If you are unable to put it in the refrigerator immediately, place the container into a small cooler filled with ice, and transfer it to the refrigerator as soon as possible.
If the placenta is not going to be processed within the first 72 hours, double-bag the placenta in gallon sized freezer bags and place it into the freezer within 24 hours.
If you birth in the hospital, it is your full right to take the placenta home as is. There is no need to consent to having it tested in pathology unless you would like this done. If it is sent to pathology, request that it is kept frozen.
When the placenta may not be suitable for consumption:
The placenta is unsuitable for consumption and/or processing it contains any transmittable diseases such as Hepatitis-B, -C or HIV/AIDS, or if there is a uterine infection before or during labor,
Most drugs that are given during labor, such as pitocin and an epidural, have a fairly short half-life and clear the system quickly. However, there is no research on what and how much remains in the placenta after the birth, nor its safety for consumption.
The placenta may not be suitable for consumption if it has been in the fridge too long. Smell it to get a sense. It's like milk, you just know it when it's gone bad.
