About The Placenta

Where to begin. I was on a school bus headed out on a field trip with about 40 juniors and a fellow teacher. We were taking the kids on a college tour, and we had a little time to talk babies. I was seven months pregnant, and she had a two-year-old son. So I was trying to glean all the knowledge I could from her. The topic of postpartum depression came up. We talked a little bit about what I could expect. 

Then out of the blue my friend brought up the fact that she had friend who had done placenta consumption. I have to tell you we are both science teachers, but I nearly gagged the first time the whole idea came up. I guess the disgust was pretty apparent on my face by her response.

That’s when a new phrase entered my vocabulary. Placenta encapsulation. The friend who did this, like me, did NOT fry up her placenta with onions like you might  with liver. So can we just clear the air of that misconception? I did NOT just straight up eat the thing like some sort of primal, earth-mama experience, with drums and incense.

Admit it, you thought I grilled that sucker up and went all Hannibal Lecter on it, didn't you? I know you did, and it's fine. Ok, ok, to be fair I might have allowed you to think that for a second but, the point is that assumptions can be dangerous before facts are presented. Facts to follow.

My teacher buddy went on to tell me that her friend had her placenta encapsulated. It was thoroughly dehydrated, ground up very very small, combined with some traditional Chinese herbs, and put into gelatin capsules like a vitamin. Deep breaths. They were capsules. Just like a vitamin. No knife, no fork. It will be ok, just keep reading.

The biggest question everyone has is, why would you do this?

I did this for a lot of reasons. The first reason is because I have severe hormone swings when I have a normal, non-pregnant month. I can get down in the dumps to the point that it’s almost unhealthy. I always knew it would pass in a few days, but pregnancy was going to be different. I knew that too. I knew the hormone changes at the end of the pregnancy were going to be much more intense. I wasn’t sure I would just be okay in a day or two this time. I heard about baby blues, and I wasn’t sure I would bounce back. I had a pretty valid fear of having serious postpartum depression problems. I also really didn’t want to have to be put on medicine after the baby was born. I have had so many bad experiences with chemical imbalance medications. (Read: Home Pharmacy for more on this)

The second reason I did this was because I have very low iron and very low energy naturally. Both of those things are needed right after baby is born. Little man isn’t going to change his own diapers. Plus, if you are lucky like me to lose a lot of blood during labor, then you really need your iron levels to be back in the game as quickly as possible.

I have to admit when I first started looking into it I really thought it was crazy. Like, voodoo, witch doctors, certifiable crazy. Plus, I was still thinking this is uber gross, even for me. So I did some research, and I pitched it to my husband. His words to me were, “If it could even possibly prevent a bad postpartum experience for you, then that would definitely be worth it.”

Alright, now you know why I did it. Here are the short facts to the questions I know you have.

Where did the encapsulation take place? 
In our home. We had a certified placenta encapsulation specialist come to our house the first two days after Wild Man was born. Placenta encapsulation specialists should be both ServSafe (ServSafe...the same certification professional kitchens must meet to prepare your food at restaurants) and certified through an established and certified placenta encapsulation program like PBiU. We took the placenta home in two ziploc bags and a cooler, she came and dehydrated it the first day, then prepared it on the second day. I even got a cute little dehydrate cord keepsake...and yes it’s cute and precious to me. The placenta was never out of our sight. We were able to watch the whole process and ask questions along the way.

How much did it cost?
It is different depending on how far the specialist has to travel to you. Mine was about $200. Worth every blessed penny...more on that to come.

How many pills did it make and what was that like? 
Most placentas make about 100 pills which lasts about month and a half. Mine made 145 (woohoo!) so I had the pills every day for about 2 months. You start off with two about three times a day for a week, then two twice a day for a week, then two a day for as long as they last. Mine lasted well after I went back to school in January. Not going to lie, there is a little meaty flavor and smell. I did not enjoy that part, but the benefits were SO worth it.

What are the benefits? 
Numerous. The biggest one is reduced postpartum effects since the placenta helps your hormones level back out much quicker after that sudden drop after birth that can be somewhat bumpy for many. It also helps reduce stress and anxiety both with the placenta and the Chinese herbs ground in with it. In addition, placentas are very rich inn minerals and vital nutrients your body needs to get back to normal. One of the best and most abundant is iron. Again, I lost a lot of blood and have naturally low iron. When I went for my 6 week postpartum check-up my iron was great, and I was still taking the pills. a few weeks later I had to go in for another issue, and my iron was exceedingly low. I had a few weeks earlier finished my pills. Could be coincidence, but I doubt it. Finally, the placenta helps speed up the recovery time and the healing process. My midwife said my healing looked like it had been going on for months not weeks when she saw me at that six week appointment. Those are the main benefits of placenta encapsulation.

Now I would be lying if I said I did not feel a little drop in my mood and energy in those first few days. I had about four or five days where I cried inexplicably, but after that I felt like a million bucks. I felt better than I had felt my entire pregnancy in fact. I had more energy. I wasn’t sad. I didn’t have a long or difficult recovery. Now, I will never be able to say with certainty that it was the placenta that did it, but I can say that I will do it again. I feel pretty confident in saying that I would have had a much harder time with the hormone changes had I not done this.

So there is it. How I ate my placenta and you survived. I might have missed something so please feel free to ask me about anything I might have missed. I also HIGHLY endorse the ladies and the company I used. A lot of this same information can be found on their website and through talking to them...like I did! Here’s  the link to that site: http://www.wombmart.com/

So ask me your questions if you have them, and be careful about assumptions. 

And remember, when in doubt, eat it...I mean, uh... fling it.