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Mum23boys
December 13th, 2012, 03:49 AM
I saw a lady talking about this in the chit chat lounge and she shared this link:

How to eat your placenta - BabyCenter (http://www.babycenter.com.au/l1051310/how-to-eat-your-placenta-#/0)

She said it helped her avoid postpartum depression.

Has anyone ever eaten their placenta or is anyone intending to ?

I really dont think i could - just looking through that article made me feel sick but it sure does seem to have some benefits !!

Cinss
December 13th, 2012, 04:19 AM
I dont think i will be doing that.

Lassie1982
December 13th, 2012, 04:46 AM
Most certainly not!

The human body really is a magnificent machine, if it NEEDED the placenta, then it would not be expelled, it would be re-absorbed by the body.
The body expels what it doesn't need, everything that is biologically considered waste, our body expels.....urine, faeces, uterine lining monthly, phlegm, etc etc.
With the biological makeup of mammals, it does not make sense that the body would expel something that it needs, or that is of any help, to me, eating placenta would fall into the same bracket as drinking my monthly period, or munching on my poo.

Butterfly Spirit
December 13th, 2012, 04:52 AM
No.

Lassie1982
December 13th, 2012, 04:53 AM
And yes I know some mammals eat there placenta, but most mammals, especially in the wild, will instinctively eat anything that's remotely edible because they never know where they get their next meal from.

Bimby
December 13th, 2012, 04:58 AM
oh gosh I feel a littl blagh thinking about that, Ive heard you can get tablets made of it (not sure if thats right or not) but no I think Lassie summed it up perfectly for me, if I was meant to have it then surely the body would make a way of reabsorbing it rather then expelling.

luckylass
December 13th, 2012, 05:09 AM
No way. It may be for some people and fair play to them but it wouldn't be for me.

Cinss
December 13th, 2012, 05:17 AM
And yes I know some mammals eat there placenta, but most mammals, especially in the wild, will instinctively eat anything that's remotely edible because they never know where they get their next meal from.

Yep and also to prevent other predators getting a whiff of it and coming to investigate.

Rainbow baby
December 13th, 2012, 06:47 AM
Er I was thinking of a lotus birth but my husband wasn't on board! Eating it is a hard for me to swallow. I know many cultures still consume it though. Each to there own!

fairyfrog
December 13th, 2012, 06:56 AM
Yes, I ate it to prevent PPD. It was a great success. I will eat it again with my next birth.


The body expels what it doesn't need, everything that is biologically considered waste, our body expels.....urine, faeces, uterine lining monthly, phlegm, etc etc.

Your body excretes breast milk...that is not waste.

Some have it dehydrated ground up and put in capsules. In Japan you can actually by it at the local food mart/drugstore.

I personally cut mine into 7 pieces and blended (vita-mix is awesome for this) it with a strawberry smoothie once a day for 7 days. No taste or after taste. It tasted like strawberry smoothie. I did this with my fifth child after having severe PPD with my other 4. I was willing to try anything! I did it and My baby and I avoided PPD and the side affects of antidepressants!

http://www.birthrites.org/placent.html

http://placentabenefits.info/

http://www.moondragon.org/parenting/placentadisposalrituals.html

Pearl327
December 13th, 2012, 07:43 AM
Yes, I ate it to prevent PPD. It was a great success. I will eat it again with my next birth.

Your body excretes breast milk...that is not waste.

Some have it dehydrated ground up and put in capsules. In Japan you can actually by it at the local food mart/drugstore.

I personally cut mine into 7 pieces and blended it with a strawberry smoothie once a day for 7 days. No taste or after taste. It tasted like strawberry smoothie. I did this with my fifth child after having severe PPD with my other 4. I was willing to try anything! I did it and My baby and I avoided PPD and the side affects of antidepressants!

template (http://www.birthrites.org/placent.html)

Fair play to you FairyFrog, if it helps you.
But for me personally it is not something I would even entertain as possible. I am even a little queasy reading your smoothie recipe.

