Using your placenta

LAE1982 · January 2014

Ok. I'm one of those people who prefer to heal my body in the most natural way possible. I've been doing tons of research on this topic. Encapsulating your placenta into pill form. It has tons of benefits! Has anybody done this before? How do you get the placenta home? My state has laws on disposing of medical waste by certified companies only. Did you encapsulate it yourself? If not who do you pay to do this? I'm not sure I want ground placenta in my blender

ceh789 · January 2014

LAE1982 said:

I'm not sure I want ground placenta in my blender

But you want to eat it? Mmmmkay.

To answer your question, if you have a doula ask her - they will often know of a resource for encapsulation service. If not, check with your Midwife or try your local discussion board.

kelley72 · January 2014

My natural belief is that the placenta is no longer useful nor needed by my body after it is delivered... I just kinda think if it served a purpose naturally after delivery then my body would hold onto it.. I just do not get this but whatevs

rubylovebug · January 2014

My doula will be doing our encapsulation for us. She will bring a cooler to the hospital & will take it immediately from the doctor in a plastic bag. She's certified & trained in encapsulation.

Where I am (western NY), if the placenta leaves the birthing room it becomes a biohazard & cannot be given back to you, so you cannot let it leave the room if you want to bring it home with you. I have no idea on the specifics of how encapsulation is done, but it's not really an at home process - you'd need some training. I'd recommend calling an area MW or doula to see if they can point you in the right direction.

tinkiewinkie · January 2014

I had mine encapsulated with my daughter and it totally helped. I had a local lady do it and it cost about $200 and she used the Chinese method. This time I want to have raw pills made. The way I see it is that we are the only mammals that do not consume our placentas so maybe other mammals are on to something. I see no harm in it and I would much rather consume something natural than a chemical ridden anti depressant.

IdyllicPursuit · January 2014

We're one of the only species that doesn't routinely eat the placenta after birth. Many other countries it's routine. I encapsulate my own placenta. Our state allows us to bring it home...but I'm having a home birth so it isn't even remotely an issue.

I have a coffee grinder that I use that is dishwasher safe:)

tinkiewinkie · January 2014

Oh, and last time I just told my dr that we will be taking home the placenta and she had no issue with it. They put it in a bag and my husband stored it in an ice chest till the placenta encapsulation lady came to pick it up a few hours later. It was no big deal.

LAE1982 · January 2014

Thank you ladies for the helpful advice! I talked to my dr about this yesterday, and she had no clue which direction to point me in.

Excitedmum35 · January 2014

I have looked into this briefly too and know a doula who can do it.
My question- is there any ACTUAL research on the benefits? I've read lists of what it's supposed to help with, but I haven't seen any scientific research

katykatykaty · January 2014

Excitedmum35 said:

I have looked into this briefly too and know a doula who can do it. My question- is there any ACTUAL research on the benefits? I've read lists of what it's supposed to help with, but I haven't seen any scientific research

I think the "scientific" research is that "other mammals do it." LOL @ceh789's blender comment.

lalaith50 · January 2014

katykatykaty said:

Excitedmum35 said:

I have looked into this briefly too and know a doula who can do it. My question- is there any ACTUAL research on the benefits? I've read lists of what it's supposed to help with, but I haven't seen any scientific research

I think the "scientific" research is that "other mammals do it." LOL @ceh789's blender comment.

Agreed. I consider myself pretty crunchy, but the extent of the "research" I've found has been pretty much exclusively anecdotal. ("I had terrible PPD with my first, but then I ate my placenta and had none with my second!")

ceh789 · January 2014

Excitedmum35 said:

I have looked into this briefly too and know a doula who can do it. My question- is there any ACTUAL research on the benefits? I've read lists of what it's supposed to help with, but I haven't seen any scientific research

According to evidencebasedbirth.org (a source I consider fairly comprehensive) no, there's not any research on this practice.

As previous posters said, "wolves do it" and "it worked for me" is the extent of the "evidence" proponents seem to offer. My thought is that wolves do a whole heck of a lot with their young that I don't intend to do, so this really doesn't need to be an exception.

jennybean80 · January 2014

Other mammals also lick their offspring's anuses to get them to poop! I'm of the camp that just because other animals do it, it's not necessarily for me. Plus I'm pretty sure animals eat their placentas to help prevent predators from smelling it and coming by for baby mammal lunch (ever watch a deer eat their placenta? They look like they're trying really hard to choke it down…).

If there was some concrete research supporting it maybe I'd feel a little differently.

If it's something you want to do, I'd google 'placenta encapsulation' and your city. There are probably some doulas/midwives in the area who do it. GL.

