Mmm, amniotic fluid

A coworker's daughter gave birth this past Friday. How nice for her. Mazel tov! But today my coworker regaled us with loud story after louder story of the water breaking, the birth, when she cut the umbilical cord, the baby himself, this, that, and the other thing. Goody goody gumdrops. I'm actually not particularly interested so I attempted to tune out.

But then she mentioned the placenta. And my stomach turned a little. Against my will, my ears perked up. That's when I remembered the Tom Cruise thing. "I'm going to eat the cord and the placenta right there..." A joke, Tom? You don't fool me. Better you should plant it...

Anyway, it actually happens. The eating and the planting. ew! Ew!! EW!!! Occasionally, art is even created from it. Yes. Cecil says it and it is true. Interestingly, some vegans eat it. [Vegan readers, please respond. What do you think?] In one article I read about a Berkeley birth, they practically lined up at the door for it. The reasoning behind that makes no sense to me -- flesh is flesh -- but, whatever. And lucky you, I've decided to not include a link to one of the nastiest things I have ever seen. I do, however, leave you with thoughts of roast placenta and placenta smoothies. Bon appétit!