Evidence for benefits of placenta encapsulation?

[Vancouvercat]

Hi all,
I am quite concerned about developing PPD (I'm due in Jan and have a history of SAD and I already have a two year old). I have heard about ingesting placentas before of course, but I know that the only way I could POSSIBLY ingest it would be in pill form (placenta dried and encapsulated - a doula in my area offers this service for about a hundred bucks).

The "scientific" part of my brain wants evidence though, and all I can find is anecdotal stories. Does anyone know if this has actually been systematically researched in terms of reducing the likelihood of developing PPD? Preferrably a double-blind placebo study? I wonder if the drying process would negate any benefits - what happens to the hormones etc... are they still viable and effective?

Also, a side note, I am not able to swallow pills (pregnancy makes me gag, and I expect this will last a couple months afterwards like it did for my DS). So I would have to open the capsule and put it IN something (like apple sauce maybe?) Has anyone done this and did it have a strong taste?

I am a strict vegetarian and have been for 20+ years - and I know this makes absolutely NO logical sense - but it feels yucky to eat "meat" (even my OWN, where no suffering has occurred), so it will be really hard for me to swallow, literally! Any other vegetarians have this illogical reaction as well?

Thank you!

[Sileree]

subbing, I am curious also

[organicpapayamama]

http://placentabenefits.info/research.asp

[Hesperia]

I don't have any studies to share, other than the link already provided.

Just wanted to let you know I'm one of the doulas that does placenta encapsulation in Vancouver, and I'm vegan. The smell is meaty (and iron-y), if you cannot swollow caps I'd just you tell your doula not to bother putting them in caps and trying it with a dark berry smoothie. I feel a bitter taste would work well, but I've never tried it myself. But, from the smell I don't think apple sauce is going to be very enjoyable (but neither is PPD!).

Ask your placenta encapsulator is she uses an oven or a dehydrator, and if she steams if first. The steam and oven uses a higher temp, which in my mind would destroy some nutrients.

Hope you find the information you are looking for.

[cocoanib]

Originally Posted by Hesperia

I don't have any studies to share, other than the link already provided.

Just wanted to let you know I'm one of the doulas that does placenta encapsulation in Vancouver, and I'm vegan. The smell is meaty (and iron-y), if you cannot swollow caps I'd just you tell your doula not to bother putting them in caps and trying it with a dark berry smoothie. I feel a bitter taste would work well, but I've never tried it myself. But, from the smell I don't think apple sauce is going to be very enjoyable (but neither is PPD!).

Ask your placenta encapsulator is she uses an oven or a dehydrator, and if she steams if first. The steam and oven uses a higher temp, which in my mind would destroy some nutrients.

Hope you find the information you are looking for.

Hello
Have you prepared the smoothies for your clients?
I want to use my placenta in smoothies starting right after birth. I am unsure as to how to prepare the placenta though. All the info I find has to do with encapsulation.
Is there parts that should and should'nt be eaten?
Do i cut it all up and freeze?
Does it freeze well?

[naturalmelly]

Originally Posted by Sileree

subbing, I am curious also

I ingested my placenta and would highly recommend it to anybody!
I had NO complications! NONE. I had plenty of breast milk, no excessive bleeding, no postpartum depression. I was HOOKED on the unparalleled benefits of placenta eating. Now I am happy to provide placenta encapsulation services for the faint-of-heart in Michigan who don't want to eat it raw.

Melissa
http://www.afterbirthservice.com
[e-mail]

[BeckyBird]

Well, I don't know of any scientific proof, but I would like to share my experience with placenta!

I just gave birth 10 days ago, and I planned to use my placenta, in hopes of preventing PPD (which I had with my son.)
So, after I delivered the placenta, my midwife cleaned it, and cut a small piece off. I had packed a mini blender in my bag, just for this reason! She put it in the blender, and mixed it up with one of those Naked fruit smoothie drinks. I have to say, it blended up so well that I could not taste anything at all--no odd flavor, and no pieces to choke down! It also gave me some much needed energy.

After we got home, I cut up the placenta into pieces, less than 2 inches round. I froze them. Every time I get a "flare up" of hormones, I make a smoothie. I just had one tonight in fact. I used frozen strawberries, yogurt, a banana, and apple juice. It was delicious!