IdyllicPursuit · January 2014

For me, I had such severe PPD that I'd try anything to spare the agony I went through. I'll let you know my results:)

LAE1982 · January 2014

The fact that other animals do this is not what I'm basing this on. Try thousands of years if humans doing this for healing benefits. It's called eastern medicine people, look in to it.

ceh789 · January 2014

LAE1982 said:

The fact that other animals do this is not what I'm basing this on. Try thousands of years if humans doing this for healing benefits. It's called eastern medicine people, look in to it.

Do you have some sources you can link?

katykatykaty · January 2014

LAE1982 said:

The fact that other animals do this is not what I'm basing this on. Try thousands of years if humans doing this for healing benefits. It's called eastern medicine people, look in to it.

PP asked if there was any scientific research about it... not how long people (or other animals) have been doing it.

LAE1982 · January 2014

It's called placentophagy. There is a lot of proven, scientific research out there.

SamJustice · January 2014

LAE1982 said:
The fact that other animals do this is not what I'm basing this on. Try thousands of years if humans doing this for healing benefits. It's called eastern medicine people, look in to it.

Well Eastern Medicine also includes (or at least used to. Not exactly my forte) eating tiger balls for a higher libido. Just saying. And I agree most mammals eat the placenta to avoid predators. Until we're surrounded by zombies vying for the young flesh of my offspring, I'll pass. There has been no scientific data like PP have said so who knows if there really are any benefits. Each woman and each pregnancy are different so I don't take much heed to the anecdotes.

That said, I could care less what people do with their temporary organs. I'm certainly not going to tell you it's gross or judge.

jennybean80 · January 2014

LAE1982 said:
It's called placentophagy. There is a lot of proven, scientific research out there.

Again, link please?

LAE1982 · January 2014

Why do you all keep saying that there is no scientific research? I assure you there is. Stop being lazy and look it up. This is why I rarely post on here. Such small minded, rude, comments from some people.

lazyreader · January 2014

LAE1982 said:

Why do you all keep saying that there is no scientific research? I assure you there is. Stop being lazy and look it up. This is why I rarely post on here. Such small minded, rude, comments from some people.

then GTFO? How can you ask for people's advice (which you got and was probably helpful) then call the people they hang out with small minded?

as for your original question about how to get your organs home - stop being lazy and look it up.

ass.

SamJustice · January 2014

No one is being rude. At all. If you didn't want a mixes reaction than perhaps you should have posted on the natural board or something. Everything everyone has said has been very polite. Asking you to site your source is not equivalent to being rude or small minded.

ceh789 · January 2014

LAE1982 said: Why do you all keep saying that there is no scientific research? I assure you there is. Stop being lazy and look it up. This is why I rarely post on here. Such small minded, rude, comments from some people. Where, exactly, have you found this research?

MeganFrench120389 · January 2014

I'm not at all trying to take sides but I did find A website with scientific studies. Let me say though, that it was hard to find, the studies are brief and not well explained as well as not having direct relation to the placenta (not all of them are showing benefits). I also found articles from women who had ADVERSE effects after digesting the organ. So, it goes both ways. If the benefits seem like they could help you, then go for it. I sure as hell won't be but that's my opinion.
https://placentabenefits.info/research.asp#pain

IdyllicPursuit · January 2014

Digging up some research from my school library: Placental and umbilical cord blood are rich in regenerative stem cells (International Society for Stem Cell Research, 2008). Medical uses include treatment for blood cancers such as leukaemia or lymphoma; bone marrow failure; blood disorders such as sickle cell anaemia or thalassaemia; immunodeficiencies and metabolic disorders. Indeed an autobiographical account of life in China during the great famine of the 1960s describes human placentae being highly prized due to their nutritional and restorative powers (Mosher, 1995). Isolation of beneficial substances from placenta and amniotic fluid is acknowledged to be a daunting task (Kristal et al, 2011), but it is known that they contain peptides, steroids, indoleamines and catecholamines (Kristal et al, 2011); although the impact of these is untested. The placenta is also thought to retain several other hormones, opioids and nutrients previously stored and transported within it, including proteins, iron, vitamin B6, oxytocin and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) (Soyková-Pachnerová et al, 1954; Grota and Eik-Nes, 1967; Blank and Friesen 1980; Kristal, 1991; DiPirro and Kristal, 2004; Kristal et al, 2011; Nezi et al, 2011). As a result, some hypothesise that placentophagy offers health and nutritional benefits by replenishing depleted bodily stores (Enning, 2007; Higham, 2009; Selander, 2011a). Beacock, M. (2012). Does eating placenta offer postpartum health benefits?. British Journal Of Midwifery, 20(7), 464-469.

Momstheword83 · January 2014

Ugh...just the thought of ingesting my placenta makes me want to vomit. IMO, our bodies get rid of it for a reason. If it had any benefits I feel our bodies would reabsorb it or something of that nature.

jennybean80 · January 2014

@LAE1982 in sorry if you found my comments rude, however since you are saying there is lots of research citing benefits and I have found none, I was asking if you could provide your sources.

