Is Eating Her Own Placenta a Good Idea?

Originally Posted: Should your wife eat her placenta? Or give birth underwater?
By: Vincent C. Sales
Philippine Daily Inquirer
April 25, 2012

Time to panic. Our second baby is due in one month, and we haven’t even settled on a name yet. Having been through this all before, I thought it would be easier the second time around, but that’s just not the case.

My wife and I know better now. We know more. We’re faced with a ton of options that we weren’t aware of before. Some of these options are more of the usual, some are cutting edge science and some are just plain bizarre.

We’re talking “Survivor”’s bug-eating levels of bizarre. We’re talking everything from giving birth underwater, to freezing your baby’s cord blood for future gene therapy, to cooking your placenta and chowing down on it later. Yes, these are the options we’re faced with in modern childbirth. Just relax and enjoy the show. Oh, and feel free to panic at any time.

Water birth?

Speaking of panicking, that was what I was doing when our first baby was being delivered. I was a deer caught in the headlights, mesmerized until the nurses screamed at me to start taking photos. My wife, meanwhile, turned out to be some kind of Olympic champion of childbirth. She was fully dilated in minutes before the doctor even arrived at the operating room, pushed my baby boy out in five epic pushes, and later had the audacity to complain that she didn’t need the epidural. I brag about her every chance I get.

It’s no wonder then that this time around, our OB recommends that we do a water birth, or as I see it, she wants to raise the difficulty for my Olympic champion.

The benefits are clear: It’s cheaper. There are other benefits such as less trauma for the baby, pain relief for the mother that immersion in water gives, and the lowered need for an episiotomy (look it up!), but I didn’t hear anything else after the doctor said that it’s cheaper.

So we went on the tour of the St. Luke’s Global City water birth facilities, where the nurses proudly showed us the humongous bathtub and gorgeous suite, and whispered to us that Maricel Laxa had given birth there. And hey, if it’s good enough for Maricel Laxa…

…It may not be good enough for the wife, who voiced discomfort about giving birth naked in a giant bathtub, far from pain-killing drugs and baby-monitoring machines. Critics of water birth also point out the increased risk of infection as you get water all the way up your wazoo, though the numbers show no significant difference.

Save the cord blood? Or save money?

Another difficult decision that we’ll have to make soon is whether to save the baby’s cord blood or save that money for the kid’s future instead.

Cord blood contains stem cells, and if you paid attention during science class, then you know that stem cells can differentiate into any cell that the human body requires. Say, if you develop leukemia, then your body needs new bone marrow. The stem cells from cord blood can be made to create this new bone marrow. Have a burn? Squirt some stem cells on it to make new skin. It’s literally the future of medicine.

Science class over. Here’s the wager: Saving your baby’s cord blood can provide a cure/treatment for 80 diseases, such as some forms of leukemia, lymphoma and cerebral palsy. This branch of medical science also promises even more cures for things like heart disease and diabetes in the not-too-distant future. On the other hand, the chances of your child getting one of the diseases that cord blood can treat today are incredibly slim to non-existent. On the other other hand, having a cure for one those diseases would be priceless.

The price of this wager? A wallet-gutting P40,000 plus VAT upon signing up, and another P8,000 plus VAT for every year thereafter until your child is 18, at which point you can choose to transfer costs to him or her. Hmmm…

Your placenta: Throw away, bury, or EAT?

After the successful birth of our first son, a nurse popped in to ask us what we wanted to do with the placenta. She had the thing in a see-through plastic bag, and it looked like two very bloody kilos of lean beef, or a liver, or something in between. The last response in my head was, “I’d like to cook it and feed it to my wife.”

Move aside, “Bizarre Food.” More and more people are saying that eating your placenta after childbirth is a good idea. Or could it just be the latest fad?

The practice of eating your placenta landed on our radar as my wife was researching ways to avoid post-partum depression. The numbers vary, but it’s estimated that 80 percent of women experience some form of post-partum depression, and my wife was one of them.

It’s believed that eating your placenta can reduce post-partum depression and do a whole bunch of other good stuff, like help mothers’ uterus return to normal size and even stimulate milk production.