But I am a veggie and I feel queasy in a butcher shop, that cold, raw meat and blood smell just turns my stomach.

cvd
December 13th, 2012, 08:41 AM
I had to read this thread title twice lol. I have heard of that, but no, it's definitely not something done around here (that I know of) and I don't think I could do it. I'm really not worried a tiny bit about PPD, although I'm sure it has other benefits too!

OneLastDream
December 13th, 2012, 09:05 AM
Each to thei own but even the title made me feel sick lol!!!!! I am a really queasy person though so probably not the best person to ask!!!!

fairyfrog
December 13th, 2012, 09:12 AM
Fair play to you FairyFrog, if it helps you.
But for me personally it is not something I would even entertain as possible. I am even a little queasy reading your smoothie recipe.
But I am a veggie and I feel queasy in a butcher shop, that cold, raw meat and blood smell just turns my stomach.


:wink:
Used to be a veggie so I can empathize with you.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. I took comfort in the fact that I made it myself and that I knew what went into my body. The strawberries are what helped me get through it and the fact that I was "doing it for the baby!" :)

NearlyDone
December 13th, 2012, 11:14 AM
Not a chance :/

Lassie1982
December 13th, 2012, 01:18 PM
Your body excretes breast milk...that is not waste.



Good point, but the purpose of the breast milk excretion is to nourish a child, not to rid the body of the substance, so that's entirely different :)

But hey, if its worked for you then great, each to their own, and if you've found something that you believe is of help then stick with it :)

Zivic-Bubac
December 13th, 2012, 01:28 PM
I was never brave enough to LOOK at the placenta after delivery, let alone to eat it :( This is the first time I see placenta and I don't like it lol!

But if it works, that's excellent!

Atsaukina1
December 13th, 2012, 01:33 PM
I actually did the process and encapsulated it but couldn't bring myself to take it lol. I have never had ppd but if I did I probably would. What scared me is it is some pretty hardcore stuff and said not to to ake if you were sick or whatever I read and it scared me off.

mydream
December 13th, 2012, 02:34 PM
I think I honestly may throw up at the thought of that... Sorry I don't mean to offend anyone that will or did do this

nuthinbutpink
December 13th, 2012, 02:41 PM
I don't eat any waste my body purges, so no.

It's a placebo effect.

ThreeMenAndALAdy
December 13th, 2012, 02:48 PM
I don't eat any waste my body purges, so no.

AGREE!! The title of this almost made me toss my cookies. YIKES!!

wilma_five
December 13th, 2012, 03:27 PM
Well.....let's share some recipe's ;)

But, no no no, I will not ever ever ever eat something like a placenta. I'm already sick at the moment (naussea) cause I'm almost 9 weeks pregnant and reading this does not make me feel better ;)

Jadis
December 13th, 2012, 04:23 PM
While I have not yet consumed my placenta, I wouldn't write off it's benefits too quickly. 'Eating' it makes it sound like you sit down to a plateful, pour over a nice gravy and dig in. No wonder it elicits repulsion. I think encapsulating it would make it seem more clinical than cannibalistic. Hey, if it's been a nutrient rich, life supporting material to another human being, I can appreciate why some women are choosing not to waste it. Still, I'd have to do a mighty amount of research before I'd sign on personally. I'm just keeping an open mind, that's all.

secretly sad
December 13th, 2012, 05:24 PM
Ah girls you all gave me a right giggle tonight reading your replies!! And no it's not something I would dish up either. Xx

The Anchor
December 13th, 2012, 05:25 PM
AGREE!! The title of this almost made me toss my cookies. YIKES!!

:agree: - lol. I am not an animal!

