In many cultures around the world, the placenta is not considered bio-hazardous waste as it generally regarded here in our Western society. Instead, the placenta is revered as a sacred organ and is truly awed and honored. Placentas have received ceremonial handling and have served important roles in healing throughout history. This sacred treatment is a testament to the significance of the placenta as an important symbol of life, energy, and spirit.

Cultural Practices and Beliefs

Burial:

The Navajo Indians bury the placenta within their reservation as an honor to their ancestors. Items are also commonly buried with the placenta such as books or religious representations in hopes that the child will be smart or pursue certain skills or traits.

Hawaiians also practice burial rituals with a new tree planted over the placenta. It is believed that the placenta must be treated as a sacred object and that proper burial rites be given to ensure the good health of the new baby.

The Ibo of Nigeria consider the placenta the deceased twin of the baby and honor it with funeral rights as well.

Thai, Koreans, Cambodians, Malinese, and Balinese are more cultures that routinely bury the placenta with reverence and symbolism.

Cambodians are known to wrap the placenta in banana leaves and keep it with baby for 3 days before ritualistically burying it.

In Mali, the placenta is rinsed, dried, and placed in a basket to be buried by the father of the child to ensure a happy and healthy child.

In Korea, it has been practice to burn the placenta and keep the ashes. Then, in times of illness, the ashes are used to make a drink for the child in order to ensure health and longevity.

In some cultures, instead of being buried in the ground, the placenta is thrown into a river in the belief that as the river flows, the child's life will flow with it.

Remedies:

The traditional medicine of many cultures recognizes and values the healing potential of the placenta. It is prepared and used in a variety of ways to benefit both mother and child. These cultures believe in the life-giving forces of the placenta and revere it as beneficial in consumption (placentophagy.) They make tinctures, teas, broths, and pills out of the placenta. There are many recipes in ancient texts that are presumed to increase the vitality and potency of the placenta's properties.

In Chinese medicine, the placenta has been used for centuries as an effective treatment for a variety of conditions including infertility, immune system strengthening, asthma, liver problems, arthritis and many more conditions.

Many Traditional Chinese Medicine specialists around the world encourage women to use placenta during the postpartum period to aid in recovery from childbirth, prevent postpartum depression, and minimize postpartum bleeding.

Women in many cultures use the placenta as a remedy or prevention for various feminine related conditions. They ingest placenta pieces, capsules, broths, or teas or take placenta tincture postpartum to ensure good milk supply, regain strength, stabilize hormone levels, and heal their internal and external wounds from childbirth. They also use placenta to help with menopausal symptoms later in life. 

In Cuba, placenta remedies have successfully been used to treat vitiligo. The placenta products are now also used to treat alopecia and psoriasis, as research has indicated that the placenta was useful in delaying the cell aging process. 

Placental ingredients, marketed as Polypeptides, have been used in beauty products and cosmetics en masse for the last few centuries. They believe that in these placental remedies, the ingredients and hormones contained in the placenta aid in inhibiting the breakdown of collagen in the skin, stimulate protein synthesis, act as an anti-inflammatory, and can potentially heal skin infections. It is also believed that in hair care products, the biostimulating effects of the placenta may improve the nutrition and oxygenation of the cells of the hair follicles, becoming healthier and stronger from within, and contributing greatly to better hair conditions

Cord Burning:

Cord burning is a very personal, spiritual means of breaking the separation between baby and placenta. In old China, it is believed the the heat from the flame helps to move the blood and Qi left in the placenta, through the umbilical cord and into the baby.

Lotus Birth:

The act of lotus birthing is leaving baby, umbilical and placenta attached while the umbilical and placenta dry out, naturally and gently detaching from baby. There is no wound created at the umbilical site, which lessens the chance of infection. It allows a complete transfer of placental and cord blood to the baby at the most pertinent of times. Lotus birthing is growing in popularity in Western mothers. It is a common misconception that when practicing lotus birth, the placenta cannot be consumed. As long as the placenta has been salted properly, it acts as a way of curing or preserving the tissue, just like curing meat or salting fish and thus the placenta can be ingested.