“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead
A new mother should be enjoying the precious moments following birth. A new mother should be taking in the sweet smells of her new baby, bonding, and, most importantly, resting. For some mothers, these precious moments are all too often filled with stress, phone calls, and chaos as they try to get their placentas released from the hospital after birth.
Can you imagine having to fight your way through red tape immediately after giving birth, in order to reap the benefits from your placenta? Sadly, this has been the case for many new moms at NYU Langone Medical Center.
The hospital, known for its progressive baby-friendly culture, has been forcing parents to find, and hire, a funeral director to come and take the placenta from the premises. Many families have had difficulty finding a funeral home to honor their request and when they do it, costs them several hundred dollars. As you can imagine, this has caused strife and unnecessary expense to these new parents who should only be thinking about bonding with their new baby.
New York State allows hospitals to release healthy placentas that are wanted for religious or cultural purposes. For women who wanted to take their placenta home with them, the policy at NYU was completely unacceptable. The women in New York should be commended for making their voices heard. They started a petition, asking for their placentas to be released into their care immediately following birth.
NYU Langone Medical Center has heard the disgruntled cries and listened. They are in the process of working on a more lenient policy regarding the release of placentas. The policy is still being drafted but hospital officials state that once a mother has signed a release and the placenta has been tested to ensure suitability for consumption, the mother may take the placenta home to use as she sees fit.
The moral of the story? Speak your mind and make your voices heard! Congratulations to the women in NY for changing the way a hospital deals with families and their placentas.
It is our hope that more hospitals follow the example set by NYU Langone Medical Center in their efforts to help new mothers use their placentas to enhance their postpartum wellness.
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