Eat umbilical cord
Why do people eat placentas?
Published
Image source, Science Photo Library
Image caption,Some women are opting to drink the placenta in a fruit smoothie within hours of giving birth
By Laura Devlin
BBC News, East
It is a waste product from childbirth, so why would anyone choose to eat a raw human placenta?
It sustains life in the womb and has fulfilled its primary purpose once it leaves the mother during childbirth. The human placenta then becomes something rather messy to be discarded - but not everyone sees it that way.
The nutrients that have passed from mother to foetus over months of pregnancy are, some believe, still packed inside the bloody organ and should not be wasted. Instead, the raw placenta could provide just what the mother needs as she recovers from childbirth and begins breastfeeding. And that means eating it.
Some women are opting to drink the placenta in a fruit smoothie within hours of giving birth, keeping it cool and sending it off to be dried and made into capsules, or even ripping of a chunk and placing it by their gums.
They are convinced that the magic bullet gives them an energy boost, can encourage breast milk production and even prevent post-natal depression.
The Independent Placenta Encapsulation Network (IPEN) is tapping into the recent trend for eating placenta and charges £150 for capsules, £25 for a smoothie.
Image source, Science Photo Library
Image caption,Some believe the nutrients still inside the organ should not be wasted
But the company is currently awaiting the outcome of a court case that could see it shut down.
In what is thought to be the first case of its kind, Dacorum Borough Council prevented IPEN from trading in October last year over concerns about bacterial contamination.
Watford magistrates heard the case and have reserved judgement on the matter.
Charlie Poulter, from Reading, is convinced that ingesting a palm-sized piece of placenta within a cocktail of red berries and banana gave her energy after her labour.
"I did drink it rather quickly because I didn't want to think about it," she said.
"But I'd just pushed a baby out, I'd had lots of people look at me. It felt insignificant compared to what I had just gone through.
"I thought 'if this is going to stop post-natal depression and give me some energy, then I can drink three-quarters of a pint of liquid. Man up and drink it'.
The 30-year-old's motivation was pretty clear.
She had been receiving therapy for depression for 18 months when she became pregnant and was concerned about developing post-natal depression.
"I had never heard of placenta encapsulation before but found out that it could help with the baby blues.
"I was willing to try anything and my husband said that even if it had a placebo effect, it doesn't matter, it's not going to harm you.
"
IPEN advised her to put her wishes in in her birthing plan and inform her midwife.
An IPEN specialist was to make a placenta smoothie at her hospital bedside, so Charlie requested a private room for her labour in June 2011.
A cool box was also an essential item in her hospital bag, so IPEN could store more of her placenta to dry and make into capsules, which Charlie received within a few days.
Another piece was soaked in alcohol for a tincture, the latter of which she still uses "like Rescue Remedy".
"My daughter Lillian was my first child, so I have nothing to compare this to, but I had a lot of energy - I didn't feel completely dead.
"My husband was more exhausted than I was."
Image source, Science Photo Library
Image caption,It is claimed that "placenta encapsulation" could help with the baby blues
She also says she did not develop post-natal depression and "swears it was the placenta". She has since become an IPEN specialist herself.
Humans are in the minority over placentophagy, or eating the placenta.
With the exception of marine mammals and some domesticated ones, all other mammals consume the afterbirth - possibly to help with the bonding process.
Dried placenta is used in some traditional Chinese medicine and is thought to be a restorative, but the practice of placentophagy is a more recent trend in western culture and is not without controversy
In 1998, Channel 4 was reprimanded for showing a woman's afterbirth being served up as pate by TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
The placenta was fried with shallots and garlic, flambeed, pureed and served to a new mother's 20 relatives and friends as a pate on focaccia bread.
The Broadcasting Standards Commission said the episode of TV Dinners, shown in February, breached a taboo and "would have been disagreeable to many".
Labour's Kevin McNamara, who was then MP for Hull North, said the programme was "offensive to the public".
More recently, US actress and vegan Alicia Silverstone published placenta recipes after eating her afterbirth, and Mad Men actress January Jones reported consumed dried placenta capsules after the birth of her son Xander.
Writer Nick Baines gave a mixed review after he whizzed up a smoothie and tucked into a taco - both containing his wife's raw placenta following the birth of their son.
But what of the science?
Mother's choice
To date, there is not one double-blind placebo controlled study on human placentophagy.
Last year, the University of Nevada surveyed women who had eaten their placenta. Many reported health benefits, but, the researchers said, very little work had been carried out to assess this anecdotal evidence.
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said there was not enough evidence for the organisation to "either support or not support" placentophagy as there had not been enough research on the health benefits.
But spokeswoman Jacque Gerrard said: "Our view is that if a mother wants to keep her placenta, it's her choice and it should be facilitated."
She added that while "anecdotally" they were hearing about more women asking to keep the placenta, they could not say if there had been an "actual rise" because it was not something they monitored.