Cinss
December 13th, 2012, 05:33 PM
Ah girls you all gave me a right giggle tonight reading your replies!! And no it's not something I would dish up either. Xx

me too, i have been laughing at some of the responses, i cant imagine the looks you would get if you told people irl that you did or are going to eat your placenta! haha

ThreeMenAndALAdy
December 13th, 2012, 05:36 PM
Imagine a doc or nurse in the delivery room...the placenta comes out and the mom asks if they can put it in a doggy bag to take home...oh boy!!!

Butterfly Spirit
December 13th, 2012, 05:37 PM
Man, I think the idea of this makes the majority of us sick, no matter how far along we are!!

If you delivered at the hospital can you imagine explaining to the doc and nurses to save it..for you. OMG.

Cinss
December 13th, 2012, 05:44 PM
I have heard of some people taking it home and burying it in their garden and planting a tree on it so it grows with the new baby. I guess they just put it in the freezer for you till you leave the hospital.

Atsaukina1
December 13th, 2012, 05:48 PM
Imagine a doc or nurse in the delivery room...the placenta comes out and the mom asks if they can put it in a doggy bag to take home...oh boy!!!

yes you can ask to take it home but you would put in a cooler to keep it fresh:) I have burried 3 of mine but they were homebirths so didn't have to ask anybody:)

Atsaukina1
December 13th, 2012, 05:48 PM
can also save to do a beautiful tree of life art print:)

Butterfly Spirit
December 13th, 2012, 05:50 PM
Oh my gosh 3Men, I didn't realize that we had like the exact thought at the EXACT same time! :rofl:

But wow Cinss, I've been enlightened now.. ;)

vickyaust
December 13th, 2012, 06:33 PM
I have a girlfriend who brings her placentas home and plants them under a new tree. That is then the child's special tree to look after once they are older. It's kind of sweet.

fairyfrog
December 13th, 2012, 06:58 PM
It's a placebo effect.

There is a lot of research claiming otherwise. Not trying to persuade, it is just nice for those who might want to try. Animals not only eat it to hide from predators, but they also eat it to stay nourished and replace lost hormones until they feel well enough to eat or go hunting.

Research - Placenta Encapsulation (http://placentamom.weebly.com/research.html)


...After childbirth, a dramatic drop in hormones (estrogen and progesterone) in your body may contribute to postpartum depression. Other hormones produced by your thyroid gland also may drop sharply — which can leave you feeling tired, sluggish and depressed. Changes in your blood volume, blood pressure, immune system and metabolism can contribute to fatigue and mood swings...~Mayo clinic

You & Your Hormones | Glands | Placenta (http://www.yourhormones.info/glands/placenta.aspx)

fairyfrog
December 13th, 2012, 08:43 PM
This one is a little more humorous. The husband is more of the opinion of some of the ladies on here. Wish he would have done an update. :)

WARNING!!! Don't watch the video if you find placenta gross or are squeamish. Graphic! Shows lady washing the placenta.
Afterbirth: It's What's For Dinner - TIME (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1908442,00.html)

Lassie1982
December 14th, 2012, 02:17 AM
I have heard of some people taking it home and burying it in their garden and planting a tree on it so it grows with the new baby. I guess they just put it in the freezer for you till you leave the hospital.

Yes I have heard this as well!

Lassie1982
December 14th, 2012, 02:42 AM
It's a placebo effect.


This!

Let's break it down.
The only hormone it contains which *may* assist with PND is oxytocin, and this is what many people cite as the reason for placenta eating being a preventative measure for PND.
So lets look at the chemical structure of this hormone.
1. It cannot be absorbed through the digestive tract, so eating it will not make you body absorb it. It may be able to breach the blood brain barrier nasally, but even this is uncertain.
2. The molecular makeup up of it means that it is susceptible to heat, so once you have steamed it, or cooked it in the oven, you will have destroyed the hormone....therefore rendering it useless.
3. The lifespan of oxytocin is very short (minutes), ie its a hormone that is being constantly produced/excreted.
Therefore even if it *could* be absorbed through the digestive tract, you'd pretty much have to eat it straight out of womb, fresh and warm then and there as soon as its delivered, but remembering that it can't be absorbed in the digestive tract (only nasally) means your still not going to get any of it back into your system....even if there was some way of achieving nasal absorption (snorting?) it would only live minutes, so it's affect, if any would be momentary.


