Oh, those crazy birth junkies! What will they think of next? Placentophagy is the act of consuming the placenta… yup, that beautiful regenerative organ – the tree of life – your baby’s life force for the 10 months within the womb. This organ, so often discarded as a biohazard can have so many health benefits postpartum, considering consumption should be a part of your research during the prenatal period.
Research into placentophagy is in the baby stages, so there isn’t a lot of factual data available; however, most feedback from mothers who’ve consumed their placenta report positive feedback – especially regarding milk supply and avoiding depression or baby blues. After 3rd stage (birth of the placenta), a small portion can be cut off and used to stop or simply prevent a postpartum hemorrhage. Simply placed under the tongue, or between the gums and cheek, oxytocin, and other hormones, quickly seep into the bloodstream and stop excessive bleeding almost immediately. Even when swallowed, we see the same effects. (Note, mama doesn’t want to start chewing the chunk of placenta – just close your eyes and swallow). Some midwives will mix up a milkshake to make the placenta more palatable, and mimic what many other mammals do after birth – consume the entire placenta to balance the hormones postpartum. Oxytocin is not only the “love hormone” but is also the hormone that regulates your contractions throughout labor. Oxytocin in its synthetic form is known as pitocin or syntocinon (depending where you live) and is routinely used to induce or augment labor, and also used in an injection form during a managed 3rd stage or to stop a postpartum hemorrhage. Synthetic oxytocin, however, does not cross the maternal blood-brain barrier, and as a result does not have the same affects on milk supply and positive mood as the natural forms of oxytocin.
My midwife for my 2nd birth recently told me a story about her milk cow. She had birthed many calves before, and after each one (cows being vegetarian, keep in mind) her cow would “gobble up the whole thing” and would produce about 5 gallons of milk a day. During one particular birth, some dogs came near her, fighting, and scared her. Being the sensitive mammal that she is (just like humans), the cow tensed up, and ended up retaining her placenta. After a few days and no placenta, the midwife went in to obtain the placenta – which the cow did not consume. She noted that this was the only time the cow ever struggled with milk supply issues, hardly producing any milk at all, and acted sort of depressed and different after this birth. Something to think about.
A great site for information on placentophagy is Placenta Benefits.info. However, let’s list some of the theorized benefits here of the hormones, vitamins, and minerals that benefit the mother through consumption:
- Vitamins B6 (Energy, Reduces Depression Symptoms)
- Iron (Builds blood, Reduces Fatigue)
- Protein (Builds blood, Body’s Building Block)
- Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (Reduces Depression Symptoms)
- Oxytocin (Milk Ejection Reflex, Relaxation/Love/Bonding Hormone)
- Rh-negative mothers eat to prevent sensitization for future pregnancies
Preparing the placenta for consumption is very easy. You can hire a Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist, your doula may provide this service, or you can even just do it yourself (Click Here to order a kit). The main thing is, just like meat you’d buy from the store – a raw placenta can go bad and needs to be cared for with this in mind. It needs to be double bagged, and refrigerated as soon as possible after birth, and the closer to birth it is “processed” for consumption, the better. If it is not being processed within 24 hours, you may want to freeze it, and then thaw it until you have time.
In its raw form, the placenta – just like any other food – will retain more of its nutrients. Some moms choose to eat it raw, like oysters. If eating small portions over a long period of time, the placenta can be frozen and thawed in little sections. The main thing when “processing” is to not think of it, really, like a “placenta” but any food or meat that you would prepare. Sometimes it seems so foreign that we don’t think it can be such an easy process.
When processing, you’ll thoroughly rinse the placenta – removing all the membranes, and discarding the umbilical cord.
Holly Poulson (who processes placentas in the Mid-Ohio Valley region – for $100), likes to make art prints and show her moms the “Tree of Life” with the umbilical cord. However, during my birth, my midwife removed all the membranes and umbilical cord after the birth to help speed up the processing – so we have more of a “Bush of Life” – still beautiful nonetheless.
After rinsing, you’ll cook it up – steaming is best, just like with retaining the nutrients in vegetables, and will look like a small roast when it is done… or if you’re disgusted of the process like my husband, you’ll likely describe it similar to a brain.
