Mother Cake

"Mother Cake" is derived from the German word for placenta. The placenta is truly where the mother makes a cake from which new life is nourished. No birth is complete until the placenta emerges after the baby. Then its work is done. "Mother Cake" is the first act of creation any of us experience.

click on the image below to watch and listen

Can you find your creative origins here?

Can you see your herstory?

Click on each image below for title and more info. Or start with the Tree of Life and click on the chevrons at the side to continue the slide show.

Tree of Life

We are attending a human birth. All is well. The placenta is nurishing and protecting the fetus. Ceramic sculpture, cord, lace veil, rug hooked placenta.

Happy Birthday

As the baby is born the placenta continues it's work in utero. The ceramony of cutting the cord is delayed to ensure baby gets all it needs to trransition to outerlife. Oil painting, cord, veil, rug hooked placenta.

Vigilance

While the family is focusing on baby, we will monitor mother and placenta which is still in utero.
My grandmother's lace work, rug hooked placenta, ribbon, cord, veil, found object.

Herbal Persuasion

In some cultures a special herbal tea is used to nudge the uterus to push out the placenta. Tea pot, veil, cord, beads, rug hooked placenta.

Mothers' Helper

Placing the mother onto the birth stool will help the placenta to come, here it has come!
My birthstool (many babies and placentas born on it!), rug hooked placenta, veil, cord.

Mutterkuchen

German for Mother Cake (placenta), the Mutterkuchen is sometimes eaten raw, baked or in pill form. My grandmother's cut glass cream and sugar set and lacework, cord, beads, jewelry, wool, veil, rug hooked placenta.

Wasted Resource

Most placentas are sent for incineration. I believe we need more research and ceramony. Garbage can with mirror, jewelry, beads, cord, veil, my grandmother's lace work, medical gloves, gold paint, rug hooked placenta.

Respect

The Mother Cake is an organ that deserves our reverance. Human placenta print (from the last baby I delivered), with acrylic paint and watercolor pencil on paper.