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Would/did you eat your placenta? - Page 8

Poll Results: Would/did you eat your placenta?

This is a multiple choice poll
  • 29% (151)
    Yes
  • 64% (330)
    No
  • 6% (31)
    Other
512 Total Votes  
post #141 of 181
9/14/05 at 10:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anguschick1
Well, ds#2 was born a week ago and I did it. .
Congratulations on your new bundle!!!
So glad you're feeling good, too.

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post #142 of 181
9/14/05 at 10:24pm
:Puke
post #143 of 181
9/14/05 at 10:36pm
I'm not sure if I would, maybe if I had heavy bleeding. I have to admit, I not quite comfortable with the thought.

I do want to bury it under a new tree in honor of the birth, though. Will a hospital let you have it? How do they store it for you to take home?
post #144 of 181
2/9/06 at 12:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kellyb
Yk, I was thinking about it, and I really think Andrea Yates wouldn't have done what she did if she'd eaten her placentas...I really don't...
Anyway, if I had a midwife to prepare it, I probably would, as long as I couldn't taste it...
I have never heard of the eating the placenta - I guess I am naive, but I do know that Andrea Yates was on multiple psychiatric medications for years and progressed to a much worse state than what I would call "PPD.' Having become completely psychotic within three days of starting Zoloft myself for post partum anxiety, it saddens me to even think of what Andrea Yates must have been going through on all those mind altering medicines that were supposed to be helping her. I will have to look into this placenta thing more!

www.drugawareness.org
www.chaada.org
http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=19.0
http://chaada.org/smf/index.php?topic=15.0
www.breggin.com
www.jamestorlakson.com
www.elizabethtorlakson.org
post #145 of 181
2/9/06 at 1:58pm
I did not eat the placenta because that was just a little beyond my comfort level. I thought about it, but I just couldn't do it.

We birthed in a hospital (I am high-risk), and we just asked if we could have the placenta. They gave it to us in a big plastic sealed tub. They didn't even look at us funny, but that may be because we gave birth in a very crunchy town (Boulder, CO).

DD was born in fall. The following spring we took the placenta (we kept it in the freezer) and planted it under a tree in a national forest. DH, DD and I had a quiet ceremony at the tree. We immediately noticed that DD seemed more grounded.

We will never be able to find the exact spot again, which is fine with us. We wanted to connect her with her native land and I think the way we did it was perfect for us.

Since my milk took so long to come in after DD was born, I might eat just a small piece of the placenta for our next child. Maybe.
post #146 of 181
2/9/06 at 7:36pm
I plan on eating it. Not that it sounds so appealing to me, but after dealing with PPD twice, I want to do whatever I can to avoid it and rebound as fast as possible. Last time I spent months on a drug that cost my family $250/month, so it is a frugal thing as well... I can think of much more fun things to spend that money on! I plan on hiding it in a smoothie with strawberries and guzzling through a straw. I also plan on making some essence out of the rest of it.
post #147 of 181
2/9/06 at 8:16pm
I voted in this poll way back before birthing dd, as I was planning to eat the placenta. Just wanted to update to say that I did, I cut it into 1 inch cubes and made a few smoothies out of them with frozen mixed berries, some pomegranate juice and some vanilla smoothie mix from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. It was delicious and I could not taste the placenta at all. I think it really helped me with my mental state, especially as I was dealing with some pretty serious postpartum physical complications.
post #148 of 181
2/9/06 at 8:52pm
Eating the placenta sounded totally nasty to me at first, but I'm open to new things so I'd consider it.
post #149 of 181
2/10/06 at 4:56pm
I didn't eat it at my DS's birth, I didn't even get to see it before the MW took it away. I think if I get preg again I'll consider it. This is a very interesting thread, thanks for starting it!
post #150 of 181
2/14/06 at 5:34pm

Just a small amount helps...

I've been researching this for some time. the first time I'd heard about it was in Grey Forest Walt's birth story, and I thought it was just some 'flower child' back to nature kind of thing.

But the more I read about it, the more I'd try some after the birth. From what I've read, I'd only need to eat a small amount (dime size) uncooked to gain the benefits. I'd also read that it was even better to hold it under your tongue for a little bit before swallowing.

