Eating your Placenta to prevent PPD... - Page 16

[rellorba]

I've got placenta in the oven right now...

I absolutely never thought I'd write something like that! I'm really not sure if it's worth it because my placenta had been frozen for almost 6 months but I thought it wouldn't hurt to practice! It was really hard for me to do (hard on my stomach) and I didn't think it would. I'm the type of person who can watch a surgery and not feel sick. I think it's because I couldn't trick myself. I tried telling myself, "It's just chicken, it's just chicken..." but obviously it looks nothing like it. You'd think it would be easier because you know where it came from, as opposed to some random cow on a farm somewhere but for me, it made it worse! The smell isn't that bad. It smells like liver cooking. And really, I'm sort of squeamish with smells and I just lit a few candles and the smell didn't bother me. Grinding it up worried me but it grinds easily...but it also smells a lot more. I'm just worried my husband will see what I'm doing and make me buy a new coffee grinder!!

[mamamirranda]

wish I could have done this, but the hospital lost my placenta. By the time they found it it was covered in embalming fluid. I cried for a long time then realized that I had what was truly important. My ppd struggle might be harder because of their mistake, but I cant change it and my son is so worth it.

[riverundine]

I'm planning on having my mom or dh prepare my placenta for capping after birth, but have a question...

I'm also internally debating lotus birth. Right now I'm figuring I'll let the babe stay attached for 24 hours, rather than until it comes off, because I really feel I need to start getting the nutrients into me as well, based on my previous birth/post-partum experience. I may want to go for the gusto, until they naturally separate from each other, but I'm not sure yet. Dh, who is a chef, says that if we're salting the placenta daily then it should be preserving in a safe way, which should be fine for the TCM method of drying and capping.

Does anyone have any experience with lotus birth and placentaphagy?

[georgia]

Bump

[airmide_m]

Well I *thought* I replied to this thread not too long ago. Now I'm just hoping I didn't reply to another thread thinking it was this one! lol

I read recently on a thread about iron during pregnancy that one mama chops liver into small pieces, freezes it and then swallows it just like a pill. So that got me thinking, would the same thing work for this? I wonder if swallowing it frozen would be more, or less beneficial than dehydrating and encapsulating it?

[airmide_m]

Wow Jodi, that's great info! I guess swallowing small pieces from the freezer could work for some people but that makes my future decision much easier...dehydration and capsules it is!

[Tori Gollihugh]

I have been totally offline for more than a year, but I wanted to mention my own experience just for further anecdotal info. I was determined to eat a good deal of my placenta because I had really horrible PPD after #1DD. Well, I was able to force a few bits down, but it was really rough going. I gagged and heaved.

I guess, generally, I am pretty squeemish. For instance, if I see a whole chicken before DH prepares it, I have a REALLY difficult time eating what he makes of it. That said, DH, even though he's a chef and always preparing raw meats, would NOT handle my placenta. Makes sense since he wouldn't cut the cord, I suppose.

Anyway. I did dry it in the oven. I think the main thing I would/will do differently with the next one is that I will cut it into strips before I dry it. The whole thing dried in the oven took FOREVER!!! AND it was really difficult to get into the food processor and ground down into powder. ugh. BUT I did do it. Bought a little pill preparing thingy so I didn't have to load individual pills with the placenta powder. I'm glad I have it. I'll use it again, for sure.

I did use the pills I prepared, though not all of them. I did NOT have PPD after DD#2 That could be due to a successful homebirth, it could be because I moved when DD#2 was only 3 weeks old and just didn't have time.... but I did have sadness over the move and change and all... even some depression because the new area was not terribly welcoming (my church group). But it wasn't PPD... there were VERY specific things missing from my PPD experience after #1.

Long story, long... I will use each placenta and hopefully get more used to the raw consumption because I REALLY felt quite good after using it that way. It was just WAY rough getting it down!!!!

[olso1130]

Everyone! Please listen closely. PPD is from a lack of essential fatty acids. When you are pregnant your body takes all the EfA's you take in by supplement and all the one's you have in reserve. They are needed for the baby's brain and nerves to form.

To prevent PPD you must take massive quantities after birth. They eat the placenta and it prevents PPD because it is full of EFA's.

For those of you who do not want to eat the placenta take EFA's. If you do take them and you still have PPD then you do not properly digest fat's. Take Lecitin.

Doctor

[wombjuice]

Speaking of drying the placenta...anyone ever tried to make placenta jerky? :

I'm going to be making smoothies with mine (I use about 3/4 cup milk, 1 big spoonful of raw honey, 1 big tablespoonful of peanut butter, and about 3/4 cup frozen blueberries...I don't think I'd even notice the placenta in this recipe!), but placenta jerky sounds like it would actually taste good! Mmm...smoked placenta with teriyaki sauce! :

[the_lissa]

Originally Posted by olso1130

Everyone! Please listen closely. PPD is from a lack of essential fatty acids. When you are pregnant your body takes all the EfA's you take in by supplement and all the one's you have in reserve. They are needed for the baby's brain and nerves to form.

To prevent PPD you must take massive quantities after birth. They eat the placenta and it prevents PPD because it is full of EFA's.

For those of you who do not want to eat the placenta take EFA's. If you do take them and you still have PPD then you do not properly digest fat's. Take Lecitin.

