Eating the Placenta? Yuck! Ack! Gross! - Page 4

[RachelSerena]

would a placenta from a previous birth, that has been wrapped in heavy plastic and frozen for a few years, have any benefit hormonally?

and would you be worried about eating the placenta if you were administered antibiotics during the birth?

[Limabean1975]

I don't know the answers to your questions, RachelSerena, but I have heard that freezing does not make any food safe to eat indefinitely. I am not sure if that is correct or not, just what I've heard - i.e. that you should not eat meat that has been in your freezer for more than a certain amount of time (some months).

[mandalin24kd]

Originally Posted by RachelSerena

would a placenta from a previous birth, that has been wrapped in heavy plastic and frozen for a few years, have any benefit hormonally?

and would you be worried about eating the placenta if you were administered antibiotics during the birth?

It is my understanding that there is no benefit in a placenta that is older than a couple days old. Like anything, the nutrients being dying immediately.

[Theia]

This maybe a little OT, but not completely. I read a book about a guys travels in India, true story stuff. It was his travel journal if you like. Anyway, at one point he was visiting a family whose family cow had just birthed a new calf. The cow's afterbirth (placenta) was prepared in a rice pudding and it is viewed as a great honor to be given the opportunity to share in this rare delicacy. The poor guy, he didn't really enjoy it, especially after he was able to decipher what he was eating, but reading some of the other posts here made me remember this.

As for my own placenta, I am not sure if I will consume mine or not as I am planning a lotus birth, if we use much salt I will not be consuming it.

[HeatherRD]

Now I say Yum!! (Sort of)

Originally Posted by mandalin24kd

It is my understanding that there is no benefit in a placenta that is older than a couple days old. Like anything, the nutrients being dying immediately.

I know that nutrients are lost over time, but is the placenta really only good for a couple days? It seems like many mothers on here eat their placentas over the course of a couple weeks, with good results. I would agree that nutrient loss occurs, but surely there are benefits for longer than a couple days?

Thanks for the replies everybody. Usually the threads I start only last 1-2 pages, so I'm excited to see this many people replying to my question. Very interesting. I like that there are many different ways to eat the placenta - raw, cooked, encapsulated. It seems like most of you ate it raw. For those that cooked it, do you think you had as good results as those who ate it raw?

In case you are wondering about my sig., I am vegan for ethical reasons, to which eating my placenta would not apply. After reading all these responses, I definitely think I will try it. Now I am trying to get my husband to agree to cut it up and freeze it for me.

[gerlassie]

I thought the idea of being able to post was to bring about different opinions. This thread started with a "YUCK" and asked for responses. It was never stated that the responses needed to be positive only. Everyone is entitled to their opinion good or bad and I haven't read any post here which states that a personal choice to consume one's body product makes anyone a degenerate. It's a choice...I chose not to eat a placenta because I find it unappetizing as I find many foods that do not fit my palate. That doesn't mean that I'm bashing anyone because they find a physical or emotional benefit from doing differently.

gerlassie

[HeatherRD]

Originally Posted by gerlassie

I thought the idea of being able to post was to bring about different opinions. This thread started with a "YUCK" and asked for responses. It was never stated that the responses needed to be positive only. Everyone is entitled to their opinion good or bad and I haven't read any post here which states that a personal choice to consume one's body product makes anyone a degenerate. It's a choice...I chose not to eat a placenta because I find it unappetizing as I find many foods that do not fit my palate. That doesn't mean that I'm bashing anyone because they find a physical or emotional benefit from doing differently.

gerlassie

What I asked for were opinions from mothers who originally thought eating placenta was gross, but ended up doing it anyway, and whether or not it helped with PPD. So, your response was a little OT. Not a really big deal, but I think what really irked the poster who said to "keep it positive" was the poster who stated that eating the placenta is immoral. This goes beyond stating your opinion about eating the placenta, to judging people who do eat the placenta.

HTH

[3for_me]

Originally Posted by swimswamswum

I had mine encapsulated by a doula affiliated with my birth center. My midwife gave it to her and she dropped the capsules at my house. I think eating it made a HUGE difference for me (see my sig).

This is what I do The midwives of our local birth center let the moms know that if they want their placenta encapsulated I can do it for them. I think of it as me taking the gross part away. When I give it back to the mom it looks just like vitamins.


Swimswamswum are you in MI???

[3for_me]

Oh I forgot to add that I have received 3 placentas from 3 different hospitals in Michigan. Some Docs will tell you that it is the hospitals say but what I have seen is that it is the Docs who lets you take it or not. All 3 of my hospital moms have told their docs what they wanted their placenta for and got it

[swimswamswum]

Originally Posted by 3for_me

This is what I do The midwives of our local birth center let the moms know that if they want their placenta encapsulated I can do it for them. I think of it as me taking the gross part away. When I give it back to the mom it looks just like vitamins.


Swimswamswum are you in MI???

Yup. Thanks for helping me out.

[sweetsensation]

sorry, double posted, see below!