Whatever the health benefits, there is no denying the strong reaction the subject raises whenever placentophagy makes the news.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Should I Eat My Placenta? Placentophagy and Placenta Pills
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
Reviewed by Nivin Todd, MD on September 10, 2022
In this Article
- What Does the Placenta Do?
- What to Expect If You Try It
- How to Decide If It's for You
Your placenta: You could dry it and put it in pills. You could stir-fry it with onions.
You could even eat it raw in the delivery room.
Don't faint! The act of eating the placenta after you give birth, called placentophagy, isn't just something animals do. Human moms do it, too, including tribal women and glamorous celebrities. You may be wondering whether you should as well.
What Does the Placenta Do?
The placenta, or afterbirth, is the first organ that forms -- even before any of your baby's organs -- after you conceive. It plays an important role in your pregnancy: It connects you and your baby in the uterus and delivers oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to them. It also takes away the waste that they make.
The placenta grows throughout your pregnancy. It is also the only organ your body makes and then gets rid of. After you give birth, you don't need it anymore. If your baby arrived through vaginal delivery, you'll push it out vaginally. If you have a C-section, the doctor will remove the placenta from your uterus. At delivery time, it weighs about 1 pound.
It looks round and flat.
People who support eating the placenta say that it can raise your energy and breast milk quantity. They also say it can level off your hormones, lowering your chances of postpartum depression and insomnia.
Those claims have not been fully tested. So there is no proof that eating your placenta actually does these things. But some experts say we should continue to study it.
In animals other than humans, eating the afterbirth has some perks. It might reduce labor pains in a female dog, for example, as their remaining puppies are born, and it can encourage the mother to bond with their newborns.
Remember, though, that's for a dog, not for a woman.
The placenta does have protein and fats. But those nutrients can be found in a healthy diet.
Human placentophagy isn't new. Throughout history, different cultures have done it, although they don't always think it's a good thing. Some experts think that modern doulas and midwives may recommend placentophagy based on a misunderstanding of scientific literature.
What to Expect If You Try It
One of the ways that women eat their placenta is dried, powdered, and sealed into capsules. Swallowing a pill with the dried placenta might be easier if you're squeamish about seeing, touching, or tasting the "raw" tissue itself. Often a midwife can prepare the pills for you. But one of the things we don't know is whether heating it offsets any of its benefits.
Since there's little research on eating the afterbirth, it's hard to know how you will feel. Most women who want or expect to feel good or better after eating placenta do feel that way. But that may be just a placebo effect.
Some women have said they feel sick after eating it. If you research online or talk to women who have tried it, you can get varied opinions. But those are based on personal experience, not scientific evidence.
How to Decide If It's for You
While there doesn't seem to be any proof that eating your placenta can help you, there is some proof that it can hurt.
If you eat it "fresh" or raw, it might spread infection. Even processing your placenta by putting it in capsules might spoil it with bacteria or viruses.
Some hospitals may not allow you to take it or eat it. So if you're considering it, ask ahead of time about their policy.
we conduct a full educational program on fashionable childbirth in Krasnoyarsk
Perhaps in your Instagram feeds you have seen photos of some languid insta-diva, who is photographed in a beautiful interior with flowers in her hair, hugging her perfectly round pregnant belly.
For sure, in the caption to the photo, this diva denies the whole world of evidence-based medicine, telling how she decided to give birth at home under the supervision of a doula, because our ancestors did it, no matter how she never regretted it. And that after giving birth, her baby lay next to her for several hours with an uncut umbilical cord, because it is very useful - and she also read about this on Instagram, only from another, even more popular insta-diva.
And that then from this umbilical cord and placenta she will definitely make herself a smoothie, because everyone does it. nine0005
Before scolding both the insta-diva and world medicine, let's see if there is any sense in all this, and most importantly, is it dangerous? We compiled a complete educational program on fashionable childbirth together with the candidate of medical sciences, deputy chief physician for the medical department of the Krasnoyarsk Interdistrict Clinical Hospital No. 4, obstetrician-gynecologist Evgenia Sivova.
Why Home Birth Can Kill You
— Medically speaking, home births can be planned or unplanned. Speaking of fashion, we probably first of all have in mind a planned home birth, when a woman deliberately decides that she will give birth at home. In some foreign countries, this format of childbirth is regulated by law; there is also a midwife or even a family doctor present along with the woman in labor. In Russia, this is not regulated by law in any way, it is not written anywhere how such childbirth should actually take place.
nine0007 Home births increase the risk of maternal and infant mortality. During childbirth, unforeseen situations may arise that can be controlled and resolved in a medical organization. If a woman gives birth at home, she is not controlled by anyone, which means that the consequences can be very different.
What is the danger of such childbirth? Any childbirth can be complicated by bleeding, for example, with placental abruption, blood loss is 2.5 liters or more.
