I Ate My Placenta

Yup, you read that right: I ate my placenta.  Some women make smoothies, others cook it and eat it, and still others, myself included, choose to have our placentas encapsulated so that we may ingest it in pill-form.  

Consuming one's placenta isn't new--most mammals, upon giving birth, do so.  There are several theories as to why, but the general consensus is that placentophagia, regardless of the reason, does have important maternal benefits. "For one, the placenta contains vitamins and minerals that may help fight depression symptoms, such as vitamin B6. For another, the placenta is considered rich in iron and protein, which would be useful to women recovering from childbirth, and a particular benefit to vegetarian women" (placentabenefits.info/medicinal).

Though it's possible to encapsulate your own placenta, many women choose to hire a placenta encapsulation specialist to do it for them.  My good friend and placenta guru, Stacie Mandeville, came to our home shortly after Nola's birth and prepared and encapsulated my placenta in our kitchen.  It's a two-day process, but she was only here for a few hours each time and was extremely clean and professional (for those of you concerned about have a blood spattered kitchen- no need to worry). When she was done, I was left with over 200 pills, a beautiful placenta print, and dosage instructions.  I took the pills regularly for the first several weeks postpartum, and on an "as-needed" basis since then.  They have no taste and you would never know where they came from by looking at them. Those of you that would like the benefits associated with placentophagia but are unwilling to take a fork to it: this is for you.  

Before

The Cord (which I still have, dried into this lovely heart shape)

During

After!

Placenta Print!

I didn't encapsulate my placenta after I had my first two babies, because I didn't know about it.  I wish I had. I had some mild postpartum depression with Aislinn, which was remedied fairly easily.  After Raia's birth, however, I suffered from severe PPD and anxiety.  Even though I have a history of depression and knew what I was experiencing, I was too ashamed to really do much about it.  I didn't feel anything towards my beautiful new baby. I kept telling myself that I must love her because I was taking good care of her, but I just didn't feel a bond.  It tore me apart.  Eventually, I got the treatment I so desperately needed, and I fell in love with my sweet girl, but it took time.  Too much time that I could never get back.

I knew when I got pregnant with Nola that I needed to have a plan.  I could not live through another bout of PPD.  My midwives and I discussed my options, and as one component of my postpartum care, I decided I would try placenta encapsulation.  Nola arrived, my placenta was transformed, and I...felt great.  After the initial recovery, I had more energy than I've ever had after giving birth, I was head over heels in love with my new daughter, and the only time I cried was about a week after she was born and I kind of missed having her in my belly.  While I can't prove causation, I would definitely say that the placenta pills played a significant role in my postpartum adjustment this time around.  

For more information on placenta benefits, visit placentabenefits.info.  If you're interested in encapsulating your placenta, check out http://www.innerwisdombirth.com.