I guess I'm a giant nerd, but the evolutionary roots of certain behaviors in primates and humans has always kind of fascinated me. Also the cultural pressures that influence what behaviors we find disgusting vs what is culturally acceptable.
Then again, I'm currently trying really hard to avoid writing my final project for one of my classes, so maybe that could explain my sudden interest in this subject
I would be concerned about whether or not they actually gave me MY placenta back, haha. Can they put a bracelet on it like the do baby and me The only thing grosser than eating your own placenta is eating someone else's placenta. What if the encapsulation lady mixes the pills up. If other people wanna eat their placentas, have at it, but this homie don't play dat.
Married July 2014 DD born June 2016 Second due August 2020 (team green!)
Well, the baby has gotten all it needs from the placenta (especially if the cord isn't clamped until it stops pulsing) but the mother has never received any nutrition from it while it is inside her uterus, and it could be argued that she physiologically cannot receive nutrients from it unless she consumes it. So the mother's body isn't necessarily "done with it." Maybe it's expelled because the uterus isn't designed to reabsorb nutrients, and then it's consumed because the stomach IS designed to absorb nutrients.
All mammals consume the placenta, so there must be a valid reason for doing so. And it has been argued that the purpose of eating the placenta in animals has nothing to do with cleaning the nest area or preventing predators from being attracted to the nest site, because even unchallenged predators consume their placenta, and animals who leave the birth site will stay there until the placenta is consumed, and then leave. If the purpose were simply to avoid attracting predators, the animals could just bury their placenta.
Not trying to argue the point (and beat a dead horse) but not all animals are capable of burying a placenta. We live on a farm and many animals have cloven hooves...these are not ideal for digging or burying. Eating the placenta is the only way for these animals to rid the area in which they live of the scent of it.
Also, earlier in this thread someone mentioned that they knew a person who was taking placenta pills because they felt a cold coming on...I feel like this is the most ridiculous thing ever. Since when does having extra progesterone and iron (that has likely been completely nullified from a benefit perspective because of heating) help you fight off a cold?
I've seen people make placenta pills and take them, and have serious hormonal imbalances (consider that you are ingesting hormones when doing this) and I've seen them use it as a salve for their baby's skin, but to be honest it always seemed to make things way worse for the baby. I have seen no anecdotal evidence that it is beneficial, and I've seen no research that proves that it's beneficial, and finally no qualified medical professional has ever suggested that it is beneficial. So, I will never do it.
I know that women need more iron after they deliver, but I never ate my placenta and I recovered fine.
Well, the baby has gotten all it needs from the placenta (especially if the cord isn't clamped until it stops pulsing) but the mother has never received any nutrition from it while it is inside her uterus, and it could be argued that she physiologically cannot receive nutrients from it unless she consumes it. So the mother's body isn't necessarily "done with it." Maybe it's expelled because the uterus isn't designed to reabsorb nutrients, and then it's consumed because the stomach IS designed to absorb nutrients.
All mammals consume the placenta, so there must be a valid reason for doing so. And it has been argued that the purpose of eating the placenta in animals has nothing to do with cleaning the nest area or preventing predators from being attracted to the nest site, because even unchallenged predators consume their placenta, and animals who leave the birth site will stay there until the placenta is consumed, and then leave. If the purpose were simply to avoid attracting predators, the animals could just bury their placenta.
Not trying to argue the point (and beat a dead horse) but not all animals are capable of burying a placenta. We live on a farm and many animals have cloven hooves...these are not ideal for digging or burying. Eating the placenta is the only way for these animals to rid the area in which they live of the scent of it.
Also, earlier in this thread someone mentioned that they knew a person who was taking placenta pills because they felt a cold coming on...I feel like this is the most ridiculous thing ever. Since when does having extra progesterone and iron (that has likely been completely nullified from a benefit perspective because of heating) help you fight off a cold?
I've seen people make placenta pills and take them, and have serious hormonal imbalances (consider that you are ingesting hormones when doing this) and I've seen them use it as a salve for their baby's skin, but to be honest it always seemed to make things way worse for the baby. I have seen no anecdotal evidence that it is beneficial, and I've seen no research that proves that it's beneficial, and finally no qualified medical professional has ever suggested that it is beneficial. So, I will never do it.
I know that women need more iron after they deliver, but I never ate my placenta and I recovered fine.
Honestly, I think I'd take shots of my own breastmilk before consuming my placenta for those things. Including the salve for baby's skin. I'm pretty sure breast milk is a magical elixir that's good for everything.
Also, earlier in this thread someone mentioned that they knew a person who was taking placenta pills because they felt a cold coming on...I feel like this is the most ridiculous thing ever. Since when does having extra progesterone and iron (that has likely been completely nullified from a benefit perspective because of heating) help you fight off a cold?
I've seen people make placenta pills and take them, and have serious hormonal imbalances (consider that you are ingesting hormones when doing this) and I've seen them use it as a salve for their baby's skin, but to be honest it always seemed to make things way worse for the baby. I have seen no anecdotal evidence that it is beneficial, and I've seen no research that proves that it's beneficial, and finally no qualified medical professional has ever suggested that it is beneficial. So, I will never do it.
I know that women need more iron after they deliver, but I never ate my placenta and I recovered fine.
Honestly, I think I'd take shots of my own breastmilk before consuming my placenta for those things. Including the salve for baby's skin. I'm pretty sure breast milk is a magical elixir that's good for everything.
I delivered at a birth center, and my midwife asked if I wanted to take home my placenta, so it must be a common enough request there. I declined, the idea of consuming it triggers my intense fear of cannibalism, but it was cool to see it after! At my birth class, they said you should bring a ziploc bag if you want to take it home.
