Warning: This article contains actual pictures of placentas that some may find disturbing.
Article Highlights:
- A Temporary Superorgan: The placenta acts as your baby’s lungs, liver, kidneys, and immune system during pregnancy, sustaining life with unmatched efficiency.
- Custom-Made for Your Baby: Each placenta is unique and adapts to your baby’s specific needs by growing and changing throughout pregnancy.
- A Protective Barrier: The placenta filters harmful substances while delivering essential nutrients, oxygen, and antibodies to your baby.
- Cultural Significance: Honored across cultures, the placenta symbolizes life, connection, and the bond between mother and child.
- Nutritional Impact: A healthy, high-protein diet supports optimal placental function, ensuring smooth blood flow and a thriving pregnancy.
- Enduring Legacy: Though temporary, the placenta has a lasting impact, shaping your baby’s health and immunity in the early months.
Imagine your body creating an entirely new organ—a superorgan, really—to sustain life for your baby. That’s exactly what the placenta is: an incredible, temporary organ that grows during pregnancy to meet your baby’s every need. It’s the lifeline connecting you and your baby, providing oxygen, nutrients, and even immunity. The placenta isn’t just fascinating—it’s absolutely vital. Yet, for something so remarkable, it often goes uncelebrated, quietly doing its job without much recognition.
I am just going to say it; I am fascinated with placentas! I have been since I saw my first one with the birth of my oldest son 37 years ago. As a midwife, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing how truly incredible this organ is. The placenta is a multitasking powerhouse. It’s not just the bridge between you and your baby—it’s a hub of life-sustaining activity. Imagine an organ acting as your baby’s lungs, liver, kidneys, and immune system, filtering nutrients and oxygen while removing waste and producing essential hormones to keep your pregnancy healthy. The sheer complexity of its function is awe-inspiring.
But the placenta doesn’t just support—it adapts. It responds to your baby’s unique needs, growing and changing to provide the exact level of care required. I’ll never forget a client whose placenta grew circular, wrapping around her uterus like a custom design. Her baby needed that to thrive, and her body answered the call. Each placenta is custom-made, unique to the baby it nourishes—a testament to how our bodies are equipped to handle the miracle of life.
What makes the placenta even more fascinating is how it supports the bond between mother and baby. It’s a physical connection, yes, but it’s also biological. The placenta communicates with both bodies, ensuring nutrients flow to the baby while protecting the mother’s health. It’s an organ of balance and harmony, working silently in the background to make pregnancy possible.
The placenta is also a reminder of how temporary yet extraordinary pregnancy is. It grows, sustains life, and then completes its mission, leaving your body as your baby begins their life outside the womb. It’s an unsung hero, one that deserves far more recognition for the incredible work it does.
The Placenta’s Role: More Than Meets the Eye
So, what exactly does the placenta do? It’s a lot more than most people realize. It’s not just a temporary organ; it’s an active, dynamic, life-sustaining system designed to meet the unique needs of your growing baby. For all its vital work, the placenta often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, but trust me, it’s nothing short of miraculous.
The placenta begins to form when a fertilized egg implants in your uterus. This process starts even before you know you’re pregnant. When you see that positive pregnancy test, your body is already building this incredible structure. The placenta attaches to the uterine lining, connecting you and your baby through the umbilical cord. This connection allows the placenta to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your baby while carrying away waste.
But its role doesn’t stop there. The placenta also produces critical hormones that keep your pregnancy healthy and on track. Progesterone stabilizes the uterine lining and prevents premature contractions. Estrogen regulates your baby’s development and prepares your body for labor. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)—the hormone that makes those two pink lines appear on a pregnancy test—supports the early stages until the placenta takes over hormone production entirely.
A Custom Lifeline
What makes the placenta even more extraordinary is its adaptability. It doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach but adjusts to your baby’s specific needs. For example, if your baby requires more oxygen or nutrients, the placenta can grow additional blood vessels to enhance efficiency.