As for the iron levels, your average multivitamin would contain higher levels then an encapsulated portion of placenta.

Cinss
December 14th, 2012, 02:51 AM
LOL i just had the funniest conversation...

Me - Hey babe did you know some people eat their placenta?
DP - Really?
(he is playing xbox so i know he can hear me but is not really listening to what im saying)
Me - Yeah so do you think we should eat mine? (trying my best not to crack up)
DP - Whats a placenta?
Me - Its the thing that comes out after the baby is born.
DP - (he pauses the game and looks at me with a scrunched up nose) Isnt that full of baby poo?
Me - I cant contain my laughter, i was crying i was laughing so much.
DP - Some people are just F..... UP!

omg it was too funny!

BeadinMom
December 14th, 2012, 03:00 AM
LOL i just had the funniest conversation...

Me - Hey babe did you know some people eat their placenta?
DP - Really?
(he is playing xbox so i know he can hear me but is not really listening to what im saying)
Me - Yeah so do you think we should eat mine? (trying my best not to crack up)
DP - Whats a placenta?
Me - Its the thing that comes out after the baby is born.
DP - (he pauses the game and looks at me with a scrunched up nose) Isnt that full of baby poo?
Me - I cant contain my laughter, i was crying i was laughing so much.
DP - Some people are just F..... UP!

omg it was too funny!

Bahahaha...and you know I heard this said with Australian accents right? Hilarious!! LOL!!

Lassie1982
December 14th, 2012, 03:22 AM
Oh and I forgot to add that the average orgasm would release a higher dose and concentration of oxytocin then the residue oxytocin that would be found in the placenta.

Orgasm vs eating my placenta? I know what I'd choose!

Mum23boys
December 14th, 2012, 03:27 AM
Here in the uk I was actually asked last birth ( 3 years ago ) if i wanted to keep it - i said no of course just because i had no idea why she was asking me - maybe its cos it was a home birth and she thought i was some sort of hippy who wanted to keep it a d plant it !??

lollylegs
December 14th, 2012, 04:24 AM
I reckon so ... capsules & dehydrated - for sure. Raw - unlikely. But it's been a long and gentle experiment into many natural health remedies and understand it sounds confronting. The placenta is an amazing organ - much respect for it's potential.

I've heard many good reports on energy / mood and milk supply. It is also purported to be awesome around menopause, if you don't use up your supply.

First heard of it here:
What (http://resources.thefeministbreeder.com/labor-birth/postpartum-health-healing/whats-the-deal-with-placenta-encapsulation/)
Evidence:Placenta Benefits.info - Placentophagy Research (http://placentabenefits.info/research.asp) and Placenta Encapsulation: The Story of the Missing Evidence (http://resources.thefeministbreeder.com/labor-birth/postpartum-health-healing/placenta-encapsulation-the-story-of-the-missing-evidence/)

Reckon that could be one of my "gifts" from a friend next time around - come and prepare my placenta - what a litmus test for a friend!!

The Anchor
December 14th, 2012, 10:57 AM
I remember the first time I heard about this I went into shock. DH hand invited a couple over for din, the conversation led to something gross, can't quite remember, and the woman (whom I really like) said "I'd rather eat my placenta"...and I was like WTF??? did you just say? My jaw was on the floor. And her hubby laughed and said they'd seen something on the news about it. Really I was mortified, and I just couldn't shake the image. So while I'm reading all these posts I'm imagining you all with these horrified expressions on your faces. And I am LOL, I mean really, laughing right at my monitor and DH thinks I've gone mad.

