Action at Santa Rosa Hospital Creates Emotional Stamp to Remember the Birth
The project 'Placenta Art as a Stamp of Love' transforms the placenta into works of art and creates an emotional stamp to mark the moment of birth
Three days after giving birth to her firstborn, Aylla, at the Santa Rosa Regional Hospital of Baixo Tocantins, a unit of the Pará State Department of Public Health (Sespa) located in Abaetetuba, Lueli Gonçalves Martins, a 26-year-old resident of the municipality, received a stamp made with her own placenta as a touching symbol of her pregnancy. "It's like a tree of life, a rewarding experience," she celebrated, having had her daughter through a normal delivery.
During pregnancy, the placenta forms in the uterus and is considered a temporary organ. It is essential for the survival and growth of the fetus. It performs respiratory, endocrine, immunological, and nutritional functions, in addition to being the means by which physiological exchanges occur between mother and baby during pregnancy. It is expelled from the body immediately after childbirth.
To immortalize this moment, it is possible to apply paint to the placenta and then make an impression on paper. The goal is to transform the birth into a work of art that symbolizes the beginning of life. According to the coordinator of the Obstetric Axis of the Hospital, Patrícia Muniz, the project titled 'Placenta Art as a Stamp of Love' aims to eternalize the experience of motherhood, "celebrating new life through an emotional and visual memory that connects mother and baby, since the placenta is responsible for nourishing and protecting the fetus during pregnancy, being seen as the symbol of the miracle of life."
The project 'Placenta Art as a Stamp of Love' proposes that, instead of being treated as hospital waste, the organ be converted into emotional memories through the creation of paintings that evoke birth, motherhood, and the strength of the female body. This initiative, although innovative, already has the collaboration of the entire team. "It's something so beautiful and captivating when mothers are painting and recording this very significant moment of their lives," the coordinator adds.
Mayane dos Santos Lima, 23, was one of the women whose moment was recorded. She celebrates the birth of little Maria Júlia, who came into the world on October 3rd. “For many mothers, the placenta stamp has become a charming gesture that not only showcases its beauty but also represents a journey of love and care between mother and child. This painting represents the most important phase of my life and holds a deep meaning. When I contemplate that beautiful work of art, I was touched to realize that my whole life was represented in the tree of life. It is the most beautiful memory I have about motherhood,” she highlighted in a poignant testimony.
“It’s a very special way that the hospital has created to make our moment even more memorable and to preserve this memory with us,” added the young mother, who resides in Abaetetuba.
Text: Wellington Hugles - Ascom/HRBTSR
