You’ve seen the neat little drawings of the placenta — your baby’s life support system in utero — but you’d be right to realize that those diagrams don’t look all that much like the real thing. (Think about how a frozen dinner’s cover packaging looks versus the end result straight out of your microwave.)
First things first: It’s bloody. It has to be, of course, because filtering blood is one of its primary functions. It’s also veiny and lumpy and pretty much looks like something fell out that wasn’t supposed to. (It’s actually considered a temporary internal organ — for a visual, imagine a deep red chicken liver times 20… and try not to throw up. Oh, we’re just kidding. When it’s yours, it’s not as oogy as you’d think.)
There are two distinct sides to the placenta: one that connects to the uterine wall, and the other that faces the baby. Have a look!
Placenta side 1 (uterine wall)
Placenta side 2 (baby’s side — parts of the amniotic sac still visible)
Sure, it’s gross, but let’s cut the placenta some slack. It was created out of the very same cells that made your baby, and was your little person’s lifeline all this time. Job well done, wouldn’t you say?
[...] different visit The Garden Helper — an extensive gardening guide website. If you save your baby’s placenta you can plant it along side of the [...]
Include the average size of placenta rather than saying “chicken liver times 20″. If I have never seen liver of a chicken, it will be difficult for me to imagine how long it should be. However, this page is realyy good and provide useful information in a very good way.
Comment by Ram Manohar Mishra — January 25, 2008 #
[...] said, a truly overdue baby can be problematic. Once your pregnancy hits the 42 week mark, the placenta is at an increased risk for not doing its job, i.e. fluid levels may be too low and it can just [...]
[...] nutrition before you get pregnant supports a healthy uterus, which in turn supports placenta growth and development during your pregnancy. The healthier your placenta, the healthier your baby. [...]
I had two difficult pregnancies. I cannot have children anymore becuase of tumors and my cervix was taken out. Can the placenta give problems although you are not child barrer? If so what tests should I have to check the placenta?
thats gross you people show of not put that on the internet but u showed in case ladies/girls dont no what they are and they no how they look like!!! But for me that looks gross lol
Send this page to a friend!
Entertainment: 
Win music CDs, DVDs and more at PointsAndPrizes.com
Wanna talk? Stop by the SheKnows message boards
[...] Interested in what afterbirth looks like? [...]
Pingback by Pregnancy & Baby Blog » Blog Archive » Pregnancy definition of the day — July 9, 2007 #
[...] different visit The Garden Helper — an extensive gardening guide website. If you save your baby’s placenta you can plant it along side of the [...]
Pingback by Pregnancy & Baby Blog » Blog Archive » Celebrate your baby’s birth by planting a tree — August 5, 2007 #
[...] you want to keep your baby’s placenta? At a home birth this is a moot point but in a hospital you often need to [...]
Pingback by Pregnancy & Baby Blog » Blog Archive » Writing your birth plan — September 28, 2007 #
Include the average size of placenta rather than saying “chicken liver times 20″. If I have never seen liver of a chicken, it will be difficult for me to imagine how long it should be. However, this page is realyy good and provide useful information in a very good way.
Comment by Ram Manohar Mishra — January 25, 2008 #
EWWWWWW THATS SO GROSS.
Comment by Zak — May 10, 2008 #
[...] said, a truly overdue baby can be problematic. Once your pregnancy hits the 42 week mark, the placenta is at an increased risk for not doing its job, i.e. fluid levels may be too low and it can just [...]
Pingback by When is a baby overdue? | Pregnancy & Baby Blog — April 16, 2009 #
[...] nutrition before you get pregnant supports a healthy uterus, which in turn supports placenta growth and development during your pregnancy. The healthier your placenta, the healthier your baby. [...]
Pingback by Impact of pre-pregnancy nutrition | Pregnancy & Baby Blog — April 27, 2009 #
[...] you want to keep your baby’s placenta? At a home birth this is a moot point but in a hospital you often need to ask them to hold on to it [...]
Pingback by What should be included in my birth plan? | Pregnancy & Baby Blog — September 18, 2009 #
after seeing that i NEVER want to have a baby, oh my goddddd noooooooo!
Comment by Anonymous — October 12, 2009 #
Thank you. It really help to understand my misscarriaged. What to expect comming out…
Comment by Jossie — January 10, 2010 #
I had two difficult pregnancies. I cannot have children anymore becuase of tumors and my cervix was taken out. Can the placenta give problems although you are not child barrer? If so what tests should I have to check the placenta?
Comment by manou — January 16, 2010 #
looks like an undiscovered creature
Comment by tatiana — February 17, 2010 #
thats gross you people show of not put that on the internet but u showed in case ladies/girls dont no what they are and they no how they look like!!! But for me that looks gross lol
Comment by Jose Gonzalez — March 21, 2010 #