EW! So disgusting! Some kooky designer in London is turning afterbirth placentas into teddy bears. First, London-based Alex Green cures the placenta with salt to kill bacteria; then Green softens the organ with a mixture of eggs and tannins so it’ll take on the appearance of suede or leather. (Instead of, you know, a bloody organ that was chilling in your womb for nine months.) Green said he cuts up the placenta, sews it into a five-inch tall stuffed animal shape and fills the placenta teddy bear up with brown rice. He claims he wants to provoke “a debate about placentas and how we treat them,” noting that some people plant the placenta in the backyard and grow and tree, while in China, the placenta is somethings eaten for strength. Fair enough, but I, for one, think I’ll be more careful around friends who’ve just popped out a baby. [ABC News]