I’ll never forget one client whose placenta grew in a circular pattern around her uterus—a rare but fascinating adaptation. Her baby’s needs were unique, and her placenta rose to the challenge, customizing itself as the perfect lifeline. Another memorable case involved a placenta shaped like a heart, which reflected the shape of her bicornuate (heart-shaped) uterus. These moments are reminders of how incredibly responsive and intelligent the placenta is.
The Body’s Natural Guardian
The placenta also serves as a protective barrier between your baby and the outside world. It filters what passes from your bloodstream to your baby, allowing oxygen and nutrients to flow freely while blocking many harmful substances. This protective function even includes transferring antibodies from your immune system to your baby, helping build their immunity for the first few months of life.
That said, the placenta has its limits. Certain substances, like alcohol, drugs, or environmental toxins, can bypass this barrier. Maternal health, nutrition, and lifestyle choices are crucial in pregnancy.
A Hormone-Producing Powerhouse
Did you know that the placenta essentially acts as a temporary endocrine organ? It produces hormones that regulate your pregnancy and prepare your body for birth. One of these hormones, human placental lactogen (hPL), helps regulate your metabolism to ensure your baby gets enough nutrients. The placenta also produces relaxin, which softens your ligaments and prepares your pelvis for delivery.
Each of these hormones plays a role in sustaining your pregnancy thanks to the placenta. Without it, your body couldn’t maintain the delicate balance required to support you and your baby.
Small But Mighty
The placenta is relatively small for all its functions—typically weighing about one pound at full term. But don’t let its size fool you. This temporary organ works harder than any other, taking on the role of lungs, kidneys, liver, and even part of the immune system for your baby.
It’s awe-inspiring to think about how much this one organ accomplishes in just nine months. Every placenta is unique and custom-designed by your body to meet your baby’s needs. It’s no wonder that even after years of midwifery, I still marvel at its complexity and grace.
A Temporary Organ with a Permanent Impact
What sets the placenta apart is its impermanence—a temporary organ to sustain your baby during pregnancy. Yet, its impact is profound, leaving an indelible mark on you and your child.
The placenta is a nine-month lifeline, ensuring your baby receives oxygen and nutrients while removing waste. But its role goes far beyond the basics. The placenta protects your baby by acting as a filter for bad stuff while allowing essential nutrients to pass through. It’s even responsible for boosting your baby’s early immune system, transferring maternal antibodies to help safeguard them against infections after birth.
One of the placenta’s lesser-known marvels is its ability to adapt to your baby’s needs. If your baby requires more nutrients or oxygen, the placenta grows or increases its blood vessel network. Each pregnancy creates a placenta perfectly tailored to its baby—a custom-made connection unique to that moment.
This organ also contributes to your well-being, producing vital hormones like progesterone and hCG to sustain the pregnancy and support your body’s incredible transformation. Without the placenta’s hormonal guidance, your body couldn’t maintain the delicate balance needed to carry your baby to term.
Even after its job is done, the placenta’s legacy endures. The antibodies it provides your baby during pregnancy protect them during those early, vulnerable months of life. This remarkable organ may be temporary, but its influence shapes the foundation of your baby’s health and well-being for years to come.
Cultural Practices and the Placenta
Throughout history, the placenta has held a place of deep cultural and spiritual significance. In many traditions, it’s not just seen as an organ—it’s a symbol of life, connection, and the sacred bond between mother and baby. While modern medicine often discards the placenta after delivery, numerous cultures have developed rituals to honor its importance and role in sustaining life.
In some Indigenous cultures, the placenta is buried in a special ceremony, often accompanied by prayers or blessings. This act symbolizes the connection between the child, the land, and their ancestors, grounding the baby in their cultural heritage. In parts of Indonesia and the Philippines, people believe the placenta acts as the baby’s twin or guardian, deserving of care and reverence. Ceremonial burials or even placing the placenta in a sacred location are common practices in these regions.
Placenta encapsulation is another modern tradition that’s gained popularity. This involves drying and grinding the placenta into powder, then placing it in capsules for postpartum consumption. Advocates of encapsulation claim it offers various benefits, such as improved mood, increased milk production, and faster recovery after birth. While scientific research hasn’t definitively proven these benefits, many women swear by their personal experiences, finding emotional comfort in the practice.
