Eating your Placenta to prevent PPD... - Page 19

[amydidit]

How many pills do you normally get from a placenta? What size pills? I had read somewhere to take 3 per day, but if I do that the pills will run out in a month. Is that long enough?

[Limabean1975]

Originally Posted by amydidit

How many pills do you normally get from a placenta? What size pills? I had read somewhere to take 3 per day, but if I do that the pills will run out in a month. Is that long enough?

I don't know, but my inclination is that ingesting it fairly quickly is the most "natural" thing - other mammals chow down the whole thing immediately after birth; one might assume humans living in a more natural/traditional culture would consume it fairly quickly too.

[jmo]

Originally Posted by amydidit

How many pills do you normally get from a placenta? What size pills? I had read somewhere to take 3 per day, but if I do that the pills will run out in a month. Is that long enough?

I just gave birth on Fri and my mw steamed and dried my placenta for me. Dh used a coffee grinder and encapsulated it for me. He got about 80 pills -- the 00 size. I'm taking 2 pills 3 times per day so they won't be lasting too long. I've been taking them since Sunday I feel pretty good!

[Devaskyla]

I've been taking some whenever I think about it or start feeling down & it definitely seems to be helping me. Ds3 had a tiny placenta, but I managed to get enough powder for way more pills than i was expecting. I never counted, but I think I have around 30-40 capsules, maybe even more. I used the mortar & pestle method of grinding the dried strips. Wasn't too bad to do.

[Abismommy]

How would I thaw my placenta

[ChristieB]

I would just thaw it in the fridge. It depends on what you're planning to do with it just how thawed I'd let it get. If you're planning on doing the cooking, dehydrating thing, then let it thaw completely. If you're planning on adding it to smoothies, I'd just let it thaw enough to be able to cut it up, then cut it into small chunks, lay them out on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and freeze. Then store the chunks in a bag or other freezer container.

Hope this answers your question.

[Snuzzmom]

So... of those of you who have tried this, did it actually help your PPD? How about your milk supply? I had a very low milk supply with DS and have heard that eating the placenta might help that as well.

I have talked to my lactation consultant and there are no studies of any kind on this, so I'm relying on antecdotal information to decide whether to do this or not.

[MommyofHero]

Originally Posted by Snuzzmom

So... of those of you who have tried this, did it actually help your PPD? How about your milk supply? I had a very low milk supply with DS and have heard that eating the placenta might help that as well.

I have talked to my lactation consultant and there are no studies of any kind on this, so I'm relying on antecdotal information to decide whether to do this or not.

unfortunately, i did not get to eat my own placenta (i had to deliver it at the hospital and they wouldn't let me keep it!), but i DID eat capsules of my SIL's placenta for about 2 weeks after my birth. (we both had homebirths at my house within 2 days of each other.) i can't vouch for everyone, but i did not experience PPD and i produced so much milk i had to take herbs to lessen my supply!
maybe it had to do with eating a placenta, and maybe not.
either way, you should do it!!!!!

[Devaskyla]

It definitely seems to help with my depression. No idea about the supply thing, though.

[ChristieB]

Originally Posted by Snuzzmom

So... of those of you who have tried this, did it actually help your PPD? How about your milk supply? I had a very low milk supply with DS and have heard that eating the placenta might help that as well.

I have talked to my lactation consultant and there are no studies of any kind on this, so I'm relying on antecdotal information to decide whether to do this or not.

This answer may be entirely unhelpful, and if so, just it ignore it please.

I didn't exactly have PPD with DS1, but I had a really hard time recovering, both emotionally and physically, after his birth. It was an induced labor (after planning a home birth), and the birth was physically traumatic, with a 4th degree tear that took a long time to heal.

Between DS1 and DS2, I was diagnosed with MS, and when I got pregnant again, I knew there was a risk of an exacerbation in the 6 months following the birth. The theory is that it is the sudden hormonal changes that bring that on. I figured if eating the placenta helps with PPD, that maybe it would prevent an exacerbation (along with bfing), by tapering off the hormones instead of going cold turkey, so to speak.

DS2's birth was totally different, it was a quick homebirth. It was very healing emotionally, and not physically traumatic. I had a small tear, and the midwife decided to wait until the next day to decide whether to stitch it or not. Dh gave me quite a bit of the the placenta the first couple of days (miscommunication -- I wanted it to last longer than it did, plus the whole idea for me was to allow my body to taper off the hormones slowly). When my midwife came back the next day to check on me, she couldn't even find the tear! She was amazed at how quickly I recovered, in terms of the tear, the size of my uterus, and my bleeding (it was relatively light, even at the beginning, and it stopped I think at about 4 weeks, which was half the time it took after DS1).

In addition to the healing, I felt fabulous! I had to remind myself to relax instead of getting up and doing things. It was a rough pregnancy, and it was such a relief to feel soooo good. The placenta lasted about 7 weeks. After the first week or two, I didn't eat it every day. I was sad to have to stop. But I continued to feel good, although the soooo good went away gradually. And I didn't have an exacerbation (until DS was over a year, and it was from entirely different circumstances).

I don't know if this information helps you. I do think it was TOTALLY worth it! And I encourage anyone to try it (after all, what is there to lose?).

ETA: I forgot to answer your question about the supply. I don't really know if it helped. I had great supply with both babies, but only ate the placenta of the second.

