The burial of the placenta is by far the most common use of the organ. All participants who spoke about placenta burial chose a specific tree or shrub in their yard or bought a specific tree or shrub for it, usually fruit bearing. The actual burial was considered an occasion to ceremonialize the birth in some way, even if few people were present. Many women spoke of the burial as a completion of the birthing journey, as the final act of birth.

The placenta was consumed primarily via dehydrating it, and grinding it into a powder, and put into capsules to be taken when energy was low. Two participants also gave part of the placenta to a homeopath, who then used it to make a homeopathic remedy for the baby and mother to use as needed. The predominant reason women seemed to choose placentophagy was for its perceived medicinal purposes.