Just the word placenta sends shivers down most people’s spines, but women all over the world eat their placentas after birth to help fight off postpartum depression, increase milk supply, and increase energy.* Some eat it raw, cook it or put it into smoothies, but the most common form of placentophagy in the US (and the only one I think I could handle) is by way of encapsulation.
For less than $300, someone will come to your home a couple days after your baby is born and dehydrate your placenta before grinding it up and placing it in capsules to be taken daily, like vitamins. You can also do it yourself, but after seeing this post on the complicated process (warning: placenta pictures included), I wouldn’t want to attempt to DIY this project! Another service often offered with placenta encapsulation is a work of art made from a print of the placenta, sometimes with watercolor. Many women like having a visual memory of what some call “The Tree of Life” hanging in the nursery or somewhere else in their home. (You can see a bunch of different placenta prints here, and a tutorial on how to make your own here.)
While there is no reliable scientific research that proves whether or not placentophagy actually does decrease postpartum depression, so many women swear by it. Most anecdotal evidence is from second or third time moms who’ve said that their recovery went much better with taking placenta capsules. However, most second and third time moms have an easier time with recovery than first time moms anyway. I personally know two people who’ve done it, and they say it helped greatly with decreasing the baby blues and increasing their energy in the tough first few weeks after delivery. Both of my friends who did it are first time moms though, so they don’t have any prior experience to compare it to.
A NY Magazine by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian states:
“Mark Kristal, a behavioral neuroscientist at the University of Buffalo, is the country’s leading (and quite possibly only) authority on placentophagia, the practice of placenta consumption. He has been researching the phenomenon for twenty years, and concludes that it must offer “a fundamental biological advantage” to all mammals. What this advantage is, he writes in one of his papers, ‘is still a mystery … in fact, a double mystery. We are not sure either of the immediate causes … nor are we sure of the consequences of the behavior.’ But placentas have carried a special spiritual significance in some cultures. In ancient Egypt, it had its own hieroglyph, and the Ibo tribe in Nigeria and Ghana treats the placenta like a child’s dead twin. In traditional Chinese medicine, small doses of human placenta are sometimes dried, mixed with herbs, and ingested to alleviate, among other things, impotence and lactation conditions.”
As for me, I’d love to do it (minus the artwork), if we can find money in our budget for it. Mr. TTT might need some more convincing, but he is open to the idea. Since I have a history with depression and anxiety, I see no reason why I shouldn’t try everything I can to make sure I have as smooth a transition into motherhood as possible. We spoke with our childbirth instructor about it last week after class, and she was very good about presenting both sides fairly. She had the same philosophy that I have: if it might work, why not try it? It won’t harm me or the baby in any way, so if there’s a possibility that it might do some good, I might as well go for it. I do plan on asking my therapist and doctor about it, just to get some more opinions on the topic.
Would you ever consider placenta encapsulation?
*source: placentabenefits
Hellobee Series: Mrs. Tic Tac Toe part 4 of 13
1. Bump Photos So Far by mrs. tictactoe2. Gender Reveal by mrs. tictactoe
3. Our Birth Plan by mrs. tictactoe
4. Placenta Encapsulation by mrs. tictactoe
5. Maternity Photo Session by mrs. tictactoe
6. Baby Blue Book Shower by mrs. tictactoe
7. Shower Activity: Nursery Art by mrs. tictactoe
8. Measuring Up by mrs. tictactoe
9. Liam's Nursery: After by mrs. tictactoe
10. Why we fired our pediatrician by mrs. tictactoe
11. DITL: Newborn Edition by mrs. tictactoe
12. I'm better as a mom by mrs. tictactoe
13. Typical Day of a WOHM: Six Month Edition by mrs. tictactoe
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
I’m one of those people who shivers at the word placenta. I think the prints are beautiful though.
grapefruit / 4671 posts
Just the idea gives me the heebie jeebies.
guest
I’m one of those people who shivers at the idea. However, this might be something I’m willing to try. We’re just now starting ttc, but post-partum depression terrifies me to the point that I was adamant about not having kids until recently. I have a history of mood disorders and worry that pregnancy/birth will cause me to fall back into that state. If there’s a chance that this could help, it would be worth it for me.
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
Yikes! I would never knowingly eat it. If someone slipped me a capsule and I didn’t know what it was.. yes.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
if you want to do it, i say go for it! i like your childbirth instructor’s reasoning — it’s not going to hurt you, so why not?
blogger / pomegranate / 3201 posts
@Leialou: @plantains: @chopsuey119: I’m grossed out by placentas, as well. I don’t want to have to see it or touch it, but after it’s dehydrated and encapsulated, it looks just like vitamins (and that’s basically what it is), so it doesn’t bother me in that state. But I totally understand where you guys are coming from!
clementine / 994 posts
For some reason, I always thought placenta encapsulation was a way to preserve the placenta. I didn’t realize it was a way to prepare the placenta for consumption! The thought of eating one’s own placenta (raw??) does give me the willies, but having it dehydrated and put into capsules to take as vitamins doesn’t sound quite so bad. And if it wont hurt you, I don’t really see the harm in trying!
cherry / 230 posts
I read about this while I was still pregnant but just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m not that brave at all.