[sweetsensation]

I was very grossed out by the thought of eating the placenta...but I will be eating it for a different reason. After my friend put it to me like this, it's eaither eat some placenta, or bleed to death or transfer to the hospital (I am having an unassisted birth), I will definately eat some placenta. I will be eating it in case of hemorrhage, however, I am having a doula who will cut it up for me. I have a friend who ate it raw to stop bleeding, as she said it wasn't too bad! If it helps with the downs I usually feel after giving birth, then that would be an added plus! I also heard it does wonders for menopause. This of course, you would have to dry and grind up to make into capsules for future use!

Annah

[sweetsensation]

Originally Posted by HeatherRD

I know that nutrients are lost over time, but is the placenta really only good for a couple days? It seems like many mothers on here eat their placentas over the course of a couple weeks, with good results. I would agree that nutrient loss occurs, but surely there are benefits for longer than a couple days?

Actually, it isn't so much 'nutrients' as the hormones in the placenta that are beneficial for stopping hemorrhage, preventing PPD, and easing menopause symptoms. I don't think those ever go away, making the placenta very powerful for a very long time. of course, there are other nutrients in it that are good (protein, vitamins) I'm sure. I have heard of women keeping it for several years and then making capsules, receiving the same benefit for menopause. It does seem to be the most potent immediately after birth, and raw, however.

[gerlassie]

Please forgive my postings. It appears that I have touched a nerve with a part of the community that has very different views and is not as open to discussions about things which may not be considered standard practice by many. I am sorry for expressing my views and hope I haven't seriously offended anyone about their preferences. I'm done.

gerlassie

[BunnySlippers]

Originally Posted by Arwyn

I didn't eat it raw (kind of wish I had), but dried and encapsulated it. OK, had my partner cut up and dry and encapsulate it. I don't know if it helped, but I didn't have PPD, and I do have a history of bipolar depression, which puts me in a high risk category. I know it did something, because the day after the one day I skipped the capsules is the only time I had any bleeding after the lochia flow of the first few weeks.

Here's a link about cows eating their placenta. According to that article, humans and camels are the only placental land mammals who DON'T practice placentaphagia.

I think PPD has a lot to do with a lack of social support in this soceity, which placentaphagia does nothing for, but for the chemical component, I think it helps. Other than knowing that the placenta contains high level of nutrients and hormones, I'm not sure there is much (or any) research on the effects of placentaphagia on PPD. We're kind of out beyond research here.

horse don't eat thier placentas either

[swimswamswum]

Originally Posted by gerlassie

Please forgive my postings. It appears that I have touched a nerve with a part of the community that has very different views and is not as open to discussions about things which may not be considered standard practice by many. I am sorry for expressing my views and hope I haven't seriously offended anyone about their preferences. I'm done.

gerlassie

I think that the part people were upset about was the judgment. Eating one's placenta is not accepted in most circles. Many of us who have done it feel that it helped tremendously and are looking for a place to share our experiences. Mothering should be a place where we can talk about this without the typical mainstream judgment. I think many folks are protective of this environment.

[Ahappymel]

You know..my lil' one is 1 yr. We still have the frozen placenta. I did not eat it and can't now...
But if I honestly could go back, I think I would have tried it to avoid the way I feel some days...

[alleyeinstein]

EATING PLACENTA - I need help for an educational story, fee avialble

Hi Everyone
I am really enjoying reading this debate.
I am expecting - 7 weeks ( scared and nervous) but I am also a writer based in the Uk and I write for all the reputable womens magazines and am working on stories for pregnancy magazines.

I think this is a great story and I would love to interview one or 2 women who have had the placenta encapsulated by their doula or have eaten some of the placent for the vitamin intake.

I think its fabulous.

The good news is I would be paying you for your story - $400usd for each person interviewed, I'd interview you ver the phone and we'd need some picks of you prgenant and after with new baby.

It's a chance to educate and you'd get a read back plus we would probanly aslo send out a photographer.

Please help me do an educational story

Email meat : [e-mail]
My mobile is London 07747 825 884 or phoning from overseas is [phone]
The fee may be higher but it depends on the magazines interest.
HELP ME EDUCATE OTHERS

I ma an ethical journalist and a member of the NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS NUJ 937 491. I can also send you sample stories

Kindest

Alley

[BunnySlippers]

Hi Alley,
I think that is fantastic. I am not yet pregnant with my second and with my first it never crossed my mind, so I cannot offer up my story.
I just wanted to say I look forward to reading the stories, and expect they will be thoughtful and in no way will they put the mother down or make her out to be a freak

I think the benefits the placenta can provide are amazing, its well worth overcoming any ick thoughts for.

[ComfyCozy]

I encapsulated it within 24 hours after my last baby was born on 11/19. I took the last capsule a few days ago. All I can say is-- I didn't get postpartum depression this time Admittedly, I have also been taking omega's and B vitamins, which I didn't last time around. I took several placenta pills a day in the first couple of weeks and then took one a day for the next few months. Now that I'm out of them I hope things stay stable, and I'm continuing the supplements. I can't say what the pills' effects were in themselves since I've been taking other supplements, but I know they didn't hurt and probably helped, especially in the early days. I even bypassed the "blues" I *always* got on the second or third day pp.