Placenta Encapsulation

Placentophagia is the process of a new mother consuming her placenta postpartum by either eating the placenta raw, cooked, in capsule form or drinking the juices from the placenta once it is cooked.

Benefits include: 

• Preventing and lessening the risk of postpartum depression or ‘baby blues’. 
• Replenishing your iron from blood loss during birth and to prevent post birth anemia. 
• Lending you a consistent flow of oxytocin long after your birth euphoria ends. 
• Providing the HPL hormone to help establish early and healthy milk supply 
• To stabilize your ever changing hormones post birth. 
• To replenish your B vitamins and energy that were used during the labor and birthing process.
• Protection from infection and bleeding due to retained placenta tissue or membranes.
• Offers natural pain relief from the labor and birth of the baby.

Iron:

The placenta postpartum is rich in iron. It is estimated that up to 50% of US

citizens have some form of low iron or anemia. Replenishing so much blood, rich in iron, after birth is a large task to take on. 

Having low iron often results in lower hormone levels, fatigue, lack of concentration and depressive symptoms. In studies, women with postpartum depression given iron supplements improved greatly.

 

Lactation:

In a study where women were given placenta to consume, 86% reported

increased milk production within 4 days. Research is still being done to completely narrow down exactly which hormones react with human milk supply to give it a boost.

Mothers who have experienced Toxemia or preeclampsia during pregnancy may find that their milk is slow to come in. Consuming placenta directly after birth has shown in many cases to help this.

 

Hormone Stabilization:

Hormonal fluctuations looked at in direct research with

postpartum depression has shown that the placenta contains hormones to assist in treating and preventing this disorder. During the pregnancy the placenta produces stress fighting hormones. Once the placenta is no longer present, it can take months for the brain and body to level out the hormones. During this time, the instability can cause depressive symptoms. 

By ingesting the placenta after birth, the mother is reintroducing these vital hormones to her body, until her brain signals its own production and can

level it out on its own.

Pain Relief:

Research has shown that ingesting placenta increases the effectiveness of

opioids. The mother would need to take much less pain medication to reach the same desired pain management. The women would experience less pharmacological side effects and better maternal responsiveness.