The Wild, Weird Beauty of the Placenta

The Placenta: Nature’s Temporary Organ

Even prior to stepping into birth work myself, I have always thought the placenta was the coolest thing in this planet. The placenta is a one of a kind organ that forms only during pregnancy. Isn’t that fascinating?! Our bodies create an entire ORGAN for our babies.
Attached to the uterine wall, it connects to the baby through the umbilical cord and takes over jobs none of out other organs are equipped to handle.
It delivers oxygen and nutrients, removes waste, balances hormones, and even strengthens the birthing parent’s immune system.
Without it, neither baby nor parent could thrive.

Denver birth photographer captures parents viewing their placenta after birth.

How the Placenta Supports the Baby and the Parent

• Nutrient Transfer
  The placenta draws glucose, iron, calcium, and other nutrients from the parent’s bloodstream and passes them to the baby in perfect balance.

• Hormone Production
  It creates hormones such as progesterone, estrogen, hCG, and human placental lactogen. These keep the uterine lining stable, relax muscles, and help the parent’s body adapt to the extra blood volume of pregnancy.

• Waste Removal
  The baby’s carbon dioxide and other by-products flow back through the cord. The placenta filters them into the parent’s blood so the kidneys and liver can clear them out.

• Immune Protection
  Acting like a security gate, the placenta allows antibodies to pass to the baby while blocking many bacteria and large molecules, lowering the risk of infection for both.

Cultural Traditions and Modern Practices

Across the world, families have long honored the placenta.
Some bury it beneath a tree to symbolize life, others create placenta prints or preserve the cord as a keepsake. And some encapsulate it… dehydrating it, grinding it into a fine powder, and placing it into a pill form for consumption.
These rituals recognize its vital work and the connection it represents.

A Birth Photographer’s Perspective

As a Denver birth photographer and doula, I often ask families if they’d like a moment with their placenta after birth.
And every time, I photograph it: the branching veins that look like a tree of life, the spiraling umbilical cord, the textures that tell the story of pregnancy.
Parents are often amazed to see the organ that kept both of them alive and connected.

Why Document the Placenta

The placenta builds a bridge between parent and baby and then releases its hold once its job is done.
Capturing it in photographs preserves that story forever just as meaningful as a first cry or skin to skin moment.
It’s a reminder that the body is wild, wise, and capable of breathtaking creativity.