Eating your Placenta to prevent PPD... - Page 5

[EmmaJean]

Originally Posted by Niamh

I remember awhile back in a different forum (TAO maybe?) there was a thread asking what do you do know that you always said "Those hippies will never get me to...."

The normal answers of breastfeeding, homebirth, waterbirth, un-attended birth, slinging, co-sleeping, EC, organic foods, and homeschooling were given. Then a poster said "eating my placenta" and I spewed my drink all over my computer screen. I thought "What the h*ll? People actually do that? Well, animals do that, I guess, but gross!"

Then today I read this thread and within the space of 30 minutes (I raced through those links!), I am committed to drying and encapsulating my placenta.

Damn you, MDC! Look what you've done to me! :LOL

My story almost to a T!!!!! I dried and encapsulated Lily's placenta and it was really cool. It helped so much to have my dh help me. He did all the encapsulating, actually. I hope when I'm a doula someday that I can help others w/ this (and doing placenta prints which was amazing too!!). The only thing I regret is buying the HUGE pill maker instead of the smaller one. I went w/ what was on sale, and boy, it's hard to swallow horse pills!!! We only filled about 50 or so, and I have the rest of the dry stuff in the freezer, although it's been in and out of one several times during our move. Even spent a couple months in the trunk of our car! haha!! But it still looks fine so I'm keeping it. Gonna tote it around w/ my forever so I can use it for menopause. Anyone know if it has any effectiveness left after being so poorly stored??? I'm afraid it's useless now, but can't be harmful, I don't think. It's not moldy or anything. Just looks like dirt, actually!

I'm so proud of my dh for being so open to all my lovely weirdness!!

[ltk]

Oh AmyDawn, I SO agree with you. I am sorry, I know I came to this page of my own volition, but there is something rather vile about eating your own placenta. I would rather take AD's advice and hope for the best. Having seen a human placenta, I say NO THANKS...but blessings to those who can "stomach" this!

[Heffernhyphen]

I think the offensive term here, for those who are expressing offense, is "eating." The only people I know of who consider popping a pill to be eating are the Jetsons.

[vespersongs]

The debate...

I think that what it all boils down to here is that those of us who are consuming (NOT eating, in my case at least!) our placentas postpartum have our own reasons for doing it, and are not doing it to be deliberately gross, or counter-culture, or hippies, or whatever. We have heard that it can help stave off some pretty tough symptoms (some of us have learned the hard way), and we are willing to try it.

I understand the disgust, but please try to understand that. It's not just "weirdness for weirdness' sake".

[mamamoo]

No kidding, and what is the point of coming here and saying how gross it is? This thread has some really good information about how to prepare placenta to ward off PPD. If you couldn't/wouldn't to it, and think it's disgusting, what is the point of posting that here? This is a true preventative treatment for ppd, why treat it any other way?
Debi

[majazama]

Thank you mamamoo. Really, I don't get it. Why are all these "new members" feeling like their negative opinion on placenta-consuming has to be spouted on an obviously PRO-PLACENTA-USING thread.: Do they want to stop women from trying to treat themselves for PPD, without the use of health-damaging prescriptions? Why? It's not harming anyone if some women choose to do this. It should be honored that women are literally taking back our bodies. Eating a placenta is not cannabalism because nothing had to die to produce it. It is a by-product of life.

If you want to have a debate about this subject, please go start another thread somewhere else, becasue this thread is dedicated to the posative aspects of treating PPD with our placentas.

Peace,
~Jaz

[cwaddick]

slightly OT.... placenta anecdote

An anecdote....
One of my MWs was telling me that she was a doula to a woman who had had to take some medication immediately post-partum. The medication was estrogen or somthing, and it had the foreseeable and immediate effect of causing her milk to completely dry-up, which the mother's obstetrician completely failed to mention to her before she took the medication.