I am not small- minded or closed-minded, I just like actual scientific data rather than anecdotal data. There are lots of things that people have done for thousands of years that actually provide no benefit and do cause harm. For instance, there are cultures where the norm is to rub dirt or other substances into the umbilical cord stump to stop bleeding. Unfortunately this long time practice also leads to the deaths of many infants from tetanus, a bacterium commonly found in soil. Here are a couple sources.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2563851
astonjournals.com/.../ASSJ-23_Vol2011....
https://www.gmfc.org/en/action-within-the-movement/africa/regional-news-in-africa/1117-uganda-announces-elimination-of-maternal-and-neonatal-tetanus
ETA another source

PerkyErky · January 2014

I am on the fence. I don't see the harm in it, but my biggest concern would be the process of encapsulating since it is not regulated and I have no way of knowing how sterile and hygienic the environment it was encapsulated in was. I also do not know how or want to try and figure out how to encapsulate it myself (and I have no idea how well *I* would even be able to ensure it was done safely).

It is true that most animals consume their placenta, it is not only done to avoid predators (although it is a big reason). The gush of amniotic fluid would also attract predators and that cannot be consumed. The placenta is also consumed because it is nutrient rich and helps replace come of the energy the mother has just expended during labor. Some animals don't eat for awhile (days, weeks, months) after birth and the placenta consumption offers some benefit. But again just because "they" do it doesn't mean I need to. I plan to eat plenty after birth so a placenta snack post partum isn't really necessary.

amsat · January 2014

According to Steel Magnolias, the only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.

& apparently in my case, my preference to not eat my placenta.

LAE1982 · January 2014

An intelligent answer at last! Thank you for being supportive

lalaith50 · January 2014

LAE1982 said:

An intelligent answer at last! Thank you for being supportive

Interesting. So an answer is only "intelligent" when it supports what you've already decided? Hmm...

htn1763 · January 2014

I'm surprised in all your "tons of research" you still needed to ask internet strangers how to do it.

tinkiewinkie · January 2014

As far as lack of scientific research goes, I assume that is because scientific research is rarely invested in natural and homeopathic medicine because frankly, there isn't much money to be made. I had terrible baby blues after I had my daughter and once I started taking my placenta pills, I began feeling better. Could it have been a coincidence? Sure! Is it possible the pills actually did help? Yes, and I am willing to try it again. No harm done.

IdyllicPursuit · January 2014

LAE1982 said:

An intelligent answer at last! Thank you for being supportive

Wait a minute here...I saw a lot of intelligent answers and you bit their heads off as being rude. I'm not one to take sides but this is ridiculous.

KariB509 · January 2014

Word of advice, if you're laying in bed recovering from the stomach flu, don't read through these comments. Placenta in my blender or coffee grinder makes me want to puke all over again.

clo1982 · January 2014

Guys...Kim kardashian said she wanted to do it so that's all the research I need!! Bring on the placenta smoothies!

pepperedmoth · January 2014

tinkiewinkie said:
As far as lack of scientific research goes, I assume that is because scientific research is rarely invested in natural and homeopathic medicine because frankly, there isn't much money to be made. I had terrible baby blues after I had my daughter and once I started taking my placenta pills, I began feeling better. Could it have been a coincidence? Sure! Is it possible the pills actually did help? Yes, and I am willing to try it again. No harm done.

I don't think that's true. A TON of research goes on re: healthy eating, exercise habits, etc., which aren't any more monetizable than placenta encapsulation.

I just saw an article reporting on a new meta-analysis on all the studies on mindfulness meditation, just as an example. There is plenty of grant money out there to fund studies on promising alternative therapies.

Ricola · January 2014

Here in Texas you need a court order to get your placenta from the hospital.

I am planning for a home birth and the midwives will leave the placenta here. We will freeze it til trash day and then get rid of it. I do believe it can help with pp depressions and milk production, but since I didn't have an issue with either after my son was born, I'd rather not spend the money to have it encapsulated.

LAE1982 · January 2014

@iddylicpursuit. I was in fact referring to you as the only intelligent response.

Andreabills · January 2014

LAE1982 said:
@iddylicpursuit. I was in fact referring to you as the only intelligent response.

Oh good, you're back. Way to rely on other people to provide your *somewhat* scientific data for you. Did you even read her post? While I agree that it was intelligent, it was also pretty full of hypotheticals. Here is basically the summation of her post: "As a result, some hypothesise that placentophagy offers health and nutritional benefits by replenishing depleted bodily stores (Enning, 2007; Higham, 2009; Selander, 2011a)."

If you want to consume your placenta, consume your placenta, just don't come on an Internet forum and get your panties in a twist when every person on here doesn't extol the virtues of your decision.

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