Tonight I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of expectant parents, who were going through a childbirth education course offered by Hypnobirthing Las Vegas. It was the final class of a 5-week course, and the topic was postpartum. Among many other topics discussed by the fabulous facilitator (and doula) Sherry Hopkins was a complete demonstration on babywearing, information on breastfeeding and support, and of course, using the placenta for postpartum recovery.
I took the same hypnobirthing course when I was pregnant with Rayne, my second daughter. I found that the relaxation techniques were very useful for getting through the surges of labor. I also believe that having a waterbirth was extremely beneficial to my fabulous birth experience, not to mention my wonderful doula and midwives. I also created a peaceful and tranquil environment in my own home, and these factors all worked together to manifest my perfect birth scenario.
I stayed to listen to the final guided meditation, which focused on the Birthing Day. It guided each mother through the specific birth sensations from the first surges through the birth. I was quite pleased when Sherry reached the part where the placenta was born, and it was honored by describing it as ‘the wonderful organ that helped bring the baby into the world’. What a wonderful way to introduce the birth of the placenta to these parents. Before they even lay eyes on it, they are thinking of the placenta in wonderfully positive terms.
Classes like these promote the placenta as the beautiful, powerful and sacred connection that it is, and will help to promote the changes that are needed within our culture to view it as such.