[Snuzzmom]

Thanks, all. More stories, please!! Is there anyone out there that this DIDN'T help?

[Limabean1975]

Hey Snuzzmom!

I'm just here to share a funny story: My parents are visiting this weekend, and my Dad was asking me about my PPD last time and whether I had any ideas for preventing it this time, did I think it would happen again, etc. So I gently lead him up to placentaphagia and then told him I really do plan to do it.
Then my Mom walked into the room and I totally did not gently lead her into it, just blurted it out. She started saying "Blech! Ugh!" making puking sounds...then DH walked in and she said "DH! Do you know about this!!??!", to which he replied "Of course; I'm going to prepare it for her.". She then says (in front of me) "Oh just give her some chicken liver, she'll never know the difference!". That is when I realized I am a true convert: I am far more grossed out by the idea of eating chicken liver than my own placenta.

Bonus - then she sighed woefully, looked at me, and said "Someday I hope you'll return to normal." . Ha! If only she knew....

[Snuzzmom]

Hee! This is yet another reason for me to want to encapsulate... we'll have various family in the house post-birth to help with DS and I DO NOT feel like explaining any of this to them.

Here in SF there is a service that will come get our placenta at the hospital and do all the work for around $200. I am really leaning towards doing this at this time, but I've gone back and forth. I've got some $$$ saved up and no real plans for it; this seems as worthy an expenditure as any.

The lowdown of what I've read so far seems to be:

1. No scientific evidence of benefit
2. Lots of antidotal evidence that it helps with PPD
3. Lots of antidotal evidence that it increases energy level
4. Not much anitdotal evidence that it increases milk supply

Seems worth it for the PPD help and the energy level help. And even if there's just a placebo effect, the good news is that with depression it's the same as if it has a real effect, since it's all about how you feel.

[Limabean1975]

I thought I read a study somewhere about evidence of improvement in maternal behaviour and health in mice...there may be a link on http://placentabenefits.info/

As I said upthread, I'm choosing not to dehydrate & encapsulate because I figure the less processing, the more nutrients retained...but if there was a service in town for $200, without even having that saved I would totally put it on credit. As it is, encapsulation is more work than just the old chop & freeze, so chop & freeze it is!

[Snuzzmom]

Another question for you encapsulators.

How many capsules did you get, and what was your dosage? Like one per day until they ran out, or more?

ETA for limabean: I just talked to the woman who would be doing it (who I found on the placenta benefits site!) and it's $250. Still... my DH is supportive of my taking the pills but has made it clear that he won't be doing any placenta handling, except to deliver it safely home. And that's fine. I don't want to do it, either, so I don't blame him for feeling the same way.

[Limabean1975]

Sadly there's no listings for anyone doing it here...hmmm, maybe I should!

[MommyofHero]

Originally Posted by Snuzzmom

Another question for you encapsulators.

How many capsules did you get, and what was your dosage? Like one per day until they ran out, or more?

ETA for limabean: I just talked to the woman who would be doing it (who I found on the placenta benefits site!) and it's $250. Still... my DH is supportive of my taking the pills but has made it clear that he won't be doing any placenta handling, except to deliver it safely home. And that's fine. I don't want to do it, either, so I don't blame him for feeling the same way.

you can take 1-4 capsules a day.
$250 is a lot of money to spend on something so simple--- do you think maybe a friend could do it for you, or maybe you can talk your hubby into doing it? (if he has ever cooked with raw meat, it's no grosser than that!)
you just need someone to slice it up and put it in the oven for a while to dehydrate it, and then blend it up into a powder in a food processor. i bought empty capsules at Wholefoods for like $5. that's the only money we spent on the whole placenta process.
the preparation process itself is such a wonderful, organic experience!! and cheap....

[Snuzzmom]

Originally Posted by MommyofHero

the preparation process itself is such a wonderful, organic experience!! and cheap....

Thank you; I'm not really open to debating whether or not we should do it ourselves. I've already said that neither of us are interested and I really don't have anyone else I'd want to ask. I am fortunate enough to have the $$$ right now and am fine with spending it on this.

I spoke with the woman who would be doing it, and she said it is probably best to start at 3 capsules/ 2x per day and then taper off after a bit. This seems in line with herbal capsule treatments I have had.

Also, just FYI, she said she usually gets between 150-200 capsules, depending on placenta size.

This should be very interesting. I'm not due until July 30 but I will update here in case anyone is interested.

I am still shocked there is so little science on this, considerering the practice has been around forever and there seem to be so many benefits.

[MommyofHero]

Originally Posted by Snuzzmom

Thank you; I'm not really open to debating whether or not we should do it ourselves. I've already said that neither of us are interested and I really don't have anyone else I'd want to ask. I am fortunate enough to have the $$$ right now and am fine with spending it on this.

uhm..ok, i wasn't trying to debate it. i was just offering suggestions.

[Snuzzmom]

Originally Posted by MommyofHero

uhm..ok, i wasn't trying to debate it. i was just offering suggestions.

That's cool... It's just that I'd already said we didn't want to do it ourselves, and I don't want to get into a discussion of To Pay or Not To Pay because it's really beside the point.

I do want to hear anything else-- positive or negative-- that people have to say about their experience with ingesting their placentas. These stories from you all are really all I have to go on, even though I am about 80% sure at this point that I'm doing it.