Fortunately, the mother had saved her placenta. So, my MW cooked it for her, and the family ate it for dinner on Day 2 (after birth) with spaghetti noodles. I asked my MW...didn't they hesitate to eat it? She said that the mother knew that it was the only way to get her milk back in and fast. I said.. did it work? She said: Oh, yes. Very well.

Personally, I have difficulty imagining that I could eat my placenta raw because I have no experience with raw red meat, not even to prepare it for cooking. I do however eat cooked red meat... so I think that I could eat my placenta cooked (provided that someone were to cook it for me).

I had my most recent placenta encapsulated (see my post above)... I've been very fortunate to be able to take it. I'm now 3 months postpartum, and I have taken 2-3 capsules daily. This third post-partum period has been my best. I truly believe that the placenta capsules helped me.

I think it would be very helpful if someone could post directions on dehydrating and encapsulating ones own placenta for use during the postpartum period.

I was considering saving some of my capsules for some time in the future when I or my children were sick. However, I worry that the capsules will go bad if I were to try to save them. Most likely, they would get wet and moldy. I think that I am better off using them up now. I can keep myself healthy during this difficult post-partum period.

-- Caitlin, who is very sleepy

[cjuniverse]

Planning on it now, one way or another.

Thank you ladies, all of you, so much for this informative and beautiful discussion.

I don't understand how anyone could view this practice negatively. It's completely natural, and quite common in nature. For a reason. Nature is efficient. It doesn't waste.

May just be yet another symptom of a culture that tells us female bodies and everything they do/produce is 'icky' and needs to be sterilized (re: masculinized) in order to be 'modern' or 'civilized'.

Shame, that. Everything about the female body is incredible. To turn women against themselves in such a way is surely one of the biggest travesties of 'civilization'. They're trying to turn us into fembots. Let's not let them.

Anywho, I'll either be eating a raw chunk or making a smoothie with mine (and certainly finding a constructive use for the rest!)...thanks to the intelligent and well-researched findings of the brave and powerful women here.

Thanks again mamis, you rock!

[vespersongs]

a link, and a funny thought

OK, this is just a stupid thought that came to me...take it as comedy and nothing else...

But picking your nose and eating it isn't cannibalism, is it? All our kids would be sickos, no?

Anyway, here's a link that was I think was posted before on this thread for preparing placentas:
http://www.geocities.com/virtualbirth/placenta.html
I'm sure there are more if you google...

But I think the simplest way to break it down is this, at the bare minimum:
1. Slice the placenta into strips
2. Either freeze raw or dehydrate it (I plan to do 1/2 and 1/2) at no more than 108 degrees (though my oven only goes down to 200, and i don't have a dehydrator) until completely dry
3. Grind the dehydrated pieces into a powder and put into gelcaps
4. Consume the raw pieces according to your preference (smoothie sounds good to me...you can put all sorts of stuff in a smoothie that will be disguised by fruit and honey, etc.).
5. Take 3 gelcaps per day. Don't know how much you'd do raw...

There are of course different opinions on whether to steam or cook the placenta before dehydrating it, but from what I can gather, the point is to have as much raw hormone available to you as possible.

Am I right about that? Anyway, the steps above are what I plan to do...any minute now...i had a little labor the other night that ended by morning...grrr...

[majazama]

I just want to add that there is plenty of helpful links on the first page of this thread. What I did with my placenta is I prepared it in the traditional chinese medicine way, then I froze the powder, then I never have to worry about it going bad. Just a thought to those that would like to keep their "placenta powder" indefinately. Mine is still in my freezer now. I was forunate enough to *NOT* get PPD at all after my DD was born, so I didn't use the placenta like I thought I would.

[mamamoo]

Originally Posted by vespersongs

But I think the simplest way to break it down is this, at the bare minimum:
1. Slice the placenta into strips
2. Either freeze raw or dehydrate it (I plan to do 1/2 and 1/2) at no more than 108 degrees (though my oven only goes down to 200, and i don't have a dehydrator) until completely dry
3. Grind the dehydrated pieces into a powder and put into gelcaps
4. Consume the raw pieces according to your preference (smoothie sounds good to me...you can put all sorts of stuff in a smoothie that will be disguised by fruit and honey, etc.).
5. Take 3 gelcaps per day. Don't know how much you'd do raw...