I’ve had clients request placenta encapsulation or other preparations, and I support their choices. While I always emphasize that the evidence is more anecdotal than scientific, I believe in respecting each mother’s instincts and preferences. Some clients have chosen to blend small pieces of their placenta into smoothies immediately after birth, a practice they feel promotes healing and energy. While it’s not for everyone—and not something I offer—it speaks to the deeply personal connection many women feel to this organ.
Beyond encapsulation, other women prefer to keep their placentas intact, using them creatively or symbolically. I’ve known clients who made prints by pressing the placenta onto paper with ink, creating a lasting memento of the life it helped nurture. I know a few people who have buried their placenta and planted something meaningful to them over it. Others have chosen to freeze the placenta, unsure how they’ll use it but wanting to honor it.
Ultimately, what matters most is that each woman feels empowered to choose what to do with her placenta. Whether buried in a meaningful ritual, consumed for perceived health benefits, or acknowledged as an incredible part of the pregnancy journey, honoring the placenta is deeply personal. It’s a reminder of how this temporary organ bridges the worlds of science, spirituality, and individual experience.
When the Placenta Faces Challenges
For all its amazing abilities, the placenta isn’t immune to complications. While rare, conditions affecting the placenta can pose risks to both mother and baby, making early detection and careful management vital. Understanding these challenges helps to highlight just how central the placenta is to a healthy pregnancy.
One such condition is placenta previa, where the placenta partially or completely covers the cervix, blocking the baby’s exit route. This condition often reveals itself through spotting or bleeding in the second or third trimester. In these cases, vaginal delivery becomes unsafe, and a C-section is required to protect both mother and baby. I once cared for a client diagnosed with placenta previa. She transferred to an obstetrician’s care, and her planned C-section went smoothly, delivering a healthy baby. It was a relief to see her baby thrive, but it was also a reminder of how the placenta’s position can alter the course of a pregnancy.
Another more severe condition is placenta accreta, which occurs when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall. In severe forms—placenta increta or percreta—the placenta invades the uterine muscle or other organs, such as the bladder. These conditions can lead to significant complications, including heavy bleeding during delivery. A client I worked with initially presented with placenta previa but was later diagnosed with placenta accreta. Her case required a highly specialized surgical team, and unfortunately, she had to undergo a hysterectomy to save her life. While the outcome was heartbreaking in some ways, her health and safety remained the top priority.
Placental abruptions present another potential challenge. This occurs when the placenta detaches from the uterine wall before the baby is delivered, disrupting the flow of oxygen and nutrients. In mild cases, this separation may cause some bleeding but doesn’t endanger the baby. However, in severe cases, it can lead to life-threatening complications for both mother and child. This is one of the few situations I’ve experienced loss in my career. It was devastating, and I hold deep compassion for any family navigating this kind of heartbreak. Mild abruptions, however, can often be managed safely, and in some cases, the placenta even continues functioning well enough to support the pregnancy to term.
Even conditions like preeclampsia, characterized by high blood pressure and signs of organ damage, often trace their origins back to the placenta. When the placenta’s blood vessels don’t form as they should, it can restrict blood flow between the mother and baby, leading to increased maternal blood pressure and other complications. This is why monitoring blood pressure and eyeing placental health are cornerstones of prenatal care.
Each condition underscores the importance of skilled, attentive care during pregnancy. Regular prenatal visits, ultrasounds, and blood pressure monitoring can catch many placental issues early, improving outcomes for both mother and baby. In my practice, while I may not directly manage high-risk conditions like accreta or severe previa, I work closely with obstetricians to ensure a smooth transition of care when complications arise. Knowing when to refer a client for specialized care is as essential as recognizing the placenta’s incredible role in a healthy pregnancy.
While these challenges are rare, they remind us just how vital the placenta is. Its ability to nourish, protect, and adapt to your baby’s needs is truly miraculous. Even when things don’t go as planned, understanding and respecting this remarkable organ helps ensure the best outcomes possible for every pregnancy.