Its suppose to help pp bleeding & depression, so I'm going to definitely try it.
post #151 of 181
2/16/06 at 8:23pm
When I first stumbled across this thread my first thought was ew. But after reading for just a few minutes I was already convinced that I would Definitly do this.
I sent my husband a message telling him about this and his response was "awesome". I'm so glad I have an open and supportive husband.
Good thing I found this before the birth, I'm due any day now.
post #152 of 181
2/16/06 at 10:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by buttons1721
I've been researching this for some time. the first time I'd heard about it was in Grey Forest Walt's birth story, and I thought it was just some 'flower child' back to nature kind of thing.

But the more I read about it, the more I'd try some after the birth. From what I've read, I'd only need to eat a small amount (dime size) uncooked to gain the benefits. I'd also read that it was even better to hold it under your tongue for a little bit before swallowing.

Its suppose to help pp bleeding & depression, so I'm going to definitely try it.
Cool! I definately recommend dehydrating and capsulizing what's left over. It is a great thing to have around for if the blues start creeping in later. I always noticed when I didn't take it. You can just keep the caps in a paper bag in the fridge.
post #153 of 181
3/6/06 at 6:23pm

wow!!

I consider myself a pretty knowledgable person, and I run in some pretty crunchy circles, but I have NEVER heard of this! Pretty fascinating. I've gotten to wondering though, WHAT exactly in the placenta would stop someone from hemmoraging or help with PPD? Is there info anywhere on what nutrients and hormones are present in a placenta that might make a difference. I'm not opposed to anecdotal evidence, but is this ALL based on literally (mid)wives tales?

Also, I can't imagine cooking the placenta would have the same effect as eating it raw or encapsulating it--wouldn't that just kill most of the benefits (except maybe vitamins and iron)?

I can get the whole "this is what animals do" argument, but animals don't have other people/creatures to get them food postpartum--afterbirth is all they have available to them. But, if farmers have observed a difference firsthand over time--that's pretty interesting.

All in all, I think I'd rather stick with homeopathy and such for ppd...but in an emergency--who knows?
post #154 of 181
3/7/06 at 1:05am
I would have said no way a few years ago, but now I would definitely do it. As far as I can tell, it won't hurt and it probably is beneficial. I'm not sure how I'd break the news to dh and my midwife though!

Here is an interesting account by a woman who decided to eat the placenta from her second child's birth:

http://www.birthrites.org/placent.html
post #155 of 181
3/7/06 at 1:27am
I would, as long as it's mixed up in something, like a smoothie. It seems like the texture wouldn't be good, so as long as it's well-hidden. From what I've read about the benefits, it seems worth the effort.
post #156 of 181
3/7/06 at 5:25am
Nope. While I'm open to hearing new things and trying them out I know myself well enough that I wouldn't eat my placenta. I wish I had the mind to save DD's placenta so we could have buried it in the garden with a plant over it but a lot happened during her birth and I forgot to ask for it.
post #157 of 181
4/21/06 at 5:06pm
Oh..No...It makes me weak at the stomach to think of it!
post #158 of 181
4/21/06 at 5:49pm
I voted yes. If you would have asked me a few years ago the answer would have been NO. I have already asked my mom to make a fruit smoothie with some of my placenta in it and she has agreed. I would also with out hesitation eat some if I started to bleed to much.
post #159 of 181
4/21/06 at 5:53pm
If I feel like I need to (bleeding, etc.) I will swallow a whole piece raw... but I really feel like it's not mine to take and stir-fry or whatever. I want to respect it as a part of my child, and that's why we made prints of it and buried it for ds1 and will probably do about the same for ds2. Might have a chunk or two missing, but I'll do what I have to if I think it will help (I don't eat meat so it might be a battle of will)
I bled for 4 months with ds before having to go on a short term of hormones (alternative to D&C) and I also had terrible ppd and it took 5 days for my milk to come in. So like I said, I'll do it if I feel I need to at the time.

um... ot but even after 3 pages of reading, I'm still kinda insulted by ms.doula's comment... like, what, this gross behavior is ok for uncivilized people in "other countries" but just shocking to think it's actually happening here- in AMERICA?!? How insensitive can you be?
post #160 of 181
4/21/06 at 5:57pm
We will be burying the majority of it. I only plan on consuming a small amount.

I didn't even read her comment, thankgoodness.
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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Pregnancy and Birth › Birth and Beyond › Would/did you eat your placenta?