Eating your placenta is still slightly less gross than that lotus birth thing where people don't cut the umbilical cord and leave the rotting placenta attached to their baby till it falls off on its own.
I'm all for delayed cord clamping, but Lotus Birth is a whole nother level of crazy. Imagine the smell!
My uber-crunchy friend did this and just sprinkled a bunch of potpourri stuff on it (it was in a little clay bowl), and diffused EOs. Although totally not my style, I didn't think it was that gross, but seemed like a *huuuge* inconvenience to deal with. I wouldn't want to have to deal with that in the middle of the night, kwim?
March 2016 siggy: babies - expectation vs reality Brian's Whovian wife (5/'09)
AP, BF, BW, CD, CLW, CS, ERF, Catholic mama
to Evan (7/'10), Clare (8/'11), Dean (3/'14), ^F(12/'15)^, Rose (3/'16)
*no longer a Timelord ~ WibblyWobbly BabyWaby is here!*
but i still feel bigger on the inside Autism mama!
No thanks. Whatever is expelled from my body can stay there. I have no desire to consume something I've already had removed. Props to you all who are into that sort of thing....just not my cup o' tea.
I didn't read all of the responses (but will come back and read them when I have some more time), but I have had several friends do this (even ones that swore up and down that they would never do something like this). Every single one of them, did it with their second child after suffering with PPD with their first (they didn't do it with their first). I guess for some, once you have PPD, you are more willing to try anything to keep it at bay, and I know a lot of people that want to try natural remedies before resorting to medication. All of them (except one), has said that it helped them. I guess I am not phased by it, because I know so many people that have done it. The things I think are pretty odd though, are the people that cook it and eat it. A friend of mine is pregnant with her second and she posted a picture of the kit that came for when she has her placenta encapsulated, and someone commented that when she had her child, her mom took the placenta home, cooked it up and put it in a lasagna for her. I can't handle the thought of that, compared to the thought of encapsulating it (since your mouth isn't actually touching the placenta when you are swallowing the pill and you aren't chewing it). And could you imagine if her leftovers weren't marked in the fridge, and her husband grabbed some of that lasagna and took it to work for his lunch. Ugh!
I had PPD/PPA after my first was born. I am the type that always said I would never encapsulate, but now that I am on my second (and willing to try nature remedies before hitting up medication), I can't say that I haven't thought about doing it this time around....
@PugsandKisses weird that it mentioned only taking a donated placenta from a section. Wonder if bacteria is why they don't want placenta from vaginal births...just food for thought.
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Me: 33 DH: 32 Married 7/18/15 1st born at 35+4 on 6/6/16 Team green turned BLUE! 2nd born at 38+6 on 8/30/18 Team green turned PINK! Due with #3 on 6/6/20 Team Green
@PugsandKisses weird that it mentioned only taking a donated placenta from a section. Wonder if bacteria is why they don't want placenta from vaginal births...just food for thought.
I researched this pretty heavily, and the best info I could find related it to organ donation - the placenta has to be harvested and kept with certain temperature limits in a timely manner. Since vaginal births take their own time, no place I looked into to donate to would take it simply because they didn't want someone to wait around for hours on end to harvest the placenta.
@PugsandKisses weird that it mentioned only taking a donated placenta from a section. Wonder if bacteria is why they don't want placenta from vaginal births...just food for thought.
I researched this pretty heavily, and the best info I could find related it to organ donation - the placenta has to be harvested and kept with certain temperature limits in a timely manner. Since vaginal births take their own time, no place I looked into to donate to would take it simply because they didn't want someone to wait around for hours on end to harvest the placenta.
Maybe, I dont know. I will ask when I am next on L/D. My 2nd birth was a scheduled C/S
Yep. Eating your placenta is totally a thing in crunchy circles. Lots of doulas offer it in their services. I'm going to eat mine. Not even trolling. Legitly planning for the doula to encapsulate it and going to ingest it. Not as badass as it sounds, but I like to think of it like this:
Re: Anyone thinking of saving your placenta?
March 2016 siggy: babies - expectation vs reality
Brian's Whovian wife (5/'09)
Autism mama!
"Better to burp and taste it than to fart and waste it" Lol
DD born June 2016
Second due August 2020 (team green!)
I never thought about that! Good point.
Eating your placenta is still slightly less gross than that lotus birth thing where people don't cut the umbilical cord and leave the rotting placenta attached to their baby till it falls off on its own.
March 2016 siggy: babies - expectation vs reality
Brian's Whovian wife (5/'09)
Autism mama!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our family of 5 is complete!! Love our boys!
Props to you all who are into that sort of thing....just not my cup o' tea.
March 2016 siggy: babies - expectation vs reality
Brian's Whovian wife (5/'09)
Autism mama!
https://www.facebook.com/vancouverbirthdoula/photos/a.116781818400326.21673.114898681921973/955677004510799/?type=3
March 2016 siggy: babies - expectation vs reality
Brian's Whovian wife (5/'09)
Autism mama!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our family of 5 is complete!! Love our boys!
I had PPD/PPA after my first was born. I am the type that always said I would never encapsulate, but now that I am on my second (and willing to try nature remedies before hitting up medication), I can't say that I haven't thought about doing it this time around....
a friend did this.
no. just no.
Not my hospital, but here is one that talks about donation for burn patients.
My facility is a burn hospital, so I was very please to literally be giving to my community.
Married: October 2014
TTC #1 since September 2015
Married: October 2014
TTC #1 since September 2015
DH: 32
Married 7/18/15
1st born at 35+4 on 6/6/16
Team green turned BLUE!
2nd born at 38+6 on 8/30/18
Team green turned PINK!
Due with #3 on 6/6/20 Team Green