Why Nutrition Matters for a Healthy Placenta
Your placenta’s health is deeply connected to your own, and one of the most impactful ways to support it is through proper nutrition—particularly a high-protein diet. Think of protein as the foundation for softening and strengthening your blood vessels, ensuring optimal blood flow between you and your baby. This isn’t just a small detail; it’s a game-changer for placental function and overall pregnancy health.
Here’s why: the placenta connects to your uterus through spiral arteries, tiny blood vessels that are the gateway for nutrients and oxygen to reach your baby. These arteries must relax and expand during pregnancy to accommodate the increased blood flow required to sustain the placenta. Protein plays a key role in keeping these vessels soft and flexible. Without enough protein in your diet, blood flow can become restricted, much like a kink in a garden hose that disrupts the steady water flow.
When blood flow is compromised, the placenta struggles to do its job efficiently, and this can sometimes lead to complications like preeclampsia. This condition, marked by high blood pressure and protein in the urine, often originates in the placenta. Essentially, when the spiral arteries fail to remodel properly, or blood flow becomes restricted, the resulting strain can trigger a cascade of health issues for both mother and baby.
My practice emphasizes the importance of real, nutrient-dense foods over processed snacks. High-protein foods like lean meats, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, and dairy products help keep blood vessels healthy. Lower-carb, whole-food options are also recommended to stabilize blood sugar levels, which supports overall vascular health. And it’s not just about protein—hydration, healthy fats, and a variety of vitamins and minerals all contribute to a thriving placenta.
It’s worth noting that your body also gets a boost from pregnancy hormones like progesterone and estradiol, which help soften blood vessels naturally. But diet remains a critical piece of the puzzle, giving your placenta the tools to adapt to your baby’s changing needs throughout pregnancy.
A nutrient-rich diet is a proactive way to safeguard placental health for expectant mothers concerned about complications like preeclampsia. I encourage my clients to think of their meals as a form of self-care—not just for themselves but for the incredible work their placenta is doing to sustain life. Small changes, like adding extra protein to each meal, can make a big difference.
Ultimately, supporting your placenta through good nutrition isn’t about perfection but consistency. Your placenta works tirelessly for your baby, filtering nutrients and oxygen, producing essential hormones, and adapting to meet your baby’s every need. By giving it the required fuel, you’re empowering this remarkable organ to perform at its best and setting the stage for a healthy, thriving pregnancy.
Every Placenta Is Unique
If you’ve ever wondered what makes your placenta special, the answer is simple: everything. No two placentas are exactly alike. Each pregnancy grows its placenta, uniquely designed to meet the specific needs of that baby. It’s like your body’s custom blueprint for nurturing life, tailored perfectly to that moment.
In my years as a midwife, I’ve seen some incredible placentas that remind me of how beautifully diverse pregnancy can be. Heart-shaped placentas, circular placentas that mirror the uterus shape, and even placentas with unusual umbilical cord attachments—all fascinating in their own way. Most of these quirks don’t affect the baby; they simply showcase how uniquely each pregnancy unfolds.
One of the most remarkable placentas I’ve ever encountered had a velamentous cord insertion, where the umbilical cord’s blood vessels fan out across the placenta rather than attaching in a single central spot. While this can make the cord more delicate to handle during delivery, it didn’t cause any issues for the baby. Instead, it highlighted the incredible adaptability of the human body, finding ways to ensure that everything works as it should.
Another unforgettable case involved a placenta that grew around the inside of the uterus. It was shaped like a perfect ring, adapting to the baby’s needs as it expanded. The mother had experienced light spotting throughout her pregnancy, which we later realized was likely due to this unique growth pattern. Seeing that placenta after birth was like marveling at a work of art—a testament to how the body finds creative solutions to support life.
Even something as simple as the insertion point of the umbilical cord can tell a story. While most cords attach in the center of the placenta, sometimes they connect off-center or along the edges. These variations, called marginal or eccentric insertions, rarely cause complications but add to the individuality of each pregnancy. I’ve also seen placentas with visible blood vessels, called velamentous vessels, which require extra care during delivery to avoid ruptures but often pose no problems with the right precautions.
Then there are the heart-shaped placentas, often resulting from a bicornuate uterus, where the uterus itself has a slight heart-like shape. These are rare but always fascinating, a sweet nod to the bond between mother and baby.