I would just add, slice *ver* thinly(as thin as you can) if dehydrating(it will go faster, and get crispier), and if you have a gas oven with a pilot light that stays on, I have heard you can just dry it with the oven off, or maybe turning the oven on for a few minutes, then off, or if you don't have little ones, or can keep them out of the kitchen, maybe on 200 with the door slightly a jar would help keep teh heat down?
Thanks fo posting that link!
Debi

[mamamoo]

Originally Posted by majazama

I just want to add that there is plenty of helpful links on the first page of this thread. What I did with my placenta is I prepared it in the traditional chinese medicine way, then I froze the powder, then I never have to worry about it going bad. Just a thought to those that would like to keep their "placenta powder" indefinately. Mine is still in my freezer now. I was forunate enough to *NOT* get PPD at all after my DD was born, so I didn't use the placenta like I thought I would.

Just curious, did you get PPD with your first? And if so can I ask how your birth and PP was different between the two?
TIA~Debi

[eroslovesagape]

FOR the record, a definition of cannibalism (Random House Webster Dictionary): cannibalism, n. 1. the eating of human flesh by another human being, esp. for magical or religious purposes, as to acquire the power of the person recently killed. 2. the eating of the flesh of an animal by another animal of its own kind.

SO, since none of us is planning on killing and eating another human being, this whole concept of cannibalism is really silly, reactionary, superstitious nonsense.

And I'm amazed by the poster who negatively connected eating placenta with eating raw & wild foods. Since life began, the ingestion of placenta and raw & wild foods has kept all mammals in vigorous health. Name an animal that cooks its food! Once heating/processing foods became commonplace, disease set in. Mainstream news even shares how cancer, heart disease and diabetes are climbing to rates in Japan equaling rates in the U.S. as the Western diet takes over; Japanese traditional food contained large quantities of raw sea foods, both plant and fish, as well as raw, fermented foods etc. Look at how our dogs and cats have cancer, tumors, diabetes etc. that their wild counterparts don't; eating food out of a bag is just against natures intention, period. And yes, this is a researched, educated 'opinion' as I've studied these topics for years, AND I'm a teacher.

And equating eating placenta with the ignorant blood-letting remedies of the past? Really, current medical practices such as routine vaccinations, modern conventional birth fashions, giving medicine to reduce all fevers instantly, labeling and medicating so many children for ADHD, and labeling and medicating so many people for depression- these are some of the ignorant "blood-letting" practices of our time.

With placenta-eating being part of mammalian evolution and still occurring today, with zero negative effects ever being reported and numerous positive effects being shared, I'm baffled at how it can be seen as somehow "bad." Sure, there is a squeamish factor that is culturally ingrained in us; certain indigenous people eat termite grub, for example, which grosses me out, yet I'll not say that they shouldn't eat them because I think eating fat insect grub is repellent; that would be very ethnocentric and small-minded of me. Frankly, I'm more concerned that feeding our children "food" out of fancy, colorful bags and boxes with long lists of ingredients is considered normal these days! THAT, I think, is disgusting AND ignorant. Give me raw and wild foods any day. Seriously, my kids and I are NEVER sick! Okay, OT...

Let's keep this a positive post with information and support for women who are interested in using their placentas to avoid a horrible affliction that causes misery to entire families. Really, what's the point of coming here and telling us how disgusting you think it is? Why even read and respond to this thread when the title of this thread clearly states the "disgusting" subject matter? If an anti-placenta-consumption stance is based on factual information relating to safety vs. dangers, possible harm, I'd be interested in hearing it. But I don't think I'm going to get mad cow disease from my placenta.