If you’re interested in chowing down on your afterbirth after birth, you should know that as of now, there are no medical institutions that support this practice in the Philippines. Depending on the hospital, however, it is mostly not difficult to come home with your placenta since the practice of burying your placenta in your backyard with a tree is commonplace.

Preparing the placenta for ingestion remains a strictly DIY process. You steam it, dry it, grind it and then place it in capsules that you ingest like medicine. (So there go my dreams of seeing my wife wolf down a chunk of raw meat like Daenerys in “Game of Thrones.”)

Jenny Ong, from the blog Chronicles of a Nursing Mom, had her placenta encapsulated in the States. “With my first born, I cried every day from day three until about she was one month,” she said. “With E (my second child), I only cried once the entire time.

“I managed to take care of both kids without losing my sanity,” Jenny went on to say, something that we’re hoping for with our second baby. “I also would like to think that it affected my milk supply.”

The older I get, the more I realize that unlike the Rolling Stones song, time is not on my side. In less than a month, my wife and I will have to decide on a number of things that may affect the rest of our lives in very significant ways. I don’t know what we’ll decide on right now. I only know that the choices we make will be with our family’s best interests in mind. That’s all the world asks of us. And in the end, whatever happens, everything will be fine. No need to panic.

Tips to Detect Cancer at an Early Stage

Cancer is a fatal disease caused by an unnatural growth of malignant cells in the body.

It often manifests quite innocently, so much so that the initial symptoms often go unnoticed. The actual cure lies in early detection and eventual radiation therapy. The following article will mention steps to detect the elusive initial symptoms.

1. Skin Exam

Skin Cancer manifests as moles with discolouration, irregular borders, and unexplained multicoloured patches on the skin, with cuts or sores that stay raw. These symptoms signify the onset of skin cancer. Getting in touch with your physician and opting for regular skin examinations will prevent this.

2. Colon/Rectum Exams

Colonic or rectal cancer manifests in men, mostly after 50 years of age, in the form of unnatural bumps and bloody stools. Annual stool tests will help determine the presence of ‘occult’ components in the faeces. The testing laboratories test the sample for such components and further diagnose with more extensive tests, if such results are found. Since blood in stool can be a symptom of any other physical anomaly as well, basing these findings on cancer only will be a premature assumption. An alternate step to check for symptoms is a thorough rectal exam in which a doctor inserts a digital probe or uses his own sterilised gloved fingers to check for unnatural growths and bumps. A sigmoidoscopy, done every 3 years post 50, will help determine the symptoms of the same.

3. Mouth Exam

Unexplained sores on the lip, mouth, gum or tongue can be prematurely inferred to be an initial manifestation of mouth cancer. Regular examination of the insides of your mouth will help expose these symptoms. These sores will be characterised by swelling, bleeding, painful patches, scabs and cracks. People over 50, who regularly smoke tobacco and drink alcohol, are at maximum risk here. They should get their checkups done every year.

4. Prostate Exam

Prostate cancer is an immensely fatal health hazard to men over 40. Prostate Cancer manifests in the unnatural swelling and pain, in the initial stages. Regular sonography and physical examinations will help determine the extent of the swelling. In the absolutely initial stage, a high dose of anti-inflammatory drug will successfully curb the growth in size, but it must be detected this early for the drugs to have effect.

5. Testicular Exam

Testicular cancer can rear its head among men aged 15 to 34. This type of cancer is characterised initially by an unexplained lump followed by sudden tenderness, pain, swelling and unnatural heaviness in the testicles. If one experiences any such symptoms, they should get in touch with their doctors immediately.

The correct way to treat cancer is to nip it in the bud. Early detection of the above mentioned symptoms can save a person from the life-threatening radiation and ensure longevity. By following the above-mentioned steps, you will be able to diagnose these symptoms yourself and help your doctor in detecting cancer early.

Source: Yahoo! She

Picture Credit: 1234RF

Weird Food Combinations that Work

Bacon and Chocolate

Bacon, due to its intense saltiness works in the traditional way to heighten the savoury side of the flavour palate. Placko likes to pair it with dark chocolate for cookies and cupcakes. Candied or chocolate-dipped cooked bacon works for him too. The food pairing tree on the site shows that pork loin, Gruyere cheese and Buffalo Mozzarella work too. If you really want to branch out to the trippy ends of the tree, try cranberries, peanuts or hazelnuts. Think cranberry, hazelnut muffins with bacon crumble topping.

