Natural Birth

Let's talk placenta encapsulation

I've never done this before, but am considering it this time, mainly because I am anemic and I need all the energy I can get with this baby.  I'll have four little ones to keep up with.

But I can't find any real studies on the benefits.  All I can find are anecdotes, which are also helpful, but before I go through all the work to do this I want to make sure that I can't just get the same benefit from cooking up some beef liver (which I actually like to eat).

I've read that heating the placenta actually kills any benefit from the hormones.  Anyone know anything about this?

I'd appreciate any research you have on this.

    

Re: Let's talk placenta encapsulation

  • All my understanding of placenta ingestion comes from traditional Chinese medicine.  There are ample sources to read in Chinese, but not much in English.  The simple lack of evidence in English thankfully does not mean there is only anecdotal evidence in existence.  

    The general thinking in TCM is that cooling foods do their greatest good within 48 hours (that would be your raw placenta, which gives a higher burst of energy then, calming hormones and slowing blood flow) and warming foods (that would be your steamed and processed placenta) are best after 48 hours to rebuild and replenish the blood and chi, and improve endochrine function.  Some people therefore, like to eat a small portion raw before encapsulating, to get both benefits

  • The placenta encapsulation specialist we are using can do 50/50 raw/heated for you, which is what I plan to do. I had mine encapsulated with my first pregnancy and it seemed to help for a few months with the baby blues. Unfortunately, I still got PPD, but it was much later. I have bipolar, so I was at great risk for PPD, especially since I was pregnant and nursing without meds. The info. that I looked at was on placenta benefits and via the experience of my midwives.  
    Monique (38), Wife to Steve (32), Mom to DS Sacha (4), DS Ronen due Aug. 1st! BabyFetus Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
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  • I'm so torn on this topic still. I want to do this because I too can't find any medical research that says it is true and that it helps with PPD. I know that you can get PPD as much as 6-8 months after the baby is born so maybe keeping them in the freezer just in case of PPD would be a good idea. I want to make sure that it is safe to keep them frozen or in the fridge and above all if it is effective. There is the underlying ick factor that I'd need to get past of course.
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  • imageMrs E in Oregon:
    I'm so torn on this topic still. I want to do this because I too can't find any medical research that says it is true and that it helps with PPD. I know that you can get PPD as much as 6-8 months after the baby is born so maybe keeping them in the freezer just in case of PPD would be a good idea. I want to make sure that it is safe to keep them frozen or in the fridge and above all if it is effective. There is the underlying ick factor that I'd need to get past of course.

    If you are used to taking pills then it is just like any other IMO. There was never a time where I felt like I could taste anything gross or had any placenta burps. ;-)

    I figured that, even if I experienced a placebo effect, which occurs about 1 in 3 times, it was worth it and not very different from what many people experience with prescription antidepressants. https://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7399362n The mind is a powerful thing. 

     

    Monique (38), Wife to Steve (32), Mom to DS Sacha (4), DS Ronen due Aug. 1st! BabyFetus Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • imageSeaConquest:

    imageMrs E in Oregon:
    I'm so torn on this topic still. I want to do this because I too can't find any medical research that says it is true and that it helps with PPD. I know that you can get PPD as much as 6-8 months after the baby is born so maybe keeping them in the freezer just in case of PPD would be a good idea. I want to make sure that it is safe to keep them frozen or in the fridge and above all if it is effective. There is the underlying ick factor that I'd need to get past of course.

    If you are used to taking pills then it is just like any other IMO. There was never a time where I felt like I could taste anything gross or had any placenta burps. ;-)

    I figured that, even if I experienced a placebo effect, which occurs about 1 in 3 times, it was worth it and not very different from what many people experience with prescription antidepressants. https://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7399362n The mind is a powerful thing. 

     



    YES!  I was arguing with the hubby about the benefits of encapsulating and he was all like you either eat it immediately or not at all because it loses it's super powers if it's all dehydrated.  But I was all like what about placebo???
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  • I didn't do it with my first and experienced some baby blues. I did it after the second and loved it! I still have a few pills in the freezer and will happily take them if I ever feel like I need them. Money well spent IMO.
  • I felt the same way, but I struggled with PPD after #1 that my naturopath thought was probably mainly because I became very anemic and my progesterone levels were very low. From my research, those are two things that placenta is high in. Also, I'm a lifelong vegetarian in diet (I do take animal based supplements now for things like iron and thyroid supplements) so I figured I'd rather be swallowing pills made from my own placenta for awhile rather than pay for more cow pills. ;o)

    We've been keeping close tabs on my iron levels, which were still quite low a few weeks before #2 was born. At my 3 and 8 week postpartum blood draws my iron levels are finally up into the normal range. Low side of normal, but still, for me that's great as I've been on the anemic side all of my life.

