also: ほうい · ほうえ
noun
Refers to the placenta and fetal membranes expelled after childbirth. The reading えな is the native Japanese term; ほうい is the Sino-Japanese medical term.
出産後、胞衣は体外に排出される。
After childbirth, the placenta is expelled from the body.
胞衣の処理方法は病院によって異なる。
The method of disposing of the afterbirth varies by hospital.
Alternate Sino-Japanese reading; less common than ほうい.
Kana spelling; common in everyday or non-technical writing.
胎盤 is the standard medical term for 'placenta', while 胞衣 (especially えな) is a more traditional or lay term that includes the entire afterbirth.
The native Japanese reading えな is of uncertain origin. The kanji 胞衣 literally mean 'womb garment' and are used for their meaning rather than phonetic value.