[plantmama]

I just wanted to say that this thread is so interesting. Starting to change my feelings about it being kind of icky.
I remember reading a book in college (Daughter of the River, I think), about a Chinese family, really poor, living in this terrible communal house. Anyway, women traditionally made the placenta into a rich stew for the new mother and it was common for other women in the house to sneak up and grab bites of the tasty stew. I thought that was funny.

Also, someone mentioned that "livestock" don't typically eat their placentas, but I know that at least horses typically do, and I don't know that it is purely to get rid of the evidence, I think it may be nutritional for them as well. Maybe it is removed before they can get to it in some cases?

Anyway, thanks for this great thread.

Also does anybody know if placenta consumption is common in any other cultures? Hope this isn't too OT.

[Heffernhyphen]

Originally Posted by vespersongs

But picking your nose and eating it isn't cannibalism, is it? All our kids would be sickos, no?

Hmmm . . . I don't know. Boogers, technically, just sort of pass through us, like sweat; they aren't officially a part OF us, are they? I think the better analogy would be finger nails, or scabs. Now that's yucky.

[vespersongs]

heff, LOL!!!

[majazama]

Originally Posted by mamamoo

Just curious, did you get PPD with your first? And if so can I ask how your birth and PP was different between the two?
TIA~Debi

Yes, I think I did get PPD with my first baby, but I wasn't diagnosed, or anything. I couldn't really connect with her very well, and I had horrible thoughts come into my mind constantly. The birth was with a MW that I didn't have a good connection with and she made my birth experience quite different from what I had requested of her : So maybe it was partly to do with that, that I got the PPD.

My second birth was absolutely what I had always wanted, an UC. I got to call the shots, I got to give birth how I wanted, ask people to come and go when I wanted, and so I felt totally empowered in that experience. That might have been why I didn't get PPD that time. I was so afraid that I would get PPD again while I was pregnant, so that's why I was going to use my placenta. I took maybe 4 capsules afterwards, but it didn't make me feel any better, I'm guessing cause I felt absolutely happy, anyways. They made me sweat and I kept burping it up. But that doesn't make me think that every woman will have the same experience with it as I did.

I also think that a good diet is very important during pregnancy, so that the placenta stays healthy too. I didn't have a very good diet when I was pregnant becasue I was living alone with my active toddler and I didn't have very much money for much good organic food. I'm thinking raw food would have been optimal, but such is life.

[vespersongs]

adverse?

Majazama,
Your post was really helpful in that you took the capsules and had some negative reaction--sweats, burping, etc. and that you felt it didn't help since you felt better anyway.

Can anyone else offer words of wisdom in this respect?
Thanks!

[majazama]

vesper~ well, if you have a beautiful, perfect birth experience, perhaps you won't need to take the placenta to help you recover. But placenta can also be helpful for PP hemorrage, and can help restore lost minerals and vitamens after pregnancy, and/or a strenuous birth.

Maybe the placenta didn't do it for me because I didn't leave it in it's raw form. I steamed it with hot peppers and ginger, and a little bit of water. But I also think it was becasue of my poor diet during pregancy too.

[BrittanyD]

Using The Placenta Without Actually Eating It!

My midwife recommended this to me and it worked wonders for me! I had my mom do all the steaming and slicing and dehydrating because I was too busy with my new baby.

1st steam the placenta, just like you steam veggies.
Then slice it up.
Put in the dehydrator for about 24 hours. Do this outside, because it's kind of stinky.
Then grind it in the coffee grinder and then put it into capsules that you can buy at any healthfood store.

I took about 2 per day for about 7 months and never experienced any post-partum depression (even with going back to work full-time after only 3 weeks!) I also think that the placenta pills helped me with milk production. I only wish I would've weened myself down to 1 per day sooner so that I didn't run out so soon!

If you can't do this yourself or have someone do it for you, you may send the placenta (frozen) to my midwife to do it for you!

Also - I read about the hospital "accidentally threw the placenta away," and "sent it off for testing." I would imagine that the hospitals sell the valuable placentas . . . not throw them out. Who knows?