Of course, you can simply eat it like a steak at this point – but if you can’t quite stomach that, then go on to the next step. For me, the smell was the odd thing about the whole process. It isn’t horrible – but has that strong hamburger smell that seems to be a little “off” because you know it isn’t hamburger…
Then, slice it into half-inch slivers and dehydrate for about 8-10 hours (until crunchy). If you don’t have a dehydrator, just put it in your oven on the lowest temperature. Some moms choose to skip the steaming/cooking and go straight to the dehydrator – although the steaming does help to thoroughly cook the placenta and ensure any bacteria…etc. isn’t present. If you don’t cook it – it will take much longer to dehydrate.
After dehydrating, use a food processor, coffee grinder, or blender and blend into a fine powder. Some pieces will remain big if they were a little over-cooked, and you can chop these up by hand or just throw them out. Then, you can put the powder in a jar and use it just like a protein powder in drinks or over food – but most choose to encapsulate them for easier consumption. Most moms will get somewhere around 100 capsules – just depends on the size of your placenta and the size of the capsules you use (these would be size 00).
The placenta is best consumed within the first weeks following birth, but can be saved to counteract other depression or low-energy times, and even stored until menopause to naturally balance the hormones during this transitional stage. Typically, you’ll take 3-6 daily (1-2 capsules, 3-times a day), and monitor how you feel. For me, personally, I feel better taking a very small amount as taking more than 3 daily seems to provide me with too much progesterone and oxytocin and caused me to be engorged with milk and very emotional. Granted, there are a lot of other factors that could be playing into is – but, it seems as though I feel a lot better now that I’ve been taking less – and I’m now down to 1 a day. Not all placentas have the same nutritional or hormonal contents because they are directly related to the individual mother, her hormone levels during pregnancy, and her nutritional intake during pregnancy. So, with this in mind – understand that you may need to adjust your daily dose – which may actually mean taking less rather than more. Just remember – when you decide to stop consuming the placenta, slowly “wean” yourself – or the dramatic shift in hormones will produce the opposite result – such as fatigue, irritability, or migraines. Although, I also know of moms who will deal with the headaches…etc., so that they can save the pills for a really low day. Either way, the point is to understand that quitting “cold turkey” can result in some less than desireable outcomes.
I have yet to find any information on placentophagy after a medicated birth. However, I believe it is safe to assume that because a mother, after a medicated birth, will have lower levels of oxytocin, any risks of medications being retained in the placenta would not outweigh the benefits – and she may likely benefit more than those with an unmedicated birth. You may, however, want to be sure your placenta is in a healthy state before consuming – which is easily done by asking your care provider.
Not into placentophagy but still want to counterbalance postpartum changes? Remember that rest, good nutrition, and adequate hydration help the body to naturally function well – including balancing hormones. Dark greens, adequate protein, and a balanced diet that helps build blood levels is very effective at preventing depression and fatigue. Preparing for your postpartum with freezer meals can reduce unecessary stress – as can a babymoon or limiting visitors and phone calls. Consider the help of a postpartum doula (like Gentle Beginnings if you’re in the Mid-Ohio Valley) to provide emotional support and help with things around the house (especially after a cesarean birth). Some mothers choose to take Omega-3 Fish Oils (a high quality brand) for prevention & treatment of depression. Likewise, treating depression with St. John’s Wart can also be very effective – especially when avoiding traditional depression medications (please research herbs before consuming – especially during pregnancy and if breastfeeding).
The way I see it – having the option to consume the placenta is well worth it. My honest opinion – I don’t believe they help everyone, and from personal experience I can see how the body can naturally balance the hormones without placentophagy – but I think they help the majority of moms in a variety of ways. Simple discarding or just planting under a tree felt like such a waste to me, and I would much rather have the option to consume than wish I had encapsulated and not had the chance. Because most moms report positive effects, and so many moms have such immediate results regarding baby blues and milk supply, it seems crazy to just let this wonderful organ go to waste.
What was your experience with your placenta postpartum?
