapsulation is relatively new and controversial, with limited scientific research, many women report positive experiences and benefits. Some studies have shown that ingesting the placenta can help reduce progesterone and increase prolactin, which are necessary for quality milk supply. Additionally, the placenta contains amino acids, L-tryptophan, serotonin, and high levels of iron, which can nourish the body, reduce anxiety, and promote sleep, potentially reducing depression and anxiety.
Placenta encapsulation services can help guide you through the process and ensure a safe and sanitary encapsulation procedure. These specialists will typically come to your home and guide you through the two-day encapsulation process, which involves sanitizing and processing the placenta into capsules. They will also provide guidance on the consumption schedule, recommending, for example, one capsule three times a day for the first six weeks postpartum.
If you plan to use placenta encapsulation services, it is important to inform your doctor and nurse beforehand so they can prepare the placenta for encapsulation. Typically, the placenta should be kept on ice and transported to your home or the encapsulation facility as soon as possible, where it can be stored in a refrigerator for up to four days.
Overall, placenta encapsulation services can provide valuable support and expertise to ensure a safe and beneficial experience for new mothers interested in this practice.
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Placentas are considered medical waste and are treated as biohazards
Placentas are often considered medical waste in hospitals, and this view is shared by patients themselves, who may not understand the importance of placental examination. The placenta is an organ that develops on the wall of the uterus and helps sustain the foetus during pregnancy through nutrient-rich blood. It is typically treated as medical waste or biohazard material, with hospitals placing it in a biohazard bag for storage. Some hospitals will keep the placenta for a period of time in case there is a need to send it for further analysis.
The rules surrounding placenta disposal emerged from a larger set of laws guiding the disposal of biohazards in the 1980s. At that time, the public was confronted with images of syringes and other medical waste washing up on beaches. In response, the Medical Waste Tracking Act was passed, requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to create a medical waste demonstration program. Subsequently, states, counties, and cities implemented their own regulations for handling medical waste.
As a result, the regulations regarding placentas and their release to patients vary across different hospitals, cities, and states. Some hospitals may have specific policies in place regarding placental release, often requiring a parental signature. For example, some hospitals will allow patients to bring their placentas home in a biohazard bag after signing a specimen release form. However, patients must also be aware of the potential risks associated with taking the placenta home, such as infection or cross-contamination.
In some cases, women who give birth at home are not subject to the same restrictions as those who give birth in a hospital due to biosafety policies and local laws. Additionally, cultural and religious reasons may influence a patient's request to take their placenta home, for practices such as burial or encapsulation. While there may be no specific religious requirements for placenta use or burial, hospitals and healthcare providers should be aware of these interests and have policies in place to handle such requests.
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Complications during pregnancy or delivery may affect your ability to take the placenta home
The position of the placenta is typically assessed during the 18- to 21-week ultrasound scan. If the placenta is low-lying, an additional ultrasound at 32 weeks may be offered to monitor its position. By this stage, in 9 out of 10 cases, the placenta has moved to the upper part of the womb. However, if the placenta is still significantly low, it may necessitate a caesarean section.
In rare instances, parts of the placenta may remain in the uterus after delivery, requiring manual removal by a doctor under anaesthesia. If you or your baby experience conditions like fever or illness, premature birth, or small gestational age, a pathologist may examine the placenta. Placental tissue banking, where placental tissue and blood are collected and stored for their stem cell content, is another option to consider.
It is important to consult with your healthcare provider about any placental complications and to disclose any medications, vitamins, or supplements you are taking during pregnancy, as these can pass through the placenta to the baby.
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Frequently asked questions
The process for taking your placenta home from the hospital will depend on the hospital's policies and the state you are in. It is important to learn about the hospital's policies in advance and find out who is the responsible person to contact, get a copy of the paperwork, and check what type of container you will need to bring. Some hospitals require a biohazard bag to take the placenta out of the room, so it is recommended to bring two-gallon-size Ziploc bags to double bag your placenta. Hospitals usually want parents to remove the placenta from their premises shortly after they receive it, with most hospitals having a two-hour time limit.
Placenta regulations are theoretically made at the state level, but individual hospitals control placenta decisions inside their facilities. As of December 2024, the states in which you can definitely or probably take home your placenta are: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Texas.
Some people take their placenta home for cultural reasons, or to consume it as a nutrition supplement. Celebrities have claimed that consuming the placenta after birth has helped them fight postpartum depression and increased their milk production.
There are very few reasons why placenta encapsulation is truly contraindicated, but there are some risks associated with placental consumption. Additionally, if there are complications during pregnancy, labour, or delivery, the placenta may be sent to the hospital's pathology laboratory to be examined for more information about the health of the mother and/or baby.
