Would You Eat Your Placenta?
I've heard and read about women who eat their placenta after the birth of the children. It is said to possess some nutritional value and in some climes, is considered as very normal. Have you ever considered this? Will you eat your placenta? Yes? No? I have my opinion on the subject, but, hey, read on. . .
Thinking of what to do with your placenta after baby’s birth? Do you want to bury it or burn and flush it down the toilet? Well, there are other options we bet you haven’t considered. According to WebMD, you could dry it and put it in capsules or stir-fry it with onions and chew. You could also make it part of your smoothie or even eat it raw in the delivery room.
Did someone say ‘eew?’ Hehe! Be easy though, ingesting placenta or placenta phage as it is called, is nothing new. This organ which connects baby to mother in the womb, is a passage for transferring nutrients and oxygen from mother to baby. It is also known to contain high levels of nutrients and hormones.
Benefits of eating your placenta
#1 Placental Opioid
It has been discovered that placenta (derived from the Latin word for ‘cake’) contains concentrated levels of vitamins B6 and B12. Among the other benefits, B6 helps the mum in combating postpartum depression, thereby lifting and stabilizing her mood.
#2 The Painkiller
This discovery probably started from studies that revealed that the placenta of female rats contained endorphins which reduces pain. Some studies have now discovered that human placenta contains oxytocin which among other things, is a painkiller.
Women now eat their placenta to reduce labour pains.
#3 Breastmilk Production
Placental lactose and prolactin prepare the mammary glands while also stimulating milk production. Oxytocin also helps in breastmilk ‘let down’ or outflow. The placenta has an abundance of these hormones.
#4 The Energizer
Childbirth takes its toll on the mum, making her weak and raw. Iron and protein are a few of the nutrients that are stored in the placenta over the pregnancy period. Consuming it therefore helps with healing and provides lots of iron, giving strength for new mums to carry out their nursing duties.
#5 The Blood Clots
According to midwivery.com, placenta contains blood-clotting hormones like fibrinogen and oxytocin that comes in handy for mothers who experience postpartum bleeding. In fact, they believe in this so much that they administer it before and after childbirth.
#6 Hormonal Balance
The painful and draining process of childbirth causes the mother to lose a lot of needed hormones. Placentophagy, in any serving helps the mother refill her hormonal tank in small daily doses. Seems like a neat natural provision from where I’m sitting.
Human Placentophagy received a major endorsement when January Jones, actress in the Mad Men series hailed eating her placenta as the reason why she was able to return to work just 6 weeks after giving birth.
So how will you like yours? Stir-fried or dried? Bon appetit!
Thinking of what to do with your placenta after baby’s birth? Do you want to bury it or burn and flush it down the toilet? Well, there are other options we bet you haven’t considered. According to WebMD, you could dry it and put it in capsules or stir-fry it with onions and chew. You could also make it part of your smoothie or even eat it raw in the delivery room.
Did someone say ‘eew?’ Hehe! Be easy though, ingesting placenta or placenta phage as it is called, is nothing new. This organ which connects baby to mother in the womb, is a passage for transferring nutrients and oxygen from mother to baby. It is also known to contain high levels of nutrients and hormones.
Benefits of eating your placenta
#1 Placental Opioid
It has been discovered that placenta (derived from the Latin word for ‘cake’) contains concentrated levels of vitamins B6 and B12. Among the other benefits, B6 helps the mum in combating postpartum depression, thereby lifting and stabilizing her mood.
#2 The Painkiller
This discovery probably started from studies that revealed that the placenta of female rats contained endorphins which reduces pain. Some studies have now discovered that human placenta contains oxytocin which among other things, is a painkiller.
Women now eat their placenta to reduce labour pains.
#3 Breastmilk Production
Placental lactose and prolactin prepare the mammary glands while also stimulating milk production. Oxytocin also helps in breastmilk ‘let down’ or outflow. The placenta has an abundance of these hormones.
#4 The Energizer
Childbirth takes its toll on the mum, making her weak and raw. Iron and protein are a few of the nutrients that are stored in the placenta over the pregnancy period. Consuming it therefore helps with healing and provides lots of iron, giving strength for new mums to carry out their nursing duties.
#5 The Blood Clots
According to midwivery.com, placenta contains blood-clotting hormones like fibrinogen and oxytocin that comes in handy for mothers who experience postpartum bleeding. In fact, they believe in this so much that they administer it before and after childbirth.
#6 Hormonal Balance
The painful and draining process of childbirth causes the mother to lose a lot of needed hormones. Placentophagy, in any serving helps the mother refill her hormonal tank in small daily doses. Seems like a neat natural provision from where I’m sitting.
Human Placentophagy received a major endorsement when January Jones, actress in the Mad Men series hailed eating her placenta as the reason why she was able to return to work just 6 weeks after giving birth.
So how will you like yours? Stir-fried or dried? Bon appetit!
Culled and edited.
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