11 Birth Photos That Give The Placenta The Glory It Deserves

When Dutch birth photographer Marry Fermont documents labor and delivery, she likes to take photos of the placenta or "afterbirth."

"I find it so fascinating that ... without this organ, there would be no baby," Fermont told The Huffington Post, emphasizing the important role of the placenta as the source of nourishment and oxygen for the fetus. "The baby and the placenta are inseparable, and it feels weird not to photograph something so important,"she added.

The photographer said she first saw a placenta when she was studying midwifery and has been very interested in the organ ever since. "Most of them look like the tree of life, and I think that's so beautiful!"

Fermont said she hopes that people who see her photos come to learn that the placenta is "not gross but in fact a very beautiful and important organ."

Keep scrolling and visit Fermont's blog and Facebook page to see more of her placenta photography. Note that these photos may be considered NSFW.