My Life

No one wants to comment on the pretty placenta???

Party poopers.

Don't you know placentas are wonderful things?! They really are amazing!

- Both the Mama and the Little One contribute to the formation of the placenta. The Mama's part is from her endometrium where implantation took place. The Little One's part is from the chorion (there are two membranes btw....the chorion and amnion).

- The placenta develops very early in the pregnancy. When the Little One is just a blastocyst, enzymes are released by the trophoblast that helps to destroy the capillaries in the endometrium and later bigger vessels in the uterus. The blood that is released gives nutrition to the Little One.

- At just four weeks the placenta is already functioning! It aids in metabolic exchange between the Mama and the Little One. Giving nutrition and oxygen from Mama and removing waste from the Little One. This all happens right about the same time the Little One's heart starts beating...approximately 17 days after conception.

- Did you notice how the placenta resembles a tree with branches? That is the result of the villi proliferating, branching out and enlarging. The tree of life.

- The fetal part of the placenta and fetal membranes separate the Little One from Mama's uterine lining so that her blood does not mix with the Little One's blood. Substances are exchanged in the placental membrane and maternal blood enters the intervillous space but the blood does not mix.

- The placenta provides the Little One with the exchange of oxygen-carbon dioxide. The Little One produces quite a bit of CO2. It is sent from the Little One's blood, through the placenta, into Mama's circulation and Mama releases it during expiration.

- The placenta transfers Mama's antibodies to the Little One.

- For the little one the placenta makes glycogen, fatty acids, enzymes and cholesterol. It also helps to break down some substances. And it acts as storage for iron and glycogen.

- Certain substances are diffused through the placenta and molecules are transported.


Now look back at the picture I posted. Does it seem more beautiful to you now that you know a little about it's formation and function and know that God created that system to help sustain your Little Ones as they grew inside your belly?