The weirdest parenting keepsake trends of 2014

Placenta art prints

Wait a second, what? Yes, you read that correctly. Apparently the placenta is as versatile as a little black dress, because you can totally turn yours into wall art. According to Time Magazine, moms can hire placenta artists to join them post-delivery to create a body organ masterpiece. "The placenta prints are made by taking the placenta after birth and placing it, along with the umbilical cord, on acid-free paper. The result is a work of art that looks something like a tree," Time reports. A great alternative to placenta artwork is a poster print of an actual tree. (Tree of Life Placenta Services, $250 for prints and other placenta services)

Breast milk pendants

Slightly less horrifying, and yet equally unnecessary, is the ubiquitous breast milk pendant. Mommies can send a sample of breast milk to an artist — like MommyMilk — to have the milk plasticized into a small bead in the shape of a heart or baby feet. The bead is then set in resin and turned into a pendant. While the necklaces are actually kinda pretty, they're a guaranteed conversation stopper rather than starter. (MommyMilk, $80)

Belly casting

OK, in theory it seems like a decent idea for moms to preserve an image of their beautiful pregnant bodies. But for the love of practicality, what on earth would a new mom do with a sculpture of her giant belly and pregnancy boobs? Moms make belly casts, paint them and then hang them as artwork in the nursery or living room. Sounds like an awkward conversation when the in-laws come to visit. (Artistic Body Casting, $150 and up)

Sonogram wall art

Baby sonograms are magical, no doubt about it. They give parents a rare glimpse at their unborn child, and many moms feel close to tears as they see their little one wiggling and sucking his or her thumb. The magic fades quite a bit, however, when the alien image of an unborn child is projected onto giant wall art. Sorry, guys, photos of unborn children that are imaged by radio frequency just don't make great pieces for framing. (Storenvy, $45)

First haircut keepsake ring

Everyone loves a nice, hairy ring, right? Nope, actually, it's never even crossed my mind. In the same vein as breast milk jewelry, you can send a lock of your child's hair to an artist (on Etsy, because, where else?) to have it set in a ring underneath a quartz stone. Word to the wise — locks of hair morph from keepsakes into creepy when you carry them with you wherever you go. (Etsy, $195)

Baby tooth jewelry

Now moms can save their kids' baby teeth and have them set into commemorative pendants, bracelets and even rings. I'm not going to lie — gilded baby teeth look a little too skeletal to be truly beautiful. But to each their own. (Etsy, $75)

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