    So that's all I've got to offer you. My own anecdotal evidence. Are you planning on processing it yourself? Because that could be a little more inconvenient. If I could have handled ingesting the raw placenta, I probably would have done that. The midwife who processed mine said she's had clients have good results cutting the placenta into small chunks and freezing them and just swallowing it that way rather than in capsules. Although, like a PP mentioned, that's not the way Chinese medicine recommends after the first 48 hours.

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  • imageTarta:

    I felt the same way, but I struggled with PPD after #1 that my naturopath thought was probably mainly because I became very anemic and my progesterone levels were very low. From my research, those are two things that placenta is high in. Also, I'm a lifelong vegetarian in diet (I do take animal based supplements now for things like iron and thyroid supplements) so I figured I'd rather be swallowing pills made from my own placenta for awhile rather than pay for more cow pills. ;o)

    We've been keeping close tabs on my iron levels, which were still quite low a few weeks before #2 was born. At my 3 and 8 week postpartum blood draws my iron levels are finally up into the normal range. Low side of normal, but still, for me that's great as I've been on the anemic side all of my life.

    So that's all I've got to offer you. My own anecdotal evidence. Are you planning on processing it yourself? Because that could be a little more inconvenient. If I could have handled ingesting the raw placenta, I probably would have done that. The midwife who processed mine said she's had clients have good results cutting the placenta into small chunks and freezing them and just swallowing it that way rather than in capsules. Although, like a PP mentioned, that's not the way Chinese medicine recommends after the first 48 hours.

    I was going to try to process it myself.  I don't think I could eat it raw in a smoothie or anything.  I mean, I'm pretty adventurous with food, but I don't know that I can handle my placenta.  But I also don't know if I'm going to feel like dealing with processing it myself in the days after the birth.  

    I live in an area where something like this isn't common at all.  I don't even think there are doulas in the area that encapsulate for you.  I haven't talked to my midwives yet to see what they suggest, but I think my only option is going to be doing it myself.  I already have a dehydrator, so it's not like I really have a huge investment other than the time.

    I'm just not sold on it 100% yet.  I've had great luck with beef organ meat in bringing up my iron levels (which are also severely low because of my Crohn's).  I just want to make sure all of this work would really be worth it before I invest the time.  I can't find any good research out there or any solid answers about temperature and the hormones.

        
  • Is there anyone remotely capable of stomaching the task for you or at least assisting you? I think once it's dehydrated and ground up, it's no grosser than making any other capsules. It's just that initial handling of the whole placenta that might get to someone. I've heard of women having the hunters of her family do it. Someone who's used to dealing with entrails of large animals would probably have less trouble with this. Heck, I'm a vegetarian and I think it's been helpful enough to me that I would process it for you if I lived close by.

    If you can have your placenta processed at no cost to you, I think it's most definitely worth it. You won't be out any $ and any help it may provide you is well worth the cost of $0. It's certainly not going to be detrimental I would say a placebo effect alone is worth at least $10.

    Do you have the supplies you need besides the dehydrator? The capsules and capsule filling block? That's probably gonna run you less than $30. Still, a worthwhile venture I'd say. Do it! Do it! Do it! Hehe. A little peer pressure for ya!

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  • there is no good research to back it up. we decided against it. my doula suggested that it's a waste organ, something the body rejects, and thus probably not worth consuming.  It is unlikely to do harm, but I have seen one anecdote of a woman who experienced awful side effects (she wrote it to counter the anectodal evidence for placenta encapsulation.) 

    if you're worried about your energy levels post birth dealing with your placenta is the last thing you want to be doing. I highly recommend getting your iron levels worked out, hydrating well during and after labor, and getting TONS of help. You're going to need it with your other little ones!  

  • A waste organ that the body rejects? I never really thought of my body rejecting my placenta. Rather it just sort of...loses the necessity for one. Seems totally different to me. I do understand that the placenta filters and regulates toxins for baby, but I have a hard time categorizing it along with my liver, kidney, etc.

    However, if you do think of it that way and think of how Adamwife has mentioned she responded well to eating liver (a waste organ) to raise her iron levels, then it doesn't sound crazy to try taking in this "waste organ". Nor does it sound crazy that it's seemed to help my iron levels as well.

    For the many stories of positive results of encapsulation there seem to be a scant few stories of negative side effects. I still think if you can encapsulate with minimal stress and cost to you, it's worth trying. Of course, if you have awful results, there's no need to keep taking them. 

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