[asshat]

Have you ever had a pet who gave birth and then ate the after birth? Ever wondered what that tastes like?

One of the least known facts about childbirth is that after the mother gives birth to the baby, she must continue to push to give birth to the afterbirth -- a big gooey mass of blood and tissue and placenta and baby snot. Not the sort of thing that tickles the palate.

But, as a co-worker has just informed me, some Native Americans actually collect afterbirth for celebratory purposes. Apparently, a "congratulations" card isn't enough -- they have some secret ceremony where the mother actually eats a bit of the afterbirth. I can't tell you how grossed out I am. My co-worker, part Native American herself, couldn't do the eating part, but she still has part of the afterbirth stored away (apparently for a rainy day or something).

Now, now, I refuse to pass judgment on cultural traditions simply because they differ from my own. In fact, check out this little tidbit:
The placenta, umbilical cord, and extraembryonic membranes, which are expelled from the womb after a mammalian fetus is born. In most nonhuman mammals the afterbirth, which contains nutrients and might otherwise attract predators, is eaten by the female.

So you see, placentas and extraembryonic membranes are a nutritious treat, and eating them has the added benefit of keeping those pesky predators away (like corporate lawyers, Arthur Andersen accountants, and Kathleen Harris).

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