Doctor

While that may be one cause, it is definitely not the only cause, and is an overly simplistic view. I believe it has a lot more to do with hormones than efas.

[dannic]

Well, DH is cutting up the placenta as I type. I am so ready to be normal again...I'll post again as things go along...
update: it's dehydrating. So, I did have a question? Did eating the placenta make your AF come back sooner? I really don't want that (but I want out of PPD more!). Just curious what all those hormones will do, lol.

[theboysmama]

when i too the capsules I had some sticky cm that looked kinda fertile but then nothing. I got my first af whe ds was a little over a year and my 2nd af 8 wks later. He is 15months and still no fertile mucus so I don't think I am o'ing yet so it did not bring it back early for me.

[the_lissa]

Originally Posted by dannic

Well, DH is cutting up the placenta as I type. I am so ready to be normal again...I'll post again as things go along...
update: it's dehydrating. So, I did have a question? Did eating the placenta make your AF come back sooner? I really don't want that (but I want out of PPD more!). Just curious what all those hormones will do, lol.

Well there are so many factors, but with my first, I got my period back at 5 months. With my second, when I ate the placenta, it came back at 15 months.

[dannic]

Well, I'm taking them, lol. I'm not 100%, but I do notice a difference. I could tell my hormones were shifting as I got really tired (which always happens) for a day or two, and now my energy is back up and beyond! Yay.
DH encapsulated them for me while watching Andy Griffith Show reruns, lol.
(BTW, I bought an encapsulator at the hfs (around 16$ bucks) and it was well worth it)...just thought I'd add this progress report.:

[ecstaticmama24]

I've got my placenta in my freezer, it's been there since January 25th. Anyways, I'm thinkin' I may have to get on this dehydrating/encapsulating thing... Not feeling too good.

[honeyrosetea]

Well there are so many factors, but with my first, I got my period back at 5 months. With my second, when I ate the placenta, it came back at 15 months.

There ARE so many factors! Genes, changes in nursing freq, etc.

I took my placenta in capsules after my daughter was born and my period returned after three months. When it came back, that was definitely the first thing I though of. While I would have LOVED a longer stretch before cycling again, if the placenta did have anything to do with it, I felt so strong in my postpartum that I would do the same next time around.

I used a technique I'd read about in Midwifery Today a while ago (I think that's where I read it... ?) -- stripping the membranes, steaming the placenta whole in a bamboo steamer with a chunk of lemon and some ginger (and a chillie pepper, but I omitted that) for 20 minutes on each side, slicing it into strips and dehydrating it before grinding it. Next time I would include the ginger and lemon in the dehydrator and encapsulate it with the placenta to help with that livery aftertaste!

[Smokering]

Well! I'm 8 days postpartum and DH has encapsulated my placenta for me. I took two capsules after he did it, a few days ago, but now I'm wondering when I should take the rest. Would it be better for me to take one a day from now on as a preventative, or to wait until I start feeling awful and then take a larger dose... or what? This is my first baby, so I actually have no idea if I'll even get PPD--I suspected I would based on family history and personal depressive tendencies. But so far, I've only had a few 'down' moments and a bit of sleep deprivation--other than that, I feel fine! And I don't want to waste the capsules... Any advice?

[Tori Gollihugh]

Originally Posted by Smokering

Well! I'm 8 days postpartum and DH has encapsulated my placenta for me. I took two capsules after he did it, a few days ago, but now I'm wondering when I should take the rest. Would it be better for me to take one a day from now on as a preventative, or to wait until I start feeling awful and then take a larger dose... or what? This is my first baby, so I actually have no idea if I'll even get PPD--I suspected I would based on family history and personal depressive tendencies. But so far, I've only had a few 'down' moments and a bit of sleep deprivation--other than that, I feel fine! And I don't want to waste the capsules... Any advice?

I recommend, because of my experience with #1, that you use them daily. If you take one each morning (or whatever time) you'll potentially use them up, but not quickly. And it will prevent the ppd that you totally do NOT want to even get a taste of!!! If you don't want to use your placenta tabs, at least get a high quality omega 3 that you can use. I would also recommend vitamin C (ESTER or another buffered C) and liquic chlorophyll. The last is because lots of women are slightly aneimic for a WHILE after the birth of their child and won't know it and the chlorophyll will help with that.

There is nothing wrong with using what you have. I mean, that's what it's there for, right!?? And isn't there an adage that says an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or something? I believe it!!! I NEVER want to endure the PPD I experienced after #1!!!!!

[jaceycat24]

i plan on doing the smoothie and having mil do the capsules. she was a nurse so she has no problems doing it. my husband has made comments like how he is throwing away the blender after i am done. he can't get over it is coming from my body. i told him you eat beef whats the difference. at least with this i know what chemicals went into my body during the nine months. where as a cow i have no idea what was fed to them.

[Smokering]

Thanks for replying Tori. I'm definitely going to start having one a day, especially as I've started feeling just a little weepy and 'down' the past couple of days.

The downside to this placenta thing is that DH is really on board with it, to the extent that I had to point out the other day 'Sweetie, when I say I'm sad that you don't spend time with me, that means I want you to spend more time with me, not that I want you to go get me a placenta capsule!'.