3boys
December 15th, 2012, 07:06 AM
Noooooooo way

aroundtheworld
December 15th, 2012, 05:45 PM
Wow, I'm really surprised at how many women on here are seemingly so vehemently against this. It's not just a "no, thanks" I'm seeing, but a "Are you crazy?" and "EWW". Open your minds up a little bit and consider that it truly does have real and true benefits for mother and baby. If it's not for you just based on the thought of it, that's fine. But for many women, it can be and is a lifesaver. (And I will not even entertain the suggestion of it merely having a "placebo effect".)

Am I, personally, one for sitting down and eating my placenta raw (or even cooked)? No, I'm not. It's not exactly appetizing. But am I open to other ways of consuming it in the instance that it has countless benefits for the baby and myself post birth? You bet I am.

I suffered some terrible, indescribable PPD after my first two births. If any of you have been through an experience like I have- some real, true PPD- then you know what I mean when I say I'd do just about anything to keep from going through it again. So when I was informed about placenta encapsulation during my third pregnancy, I looked into it. And ended up doing a LOT of research on it. In the end I decided that if it'd even possibly help keep me from having to once again experience the dark, hopeless place that PPD is, I was willing to give it a go. And so I did. And you know what? It REALLY helped me. Significantly. It didn't keep me from being a bit weepy, sometimes a little panicky, or overwhelmed here and there, but there was a very large and genuine difference after I birthed my third baby and I attribute it to diligently taking those pills (which, btw, was no different than popping a vitamin- you cannot smell it or taste it at all). And it was so, so worth it. I chose to do it again after my fourth birth (I had the same, successful results) and I am planning it again after my fifth child is born. I now look at the placenta in a totally different light; not only as a life-giving source for my child, but also for me.

Placenta benefits range from assisting in warding off PPD, to restoring energy after birth, lactation promotion, helping to protect against infections, and much more. To learn more about it, do some research. It's real and I will wholeheartedly vouch for it. Here's a link (http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2011/10/the-benefits-of-placenta-encapsulation-for-postpartum-healing.html) to a good article about it.

Rosie85
December 15th, 2012, 05:58 PM
I would not eat it but would take it pill style no problem. I totally believe in the benefits but then again I am hippy when it comes to drugs. I just couldn't stomach eating it raw or even cooked and served on a plate. I have a weak tummy for that sort of thing regardless.

spinningmadly
December 15th, 2012, 10:08 PM
Ok some of these comments are hilarious.
However I 100% do believe it is beneficial and have seen it first hand with people I know who have suffered with ppd.
And also it's not gross to me because there is a woman here where I live that encapsulates them and is well known so it's just a pill.
What I don't understand is how just eating over time can be beneficial.
I know someone mentioned when I lost dd to help with the depression but my Mw and that woman said (bc my baby had passed for a bit) that once the placenta is no longer functioning she needs to get the process encapsulating done within 24 hours or there isn't the same benefit.

Mum23boys
December 16th, 2012, 05:41 AM
If someone wants to do all the hard work for me and turn it into pills then i will happily take them but I cant even handle raw meat like chicken breasts etc so not sure id ever be able to prepare my own placenta.

Mum23boys
December 16th, 2012, 05:42 AM
around the world - did you do all the work yourself turning it into pills?

Mum23boys
December 16th, 2012, 05:43 AM
I personally recommend hiring a certified specialist to do it for you. Encapsulation costs anywhere between $150-250 dollars. In my case, I didn’t even have to see or touch the placenta at all. My midwife took it immediately after the birth and returned it the next day in capsule form. What could be easier? Since I was in recovery, the last thing I wanted to think about was encapsulating it myself.

Does anyone know if the UK offer such a service ?

Mum23boys
December 16th, 2012, 05:47 AM
ignore that i just found a great website

UK Placenta Specialists - Independent Placenta Encapsulation Network (http://placentanetwork.com/United%20Kingdom/)

aroundtheworld
December 16th, 2012, 02:09 PM
around the world - did you do all the work yourself turning it into pills?