grapefruit / 4056 posts
I there was even 1 properly formulated and executed double blind study performed by the scientific community that showed a benefit of placentophagy, I might consider it. Otherwise, not a chance!
guest
If I only have to take a pill (and can convince myself I’m just taking a vitamin), why the heck not! I remember what it was like after Carter was born – being so physically run down and emotionally unstable. Supposedly this helps with energy, breast milk production, the very common baby blues, and post pardum depression. The nutrients and benefits get passed on your baby too through breast milk. I’m with your instructor, if it doesn’t hurt and could possibly help, why not try it? Andy’s all for it, it’s the cost that will be the deciding factor, but I think we’re doing it. I’m excited about it!
guest
I had no idea that was even an option. I would go for it.
blogger / pomegranate / 3201 posts
@MsMini: Yeah, I think that’s why I’m having a hard time justifying the cost. It’s hard for me to pay $250 for something that I’m not sure will make any difference. On the other hand, I don’t want to not do it and regret it later… It’s a tough decision!
guest
I have to admit I was very curious when I was pregnant. I am a biologist and I specialized in animal sciences so I knew its a fairly common mammalian concept. And in some ancient and current cultures it is common practice. So I started to look into the process that is most common here which is encapsulation. Most people would never eat it raw, very few would eat it cooked but it seems much more benign when it looks like a pill.
It used to be thought that most animals ate their placentas to hide the proof of a vulnerable young from predators but now more people believe it is eaten from cravings after birth even herbivore will eat their placenta. Many women will claim odd cravings after childbirth. Even vegitarians will crave protein and high iron meats. So the theory is even in herbivores the animals will eat it because the body craves the iron and nutrients. Here’s the thing though, those animals eat it raw.
When I started reading about benefits it makes sense to ingest it after birth but it was the processing that didn’t make sense. Many of the benefits are based on proteins and lipid based hormones. When you heat these things they become denatured. It means they loose their shape and can’t go back. It’s why meat looks different when you cook it and you can’t ever uncook something. At that point the hormones could not be used in the body because they would no longer fit with their receptors. It’s like taking a lock and key and melting the key.
Now let me say that I did not look into each hormone and at what point it would denature so I am not claiming that they will all be destroyed because I don’t know that. If you were to eat it raw it would have the best results because nothing would be destroyed in the cooking process but that does turn a lot of people’s stomach. I cant even eat a steak that’s cooked medium.
In the end it’s totally up to you. In a society where we are well nourished and can take a multi vitamin I don’t think it’s necessary. But if you like the idea of it go for it. There is no harm in it. It’s kinda like a really expensive vitamin that’s high in iron. I also had a weird placenta so my dr. Wanted to keep it with my first pregnancy so it wasn’t an option. So good luck with your choices. I say do it if you feel strongly about it, but you might want to ask the person who does it and see if they have the answers to what would be left after cooking.
persimmon / 1465 posts
Not a chance in h3ll of me ever doing this. Ever. The placenta was the gross part about the whole birth experience. Just looking at it was wrong!I guess I am just squeamish! People gotta do whatever makes them happy…just not my thing.
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
Nicole took the words out of my mouth (no pun intended). All of the processing that it needs to undergo to facilitate encapsulation are likely to do away with any benefits that may be accrued. But the placebo effect is strong too, so if you feel strongly about it, it is likely to confer some benefit
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I’ve read that if you want maximum benefits, you should consume it raw, in a smoothie or something like that.
I probably had the beginnings of the baby blues when my son was born (I was really tired and cranky) so when my bloodwork was done at my 6 week postpartum appt, the nurse recommended I take an iron supplement and things turned around quickly.
GOLD / apricot / 337 posts
Very interesting! Another thing is that every hospital has different rules about allowing you to keep the placenta. I was curious about this in our childbirth class and had asked the instructor/head nurse. She said that at our hospital, you were only allowed to keep the placenta if you requested it for a religious ceremony (i.e. some people bury their placenta) otherwise, it’s not allowed and the hospital disposes of it as medical waste. The nurse also told me that there have been placentas that were STOLEN from the hospital… most likely for the medicinal practices you described.
blogger / pomegranate / 3201 posts
@nicole @Mrs. Jacks @looch: yeah, I have read about how eating it raw gives the most benifits, but EW! When I see my doctor on Monday, I’m going to ask him if he knows of any other supplements that might have a similar effect (like iron, for example). I know there are anti-depressents that women can take while breast feeding, but I’ve been able to avoid those my whole life, so I’d like to continue that trend, if possible, and stick to natural remedies.
@Mrs. Marbles: Our hospital has no problem with it, unless they need to send the placenta to pathology for some medical reason. I would feel bad for my husband, though, because he’d have to take it home and put it in the freezer at some point.
guest
I’ve totally thought about it too but can’t convince my husband. And pricing is also a concern for us. I just remember how difficult it was after my first was born. The baby blues, feeling overwhelmed, tired. It would be nice to be able to prevent all or some of that and a lot of women claim that it does help so who knows.
cherry / 128 posts
Another option might be to look for a Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal teas/soups and diet for the post-partum period? I did that with my birth and I didn’t have many of the problems I’ve heard other moms had. My diet was very nutritious, full of fiber – you’d probably get many of the benefits without the heebie-jeebies & cost.