Hardly a day goes by withoutt our hearing about some celebrity’s surprise pregnancy (a surprise to us–certainly not to them,) and eventually the long-anticipated delivery. There was so much publicity surrounding Angelina Jolie’s pregnancy and delivery, you’d have thought it was the second coming.
Matthew McConaughey Plants an Idea
We’re always interested in what they name the baby, who gives them what baby gifts and how quickly Mom sheds the 3.6 pounds she gained during the pregnancy. But Matthew McConaughey caught us all off guard when he said he and his new son Levi’s mother, Camila Alves, were going to plant Levi’s placenta under a tree. They got the idea from an Australian Aboriginal tradition, in which all the placentas of a tribe are planted beneath a great tree that grew taller and stronger than those around it. While the idea might sound a bit bizarre at first, the practice is really beautifully symbolic. A placenta tree will always be the same age as your baby, will shade your baby as your baby grows and become a permanent reminder of your baby’s life on this earth.
Planting Your Placenta Tree
The first step is easy. Be sure to ask your obstetrician to save your baby’s placenta. You can plant the placenta a few days after baby’s birth, or you can freeze it and plant it when your baby is old enough to help you pick out a tree and plant it. All you need to plant the placenta is a shovel and a new tree or bush.
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If you’ve frozen the placenta, defrost it in a large bowl in the refrigerator.
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Buy a tree or bush that will do well in your climate.
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Dig a hole for the tree or bush with plenty of room for the root ball.
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Place the placenta into the bottom of the hole and cover it with a few inches of dirt.
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Place the tree or bush in the hole over the placenta and refill the hole with dirt.
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Give it some water for a bit of nourishment.
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To protect your new tree or bush from digging dogs, you might want to put a small fence around the tree for a few weeks or a few months.
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Enjoy watching your baby and your tree grow and grow! That’s all there is to it!
More Growing Ideas!
Corner Stork Baby Gifts also has some gorgeous growth charts that help Mom and Dad keep tabs on baby’s day-by-day development. The “Forever Baby” Growth Chart for girls (left) comes with the growth chart, booties, wrist rattle, soft toy and keepsake photo album. The “Future Jock” Growth Chart for boys (right) also has a bib with sport balls, and a cotton outfit with matching cap. And you’ll always have Corner Stork’s cheering section in spirit, saying “Grow, Baby, Grow!”