Oysters and Fruit
Oysters with their briny flavour of the sea go well with guava or kumquat peel but Placko likes them with passion fruit. There is no easily explainable reason why these pairings work – it’s all science, palate, trust and experimentation. Once you have identified a combo that is enhanced by being together, push it a little further and see where you end up. A metaphor for life, really.

Cauliflower and White Chocolate
You could pair cauliflower puree with sea salt and truffle oil for any old Tuesday night. But, braver cooks stretch to include white chocolate. Perhaps a drizzle on top to begin, then shaved in, if you like it. Graduate to chunks later.

Salty and Sweet
These flavours are the yin and yang of your taste buds. Peanut butter and jelly, chocolate and popcorn … dehydrated black olive with dried pineapple. Don’t knock it till you try it. Perhaps minced and on top of chicken? Maybe in a trail mix? The possibilities are endless when you embrace the concept.

Coffee and Soy Sauce
The things that go with coffee would surprise you; it’s not just for croissants anymore. Try a coffee and soy sauce combo for an intense and colour inducing glaze on chicken wings. Cook wings first either baked or steamed, mix together coffee and soy then use a pastry brush to paint on before barbecuing. Try it next with ribs.

Strawberries and Herbs
Strawberries and mint make summer sense, right? What about strawberries with chopped basil? Just as yummy but with a little surprise burst of flavour. Think a balsamic glaze might set it off? What about blueberries? They go with blue cheese, I wonder what would happen if they were pureed together and frozen into a granita.

Orange and Butter
The combination only sounds strange until you think of how yummy that creamsicle was. And, suddenly, something about the creamy smoothness of melted butter drizzled over juicy, tart orange sections begins to make sense. As an accompaniment to grilled fish, perhaps? Or as a dessert with toasted pistachios and a cheese platter.

Source: Yahoo! She

Foods for the Libido

1. Pumpkin Seeds

Do you hate pumpkins? If you do, then you will have to find a way to love the little mean seeds insides, because they are essential to unleash your inner beast in the boudoir. Insanely replete with zinc and essential oils, these seeds are your one-way ticket to a raging sex life. The nutrients contained within, aid in boosting testosterone and sperm production, blowing your libido to orgasmic heights.

2. Oysters
If you think that oysters are good for holding pearls alone, these little wonders will come back to surprise you. Oysters are nature’s own version of Viagra. Loaded with zinc, omega-3 oils and monounsaturated fats, they aid in the sexual experience. Also, nothing adds more fireworks to sex than the intimate act of eating oysters with your partner. Kinky and nutritional!

3. Goji Berries
Don’t let these sweet little nubs fool you into believing that they are apparently worth nothing. Goji berries pack enough vitamins to have you kicking in the sack for an eternity. Not only do they boost testosterone production but also aid in delaying the climax, so that the fun need not end soon. Equipped with nutrients to stabilise mood and stamina, Goji Berries are extremely important for your sex life.

4. Bananas
The banana has been long mocked for its penile shape. The fact that it delivers much more than it looks is under-appreciated by most. The abundance of Vitamin B6 aids in balancing hormones and imitating the effect of serotonin secretion. Serotonin is responsible for the euphoric satisfaction after sex. The sugar content is a careful balance of complex and simple sugars that provide you with enough energy to last all night.

5. Celery
The weak and watery stalks offer much more than their looks, when it comes to boosting up one’s libido. The essential component in celery boosts the androsterone levels in male perspiration. This aid in the production of an aphrodisiacal pheromone that is responsible for making men seem irresistible to women.

6. Dark Chocolate
When women obsess over how chocolates are the next best thing to sex, they do not mean it lightly. One bite of dark chocolate releases enough endorphins to mirror an orgasm. A regular intake helps keep libidos high, so that lovemaking never gets tiresome.

7. Chillies
What better substance to ignite heated passions than the fiery chilli? Capsaicin, the active component contributing to the heat factor in chillies, is responsible for releasing the endorphins that spark sexual desire and aid in a fiery sexual chemistry.

Source: Yahoo! She