Auckland Hospital,

I used to work in the Auckland Public Hospital. Do you know why there are tall chimneys in the hospital?

I know, because I was explained, the bloodied cotton wool and bandages are burnt here.

What about body parts? No, these are sent to the city incinerator. I had to process payment to the city council for these services.

In some cultures, a baby's umblical cord when dropped off, is given to the mother for safe keeping. They are dried, wrapped in a piece of red paper, and kept in a small glass bottle. When he/she is grown, the mother gives it to them. My neighbour of a diddrent dialect group did this, and she was surprised my mother didn't carry out this custom.


For the Maoris, the placenta or after birth which ia also called Whenua, are given to the parents. The parents will bury the Whenua into the grounds of the marae. Land is also called Whenua. This signifies the child belong to the tangata Whenua. For Maoris, Family and Whanau are very important.

About twenty years ago, some group of Western people in Australia publicised that they ate the placentas of their babies. I feel funny about this. They even have a ceremony and invite their friends to part take in this. they say, it just taste like liver.

What do you think?


Human placentophagy
Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/article on Placenta


Although the placenta is revered in many cultures, very few customarily eat the placenta after the newborn's birth. Those who advocate placentophagy in humans, mostly in modern America and Europe, Mexico, Hawaii, China, and the Pacific Islands believe that eating the placenta prevents postpartum depression and other pregnancy complications. A variety of recipes are known to exist for preparing placenta for eating in spite of the extended taboo against eating human body parts.[3] Consumption of uncooked human placenta carries risks associated with other human blood products, primarily risk of hepatitis B,C and HIV infection. However, eating one's own placenta does not carry those risks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placentophagy