No, I didn't. After just having a baby, I didn't need to be on my feet within the first 24-48 hours (when the placenta needs to be dehydrated). I had a close friend who encapsulated the placentas from my last two births for me. After the birth of my 5th child, my husband plans to do the work for me. He's not super crazy about doing it himself, but he's willing because he knows how important those pills are to me (and, frankly, to my family as a whole).

BZ88
December 21st, 2012, 03:48 PM
I second this. I was open to it and my wonderful husband did it for me and it did help with my energy and emotions after. I too did a great deal of research. What I find funny is gelatin doesn't receive the sort of disgusted reaction.



Wow, I'm really surprised at how many women on here are seemingly so vehemently against this. It's not just a "no, thanks" I'm seeing, but a "Are you crazy?" and "EWW". Open your minds up a little bit and consider that it truly does have real and true benefits for mother and baby. If it's not for you just based on the thought of it, that's fine. But for many women, it can be and is a lifesaver. (And I will not even entertain the suggestion of it merely having a "placebo effect".)

Am I, personally, one for sitting down and eating my placenta raw (or even cooked)? No, I'm not. It's not exactly appetizing. But am I open to other ways of consuming it in the instance that it has countless benefits for the baby and myself post birth? You bet I am.

I suffered some terrible, indescribable PPD after my first two births. If any of you have been through an experience like I have- some real, true PPD- then you know what I mean when I say I'd do just about anything to keep from going through it again. So when I was informed about placenta encapsulation during my third pregnancy, I looked into it. And ended up doing a LOT of research on it. In the end I decided that if it'd even possibly help keep me from having to once again experience the dark, hopeless place that PPD is, I was willing to give it a go. And so I did. And you know what? It REALLY helped me. Significantly. It didn't keep me from being a bit weepy, sometimes a little panicky, or overwhelmed here and there, but there was a very large and genuine difference after I birthed my third baby and I attribute it to diligently taking those pills (which, btw, was no different than popping a vitamin- you cannot smell it or taste it at all). And it was so, so worth it. I chose to do it again after my fourth birth (I had the same, successful results) and I am planning it again after my fifth child is born. I now look at the placenta in a totally different light; not only as a life-giving source for my child, but also for me.

Placenta benefits range from assisting in warding off PPD, to restoring energy after birth, lactation promotion, helping to protect against infections, and much more. To learn more about it, do some research. It's real and I will wholeheartedly vouch for it. Here's a link (http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2011/10/the-benefits-of-placenta-encapsulation-for-postpartum-healing.html) to a good article about it.

Princess of Pink
December 21st, 2012, 04:01 PM
I'm going the encapsulation route and paying someone to do it for me. I really want to avoid PPD with 6 children and returning to work full-time, and I'm willing to try anything that may work!

But OMG the title of this thread sounds disgusting lol :giggle:

Mum23boys
December 22nd, 2012, 06:41 AM
ive actually looked into it and there are people near me who do it for about £150. If i can afford it i may do the capsules - definately not smoothie but if its going to help and i can save the money i think it would be a good thing - especially if im going to have 4-5 kids to deal with and work to return to after just 3- weeks !!!

Pangea
December 22nd, 2012, 07:42 AM
The midwife offered me my placenta after I had DS2, this was just a standard hospital delivery in Ireland. I didn't take it.

I remember when my cat had kittens (they say cats like to go off on their on to give birth but mine decided she wanted to give birth on my lap), she gobbled up the placentas straight away after the first three kittens. By the last two kittens she was completely exhausted and was ignoring everything, I had to break the sacs to let the kittens out and I passed the placentas over to her and she ate them.

I wouldn't be against it but I don't think I could justify forking out more than 100 quid to get it encapsulated. If I wanted to eat it I'd probably just eat it, it's not that disgusting, I don't mind raw meat, I like my steak as rare and bloody as possible! I'm not going to eat it though!