Placenta post birth

[rikki]

One of my (close) friends just posted on Facebook that she had her placenta encapsulated and that she takes one whenever she needs a boost. She also mentioned she had part of her placenta mixed with vodka to create some sort of potion. Is this normal? I'm really grossed out.

[isabel]

www.healthytippingpoint.com/2012/03/babyhtp-27-weeks.html

About halfway through the post.

For the record, I wouldn't do this, but I can understand why someone would. Having it in pill form doesn't gross me out really. I'm side eyeing the "potion" though...

[curbsideprophet]

I did not do this, but I know people who have done it. I would not consider it common though.

[h]

It's sometimes done, usually in really crunchy circles. I only have one friend who has done it, and I have a lot of friends who have had kids. It is supposed to help curb PPD.

[Brie]

I thought it was totally ridic before, but I had such a horrible hormone crash PP I may look into encapsulation next time. I'm certainly not convinced it works, but I would do anything to potentially avoid that total hell again.

[Deleted]

Someone once posted on here( not here the nest) about making placenta cookies. I told DH, & he totally grossed out, & then brought it up IN THE DELIVERY ROOM. He got a giant side eye from the midwife on that one.

[Willis Jackson]

I didn't even want to look at that thing.

[katiescarlett]

I am grossed out by it but I think it seems like a good idea. It has a bunch of benefits. Don't most animals eat the placenta? If I could stomach it I would have done it.

[pamela]

Not normal, although not unheard of on the bump.

I'm maintaining my stance that it's too close to cannibalism. But the fact that animals do it doesn't sway me. They do it to hide the scent to keep predators from coming and eating their babies. There are also animals that eat there own babies, so yeah, not taking animal judgement into consideration on this one.

[Saudade]

I wanted to encapsulate it but I'm kind of a wuss and couldn't stand up for myself to my CNM. I also wanted to see it but forgot to ask during the c/s.

[gibbinator]

Nov 14, 2012 8:21:15 GMT -5 pamela said:

Not normal, although not unheard of on the bump.

I'm maintaining my stance that it's too close to cannibalism. But the fact that animals do it doesn't sway me. They do it to hide the scent to keep predators from coming and eating their babies. There are also animals that eat there own babies, so yeah, not taking animal judgement into consideration on this one.

This is kind of my feeling. Plus they lick the blood and gore off the babies, I prefer the infant bath myself

If someone wants to give it a try though, that's fine. I won't be

[eddy]

I didn't eat it or anything but I did ask to look at the thing while I was being sewn up. I had placenta previa and then vasa previa that ended up making my pregnancy high risk. I was lucky to be able to wait until 36 weeks to deliver via section. If I would have gone into labor it would have been fatal for Leo. I wanted to look ath this thing we had worried so much about. I saw all the exposed vessals and it was actually pretty cool. I didn't ask to see it with my first son.

[liveintheville]

We're still scarred from the time we were flipping through a friend's camera, the crazy one living next to SCM, at his newborn pictures and found he had taken a picture of the placenta.

When their 2nd kid was born we refused to look at the pictures until he assured us he did not photograph the placenta this time.

We're not a particularly crunchy bunch, though.

[whitepicketfence]

Nov 14, 2012 7:25:23 GMT -5 Willis Jackson said:

I didn't even want to look at that thing.

+1

That shit was gross.

[Deleted]

I've heard of it but ummm no way would I do anything with it. Ill bleed an extra few weeks or whatever.

[Deleted]

I don't find it as horrifying as I did before I gave birth and started hanging in the outskirts of a very crunchy crowd, but I still can't fathom eating a human organ myself.

[h]

I have no intention of doing it and agree that the fact that most other mammals do it is fairly meaningless in the context of modern humans, but I am firmly in the "to each their own" camp on this one. It doesn't affect me in the least if someone else eats her placenta (though I would prefer she not discuss it on FB).

[cjeanette]

I will forever associate placenta cookies with etsy hair bows.

[w2w]

Oh god no. I can't imagine eating a human organ.

[mrshandy]

I probably wouldn't do it.

But whoever wants to do it, more power to them. It's not hurting anyone, so it's really none of my business.

[birdmom]

I think that I would opt bleed for a few more weeks and not drink the placenta smoothie.

[Deleted]

I'm at risk of PPD so I'm looking into encapsulation. A lot of doulas around me do it anyway. I don't have to look at it, just pop a pill. Flame away but any port in a storm is my motto. Besides, it's mine.

[justjen]

ew ew ew ew ew

[hocus]

I don't know that it is common (at least for humans, animals often eat the placenta) but there people who believes is helps a lot with postpartum recovery.

[pamela]

Nov 14, 2012 10:26:59 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

Nov 14, 2012 8:21:15 GMT -5 pamela said:

Not normal, although not unheard of on the bump.

I'm maintaining my stance that it's too close to cannibalism. But the fact that animals do it doesn't sway me. They do it to hide the scent to keep predators from coming and eating their babies. There are also animals that eat there own babies, so yeah, not taking animal judgement into consideration on this one.

Do they also clean up all their blood - perhaps get a little broom and sweep away any tracks? That would be necessary to hide the scent, which would be damn near impossible.

It's only close to cannibalism if you think a placenta is a human.

I get the ewww factor, but let's not go overboard.

Eating a human brain is considered cannibalism, yes? Why not a human placenta? Both are organs. Just one has been naturally expelled from the body.

[Deleted]

Nov 14, 2012 10:31:11 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

Apparently it tastes like liver.

I like liver. ;D

[karinothing]

Nov 14, 2012 10:26:59 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

Nov 14, 2012 8:21:15 GMT -5 pamela said:

Not normal, although not unheard of on the bump.

I'm maintaining my stance that it's too close to cannibalism. But the fact that animals do it doesn't sway me. They do it to hide the scent to keep predators from coming and eating their babies. There are also animals that eat there own babies, so yeah, not taking animal judgement into consideration on this one.

Do they also clean up all their blood - perhaps get a little broom and sweep away any tracks? That would be necessary to hide the scent, which would be damn near impossible.

It's only close to cannibalism if you think a placenta is a human.

I get the ewww factor, but let's not go overboard.

What is the placenta if it is not human? it has human DNA. If I ate my liver (it would be cannabilism no?)

ETA: I see Pamela and I are of like minds today.

[BAMFMrsB]

Well... mine tried to kill me, so it got sent off for testing. Like really tried to kill me. There is no way I wanted to keep that thing around. :@

[h]

I just goggled placenta recipes, and in addition to recipes for placenta lasagna and placenta bolognaise, I found a blog post by a guy who made his wife's placenta into a casserole and served it to a large group of (mostly vegan) friends at a party. WTF?

[lmb5109]

I won't be doing it but I had to say on my hospitals birth plan form if I wanted to see the placenta after birth. I'm still up in the air on even seeing that thing!