Placentophagy

PLACENTOPHAGY: People eat what?!?

by Alissa Light

When I decided to train for placenta encapsulation I had a lot of questions. And zombie jokes. But as I learned more about the reasons women choose to ingest their placentas, I forgot to be grossed out and just became intrigued with the benefits. I have been to many, many births and have seen many, many placentas. The midwives or OBs toss it in a silver bucket and look it over to make sure everything is in order. Sometimes new dads get excited and take a few dozen pictures to whip out at extended family dinners. Because a placenta is not something you look at and think, Yum!

It is, however, a very cool organ. Providing nutrients and the perfect blend of hormones for pregnancy, nearly all other mammals eat their placentas. The placenta-eating women I have talked to think they know why. All personal accounts involve energy boosts, stable emotions, better milk supply, and faster recovery. Many of my clients have had experience with postpartum depression in previous births and

Joel Stein from Time Magazine's experience with in home placenta encapsulation.

Sh!t Crunchy Dads Say:

"It's called placenta encapsulation..."

decided to take a chance on encapsulation. These women seem to be the biggest supporters of Team Placenta and the most willing to discuss it with dry heaving strangers on the street.

At the last PPI conference I attended, placentophagy was discussed as an alternative method to pharmaceutical drugs. The psychologist sitting next to me gasped when this particular PowerPoint appeared and whispered "Oh my god! Who would eat placenta?!?". Admittedly, I went into more descriptive detail than was strictly necessary, complete with my own experience of downing a placenta smoothie.

For me the bottom line is seeing the benefits in my clients. So far all of them have told me they felt major benefits from placentophagy and would definitely do it again. Reading the research and having the option of safe placenta encapsulation should be available to all families.

Placenta Encapsulation in the national news:
People Magazine: January Jones: Placenta Capsules Are ‘Not Witch-Crafty!’
New York Magazine: The Placenta Cookbook
U-T: San Diego: Scientists address health claims of placentophagia
Time Magazine: Afterbirth: It's What's for Dinner