Wanting to see my Placenta

[Nattalie18]

I’m expecting my second baby in December. for my first I had an elective c section ( baby was breech), at the time, he was whipped out and I was stitched up. This time ( I will probably have another section) I am a little more curious and would like to see my placenta, I’m interested to see what it looks like but I’m worried everyone might think it’s a bit odd, and how will I feel seeing it etc? Does this sound unreasonable, my husband thinks it’s a bit grim 🤣

Mine looked like mouldy liver - I had laser ablation for TTTS and you could see all the laser marks which were white and the rest liver like. It was strangely fascinating and it got frozen for teaching purposes.

I have a photo of mine on my phone. Not weird at all. I’m sure medics of all people will understand the intrigue

It was in my birth plan that I wanted to see mine.

The midwives duly presented it to me and I was ‘FFS Take It Away’ 😂.

Perfectly natural to want to see a structure that has been part of your body and has sustained your baby. It’s yours! If you want to see it, that’s up to you.

I wish I'd thought to ask to see it. It didn't cross my mind but if they'd offered to show me I'd definitely have had a good look.

I asked to see it - the nurse checking it over (to ensure nothing had broken away) was very happy to show me it up close and I took photos. This was after a EMCS.

@cocksstrideintheevening ooh that’s fascinating, no wonder they wanted to freeze it! I gather the treatment was a success?

I asked to see my placenta and it was brought over to me in a bowl. I rather regret having asked because this was over 30 years ago and I haven't been able to eat liver since - and I used to love liver with bacon and onions.

@Fudgewomble yes it was, Dts are 12 now! It was very new surgery at the time

Not unreasonable given you can ask to keep it and do what you want with it. One of my friends kept and froze hers and recently used it to train doulas!

Although I’m not sure that’s doable with a section? No idea… I had 2 anterior placenta sections so I assume they cut through them? No idea 🤔 anyway I digress!

I asked to see mine, it was fascinating. I grew it, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want to have a look. No desire to eat it or take it home or whatever but was still interested!

With all three of my vaginal deliveries I was offered to see it. I don't anyone will think you are weird. It's amazing what our bodies do

Here’s one of mine OP 😄

I don't think it's odd at all. I saw both of my placentas (and actually delivered my second placenta in the pool, so I got a really good look at that one by default)... I would definitely have asked to look if I hadn't seen them already.

I've only seen DC1's- later births I didn't even think to ask, just wasn't fussed.

Might have been the huge amount of blood loss or still being nicely high on G&A but all I remember is a giant red facehugger.

They asked me if I wanted to see mine, hadn't thought about it before but absolutely said yes!

My (student) midwife asked if I wanted to see it once it was in the metal dish. I guess that was the department's standard policy as I hadn't mentioned wanting to see it in my birth preferences document. So I don't think it would been seen as odd to want to see it. (I think if the birth had been straightforward I probably would have said yes as I'm a scientist and like that kind of thing! But at that moment my baby was still on the resus table so I had no desire to see it and I think it showed the student's lack of experience that they asked at that particular moment.)

Ooooh, yeah, I found it fascinating! Mostly because how can I have made something that useful out of chocolate and crisps?!

We had a student midwife in with us, and she was checking it was all in tact after I'd delivered it. I asked if I could see it - her face lit up, and she was more than happy to show me and explain the different parts of it such as the membrane and where my waters broke etc. was so glad that I asked, it was really quite interesting to see :) Couldn't believe how big and heavy it was!

Super powers!

I asked to see mine too. I donated my cord blood the second time and they collected it next to me, so I had a chance to have a good long look 👀

I've found my tribe!. I was really interested to see it, had a vaginal birth and went from oh my god let me sleep after 19 hours to let me see the afterbirth.

Yes I said hello and hugged my absolutely gorgeous (battered by forceps) little one. But I was so absolutely blown away how this life support "organ" was also grown by my body for my baby.

I was the same on the second and the lovely student surgeon (who was so grateful to being allowed to be present) and me had a good natter about it. He was equally (or said he was fascinated).

I asked to see mine after my second birth. It was so much bigger than I had expected! Very interesting.

My birth was quite chaotic and the placenta got put on the floor and sort of forgotten about. In my head it was in an old ice-cream tub but I was in a hospital and I don't think the NHS is actually that stretched. The midwife sheepishly popped her head round the door to collect it after a little bit.

I got my DH to take a good photo of it second time round, so I could look later when I was more with it.
It's fascinating. So large! And the way the body creates a new organ and then safely ejects it. Just remarkable.

I saw mine after dt (I didn't ask to) it was apparently rare as it was fused and they asked me if they could use if for teaching purposes (I had to sign some paperwork) and as they saughted paperwork and took it from the room they showed me it (no wonder it felt like I was passing a third baby it was big). I was told it wasn't uncommon for people to ask to see it (and for some to take it home).