As soon as we found out our new roommate was on the way we started checking out doctors and midwives. One of our favorite people, Tanja, pointed us towards Beth. She's a midwife in town and came very highly recommended. Not only does she live in the other co-housing community in town, she actually delivered the baby that was born in our basement to the family that lived here before we did. (Sorry to all of you visitors who have showered down there and did not know that.)
Beth has been the most helpful, soothing, and informative person we could have ever asked for. She does have a tendency to accidentally freak us out though.
Example: We went in to see Beth early on for a full medical history. As we went through she asked about mental health of extended family. We talked a little bit about some depression and anxiety, no big deal.
Beth says "Well, Postpartum depression can be really rough on people. The number one thing you can do to help with postpartum depression is to have accurate expectations about what the initial experience is going to be like."
Great, good information Beth, very helpful, but let's listen in to what she says next...
"The number two thing you can do to help with postpartum depression is to..."
(Get ready.)
(Here it comes!)
"...ingest the placenta."
Now this may not come as a shock to you experienced birthers out there, but I can tell you that it came as a shock to us. I was not expecting that one. The picture I had in my head was of Jen crying while the baby is crying and I'm standing at the stove frying up the placenta like liver and onions.
So Jen just starts laughing and I can't really speak much more than "Buhrr... Guuhhh... Hummm." She does go on to explain that they grind it into a powder and put it in capsules, and she tells us that its got all the hormones and iron Jen loses by giving birth, so that's good.
Either way, my Expectant Father book did not have a chapter on how to cook a delicious placenta.
I wonder what happens if you eat the umbilical cord.
3 comments:
I just heard about this this weekend. Apparently it is very common--some doctors and nurses (read, even mainstream ones???) ask if you would like to keep the placenta. It is apparently high in iron and great for the garden if you aren't the gastronomically bold type. You two have lots of excitement ahead of you :)
OMG. Eating the Placenta.....All I can say is that after pushing all of that out, the last thing I'd want is it all back in my body! Holy crap, that's the craziest thing I have heard and at the same time, it does make sense....I guess................You might have some PTS though from eating that thing.
Jen, I've been meaning to call you for months- time keeps whipping by. Stopped by in Nov, but you were not hanging out in your office waiting for me to drop in unannounced. I keep hearing fantastic things about what you are doing- I am so impressed with the A.B. expansion and depth. Girl-you are amazing. Loved the Festivus letter and can't think of anything better than a Euchre in a private place. Shut up! Are you kidding me! the Cubs did NOT win the world series? In our universe they did. I didn't make it to Invesco Field, but we did watch it on our 19" t.v. Didn't see you- were you wearing a Cubs shirt?
Can't wait to see you and catch up.
p.s. oh yeah- congrats on your brewing baby. Baby Einstein in 09!
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