What stands out to me most about the placenta is its resilience. Despite its wide range of shapes, sizes, and quirks, it does its job remarkably efficiently, ensuring that your baby gets everything it needs to grow and thrive. It’s a reminder that every pregnancy is as unique as the baby it supports, and every placenta carries its own story—a story of adaptation, strength, and life.
For mothers, seeing the placenta after birth can be an emotional moment. It’s tangible proof of your body’s work, a physical connection between you and your baby. Some women are fascinated by its structure, while others are simply in awe of how this temporary organ played a vital role. Whatever your reaction, one thing is certain: your placenta is one of a kind, just like the baby it helped bring into the world.
Why the Placenta Deserves More Love
If you’re pregnant or planning to be, take a moment to pause and truly appreciate the placenta. It may not be the star of your pregnancy journey, but it’s the lifeline that quietly sustains your baby, working tirelessly behind the scenes. This temporary organ is extraordinary—formed solely to support your baby’s life, then vanishing once its mission is complete.
Whether you honor it with a cultural ritual, encapsulate it for personal use, or marvel at its existence, the placenta deserves recognition for its miraculous role. It’s a silent hero, bridging the gap between you and your baby, nurturing them while they grow, and ensuring they have everything they need to thrive.
As a midwife, every placenta I see feels like witnessing a masterpiece of nature. Each one tells a unique story—a story of connection, adaptation, and resilience. It’s a symbol of the incredible bond between mother and baby, a testament to the strength and ingenuity of the human body.
When I look at a placenta, I don’t just see a structure—I see the profound relationship it represents. It’s the physical manifestation of the selflessness and love that define motherhood. Long after it’s delivered, the impact of the placenta endures. It has already played its part in shaping the beginnings of life, leaving behind a legacy that continues in every heartbeat, every breath, and every milestone your baby achieves.
So, as you think about your journey, take a moment to marvel at the magic of the placenta. It’s not just an organ—it’s a reminder of how incredible the human body truly is. And it reflects you, a mother already giving everything to nurture, protect, and love.
The placenta may only be with you briefly, but its role is unforgettable. Let it remind you of the miracles your body can do and the strength you carry within you. As you step into the next chapter of your journey, know that this small, temporary organ has laid the foundation for the incredible bond you’ll share with your baby for a lifetime.
Additional Reading:
What Is A Placenta? | 13 Amazing Placenta Facts – BellyBelly
Placenta: The overlooked organ with a lifelong impact on your health – NewScientist
Where does the placenta come from? We didn’t know either – Motherly
About the Author:
Jaelin Stickels, CNM, WHNP, is a deeply passionate and highly skilled Certified Nurse Midwife, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, and the owner of Holistic Heritage Homebirth in Houston, Texas. With over a decade of experience, Jaelin has had the privilege of helping several hundred women welcome their babies into the world. In addition to her advanced practice licensure training, she has additional advanced training in twin and breech births, making her one of only a few with these skills in her area. Jaelin approaches every birth with expertise, compassion, and a deep respect for the birthing process. Jaelin is finishing her doctorate and looking forward to being Dr. Jaelin in early 2025.
Jaelin’s journey into midwifery began with a profound love for supporting women through the incredible experience of pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Since 2010, she has been dedicated to walking alongside families during these transformative moments, offering guidance, support, and care tailored to each individual’s unique needs. She is a big believer in informed consent and ensures clients are given the best evidence-based information to make the best decisions for themselves and their families.
Married to her high school sweetheart Ted (aka Chef Ted) since 1984, Jaelin is the proud mother of three grown children and the delighted grandmother of one amazing granddaughter. When she’s not assisting in births, Jaelin finds joy in going to the movies with her husband, quilting, and cherishing time with her family. Known by the other midwives in her practice (Holistic Heritage Homebirth) affectionately as the “Birth Hog,” she brings an unmatched dedication and enthusiasm to her work—no one loves birth quite like she does.
Find out more about Jaelin’s Homebirth Practice (Holistic Heritage Homebirth) in Houston, TX