11 Reasons to Eat your Placenta ;-)

Hahahahahaha. But seriously. Kind of. Just keep reading. I've taken a lot from this article at Passionate Homemaking, so I'd suggest reading that one as well.

The idea of "eating" your placenta after giving birth is not new at all. In our modern world the whole thing seems pretty disgusting, right? But here are some things to consider...

God made women to make babies and tied the whole baby-making bonanza up into a natural, beautiful, genius fertility process (if you're on artificial contraception, this doesn't happen though). He made the womb a nourishing place to grow a child. He created women's bodies to allow for the impossible to be possible (baby leaves womb via small...hole..., pardon the crude/prude description). Logically then, why wouldn't He also have a plan for after the baby is born, to help restore the mother's health and strength, so that she could take care of herself and her family?

It's not very logical, is it? 

God did in fact plan for our own bodies to be nourished and restored postpartum--the placenta. During pregnancy, the placenta acts as a fetal life-support-ish system for the baby, but it's job doesn't (have to) end at delivery--it can act in a similar way for a mother, nourishing her after delivery as well. The placenta has lots of natural iron, protein, and other essential hormones that a woman lacks after delivery. To be more specific:

The known ingredients that give the placenta its healing properties are:
Gonadotrophin: the precursor to estrogen, progesterone and testosterone
Prolactin: promotes lactation
Oxytocin: for pain and bonding; produced during breastfeeding to facilitate bonding of mother and infant. In pharmaceutical form this is a very addictive drug because it promotes a feeling of connectedness with others
Thyroid stimulating hormone: boosts energy and helps recovery from stressful events
Cortisone: combats stress and unlocks energy stores
Interferon: stimulates the immune system to protect against infections
Prostaglandins: anti-inflammatory
Hemoglobin: replenishes iron deficiency and anemia, a common postpartum condition
Urokinase inhibiting factor and factor XIII: stops bleeding and enhances wound healing
Gammaglobulin: immune booster that helps protect against postpartum infections.
(Source)

So, by eating your placenta, the benefits to be reaped include: higher milk supply, resulting in better baby weight gain, better baby bonding, faster recovery, much lower chance of postpartum depression/general baby blues, boosting energy levels, alleviate postpartum bleeding, nourishing the body with essentials depleted at delivery...just to name a few.

Our God is certainly an awesome God and made a plan at the creation of the universe to help women after childbirth. Who am I to think I'm somehow "above" this plan or to think it's "gross"? As Paul says in often quoted Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". In that case, I guess my placenta is a like a shield of armor to help me in the battle of becoming a mother, so SIGN ME UP!!!

LUCKILY for me though, I live in the 21st century. I don't have to literally eat my placenta postpartum to reap all these benefits. In fact, I never even have to touch the thing. Once I deliver Gianna and placenta, the midwives will bag it up, and Chris will drop it off at Tiffany K's house, owner of Mom's Health First, and in a couple days, we get to pick up a jar of pills. If I can swallow nasty black strap molasses, I can certainly swallow a gelatin capsule that tastes like nothing.

While I know this idea of placentas is not ideal dinner conversation or anything, it doesn't make sense to be so grossed out by it or to be taboo to talk about. Just as in cooking a whole chicken we would want to not only use the meat, but also use the left over carcass for chicken broth, so too when life gives you babies, you use to "left overs" to make placenta pills! Hahahahahahahahahaha Makes perfect sense, right......? :-) :-) :-)

If you're interested in learning more about the benefits of placenta encapsulation, a quick google search will give you A TON of good resources. Enjoy that "food for thought" ( hahaha, I crack myself up)

**also, small note, if you deliver birth at a hospital, you have a right to your placenta, it is yours afterall! Let your doctor/nurse midwife know and it can be saved for you after delivery**