I promise, if you use a small piece, and enough yummy fruits, you will not notice the placenta at all. Just blend everything for a while. The placenta is very soft, and almost disappears into the smoothie.

Cocoanib--to answer your questions--yes, the placenta freezes well. On one side, there is the membrane--the bag of waters, I guess. I cut that part off. The rest of the placenta is like organ meat I guess. It's very soft, and I would recommend cutting it up into small pieces and freezing it flat in a bag. That way you can take it out, one piece at a time.

[cocoanib]

Originally Posted by BeckyBird

She put it in the blender, and mixed it up with one of those Naked fruit smoothie drinks. I have to say, it blended up so well that I could not taste anything at all--no odd flavor, and no pieces to choke down! It also gave me some much needed energy.

After we got home, I cut up the placenta into pieces, less than 2 inches round. I froze them. Every time I get a "flare up" of hormones, I make a smoothie. I just had one tonight in fact. I used frozen strawberries, yogurt, a banana, and apple juice. It was delicious!

I promise, if you use a small piece, and enough yummy fruits, you will not notice the placenta at all. Just blend everything for a while. The placenta is very soft, and almost disappears into the smoothie.

Cocoanib--to answer your questions--yes, the placenta freezes well. On one side, there is the membrane--the bag of waters, I guess. I cut that part off. The rest of the placenta is like organ meat I guess. It's very soft, and I would recommend cutting it up into small pieces and freezing it flat in a bag. That way you can take it out, one piece at a time.

Awesome! Thank you.

[dinahx]

Subbing!

[Jelinifer]

I'm vegan..... and I've thought about saving my placenta to ingest and I don't think I'll be able to bring myself to do it either. For me- it doesn't matter if I can't taste it, I would know that there's "meat" in the food, that would unedible in my mind.... regardless of the source. I've been vegan long enough to have got myself into being absolutely repulsed by all animal products, and I don't think I'd be able to change my mindset even for something that came from a consenting source (like myself!)

[jsh7809]

Thanks for the great information on this thread! I am so excited to try it... I was thinking of just encapsulation (which I will still look into), but smoothies sound pretty easy and not that gross if you just do a little. I'm not sure DH will love the idea of placenta in our smoothie blender but he might have to get used to it!
It is an interesting vegan/ vegetarian dilemma... I could see not being able to get over the ick/ meat factor if you don't eat meat (I do). But I've heard some really great anecdotal advice from friends about the benefits, and I feel that it's just too nutrient rich, too much of my body's investment to just throw away. I'm going to really try to psych myself up mentally about eating or ingesting it as part of the cycle of life, and appreciation of what my body can do! Yay placenta

[Kikelet]

DP and I are interested in doing this!! I used to be vegan and now I'm mostly vegetarian (well, going back after the baby is born.. long story) Anyway, my take on the placenta thing is that yes, it is technically meat, but it is from your own body, which is totally different to me than eating meat from another person/animal. This somewhat parallels breastfeeding, which is a substance that is made by your body that your baby eats. IMO, I don't feel there is a difference between the two, and if you can get significant nutritional benefits from something that nurtured your baby for 9 months, there is nothing non-vegan or wrong about it. I think about it much more like part of the life cycle like someone else posted. Just my take

[jsh7809]

Yeah, another thing I could kind of equate it too (not that I am vegan, but my sister in law is, and I was discussing it with her) is getting a blood transfusion. Obviously, this is a little closer to getting one vampire-style but maybe if you can think about it like that, it will help the gross out factor? The best part is, it's kind of like a blood transfusion/ nutrition boost that your body is making for these 40 weeks, and that you are sharing with your baby! There's almost something communion-like about the consumption of the placenta.
Okay, now I'm definitely going overboard with the hippy stuff!

[Ww Doula]

Hi. I just wanted to add that I recently heard of a woman cutting her placenta into pea-size bits and freezing them. She would swallow the pieces straight from the freezer. It may not be a pleasant feeling, with it having somewhat-rough edges and being cold, but it might be worth a shot. It's easy enough. :-)

[Mommel]

Originally Posted by Kikelet 

DP and I are interested in doing this!! 

I have heard of men doing this too, but I don't think there's any nutritional or other benefit for men to eat their partner's placenta, is there? Or did I misunderstand?