After months of nurturing your unborn baby and bringing them into the world, mothers your labor is not in vain.

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- After months of nurturing your unborn baby and bringing them into the world, mothers, your labor is not in vain.

Is it possible that one of the most vital forms of protection for your unborn fetus serves multiple functions? Well, Tides Medical in Lafayette is demonstrating how a mothers placenta can offer benefits beyond just supporting the babies life.

In pregnancy, the placenta provides nutrients and oxygen to the baby and removes waste. After birth, it's usually regarded as hazardous waist and thrown away. However, Joe Spell CEO and co founder of Tides Medical says the placenta has a purpose beyond it's traditional role.

The baby can have it's first charitable act to help save a life. It completes the whole circle of life. Some families choose to bury or consume their baby's placenta, while others opt for medical office placenta donation, helping wound patients heal.

"Patients that benefit from this are patients that suffer from wound conditions. If you have a wound that goes untreated for five years then your likeliness of survival is a death sentence. Each donation can help with about 40 patients," Spell explained.

While amniotic tissue graphs are not new to the industry, placenta donation is new to Acadiana.
Offering mothers scheduled for preplanned C-sections the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

"We are actually in surgery with these physicians and from there they hand the placenta to us. From there we package it and bring it to the Lafayette facility for processing," Spell said.

The placenta is stored in a freezer until it's approved for processing. Sierra Porier explains the placenta can be stored for up to a year. Once approved, it's washed to remove any remaining blood from delivery, preventing complications for the patient and eliminating the need for a cross-match

The final step is the desiccation process, drying the tissue, making it usable and sizing it to fit the womb.

"Because of the desiccation process we are able to shelf it for 5 years. This looks like a 4x8 so it will be used for a large laceration or another type of wound," said Porier.

Before donation, all mothers undergo health screenings. After processing, the placenta is shipped to medical centers for patients.

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