Placenta Party: Building, Birthing, and Letting Go

In this episode of The POPPED Podcast, Dr. Emily Muery shines a light on the placenta — the often-forgotten organ that makes pregnancy possible. She unpacks how the placenta forms, what it actually does, and the common complications that can arise, like previa, accreta, abruption, and calcification. You’ll also learn why calcification is more tied to how long you’re pregnant than how old you are. Dr. Emily also explores how Indigenous communities have long monitored pregnancy health without ultrasounds. Plus, she dives into practices like delayed cord clamping, lotus birth, and placentophagy, including new research on microplastics found in the placenta and what it could mean for postpartum choices. This episode is a deep, evidence-based, and culturally rich look at the organ that supported your baby before you ever held them in your arms.