In a medical institution, it is possible to carry out autohemotransfusion (transfusion of one's own blood), at home the situation can be fatal. nine0007 Another danger is acute fetal hypoxia, for example, in the case of umbilical cord entanglement. This situation cannot be foreseen in advance, therefore it is important that a qualified specialist is nearby. Plus, during childbirth, the doctor monitors the fetal heartbeat and, if something goes wrong, will be able to quickly respond. In addition, any childbirth, if there are difficulties, can end with a caesarean section, which is impossible to perform at home.
— Supporters of home births often make an argument: they used to give birth in an open field, and nothing. What can you say about this? nine0005
- In this case, let's take into account that our population is not getting healthier, there is a tendency that the general state of people's health is deteriorating. It is also worthwhile to understand that earlier, after a cesarean section, a woman in labor died, because they only knew how to perform a cerebrosection, the operation technique was unknown. Now, after a caesarean section, women live and enjoy the joy of motherhood.
In the end, girls used to give birth at the age of 16-19, and now many women in labor over 35 years old come to us, with increasing age, diseases and the possibility of complications are acquired, so it’s better to give birth to a child under the supervision of doctors, and not on your own. nine0017
— What about doulas, the so-called birth assistants? Women sometimes trust them more than doctors.
- Doulas are usually people without medical education, so they cannot prescribe drugs, use medical methods, conduct examinations, that is, the doula does not control anything, does not analyze and does not provide obstetric care. In fact, this is a mother who supports her daughter during pregnancy, or a partner who is nearby during partner childbirth. nine0007 There is an understanding that the concept of "dola" in our reality has been changed, tied to home birth and endowed with the functions of medical support. But within the framework of skilled medical care in the 21st century, what kind of doulas can we talk about? This person will not replace a medical team - a midwife, an obstetrician-gynecologist, a neonatologist. This must be understood.
Tethered all night: what is a lotus birth and is it necessary?
Lotus childbirth is one of the latest fashion trends in childbirth, when after the birth of a child, the umbilical cord is not cut for several hours.
Often it is not touched in any way until it falls off on its own. According to supporters of this method, the child's body is better saturated with oxygen and blood. nine0006
— In the umbilical cord, which connects the mother and fetus, there are vessels and arteries, thanks to which blood is exchanged between them. Physiologically, this blood flow ceases after birth, but can persist for a maximum of 20 minutes. Therefore, there is absolutely no point in lying in this position for several hours. It doesn't carry any value.
Perhaps the idea that this is necessary came from somewhat distorted information about a study by American scientists, according to which it makes sense to somewhat delay cutting the umbilical cord - but not for several hours, but for a maximum of 1-3 minutes. It is believed that this time is enough for part of the blood to finish its current and thus saturate the child's blood so that the child's hemoglobin increases. The study also says that within 3-6 months, this helps the child gain weight better.
nine0017
- It is believed that it is precisely because the umbilical cord is cut immediately that the child turns blue. Therefore, the umbilical cord must be left intact.
- As soon as a child is born, he takes his first breath and his lungs open. He starts to breathe on his own, and that's the whole point. The fact that they can have a bluish color indicates that during childbirth the fetus experiences oxygen starvation, which is completely normal, because during contractions the vessels are pinched, but this is all a physiological process. nine0017
Bon Appetit: Placenta Smoothies and Capsules
- Women eat placenta because they believe it helps with postpartum recovery, increases energy levels, stimulates milk production, and improves hormones. Many also refer to the fact that all animals eat the placenta after childbirth, which means that it is useful.
- The benefits of eating the placenta have not been proven. Now all over the world, studies are being conducted on this subject, but so far they have not given positive results, and there is no point in taking it by itself or drugs made from it.
As a rule, studies are conducted as follows: among a very large number of subjects, it is compared whether there was a positive effect from taking placental drugs or not. And if not, then why is all this necessary? But in order to conduct these studies, a lot of time and resources are needed, so this work is still in progress. nine0007 The placenta performs several functions - gas exchange, hormonal and excretory, it is a barrier between the mother and the fetus, helps the fetus grow and protects it from various outside influences, while not protecting it from drugs, alcohol, drugs, nicotine. That is, it, as a temporary organ, works until the moment of childbirth, and after that it no longer exists.
The argument that animals eat the placenta cannot be considered justified either, since animals do this not for reasons of benefit, but because the placenta attracts the attention of predators. By eating it, animals protect themselves and their offspring from danger. nine0007 And the production of milk and the restoration of the hormonal background occur after childbirth as a result of other hormonal and physiological processes.
More vitamins: how much dietary supplements do pregnant women need?
— In Instagram, the blogs of the so-called healers, who advise taking a huge amount of dietary supplements, are very common. At the beginning of summer, there was a big scandal with this: the famous Instagram blogger Elena Kornilova prescribed through her blog to women, including pregnant women, a large amount of vitamins from the well-known American site Iherb, some of which contained dangerous elements. Nevertheless, there is an opinion that pregnant women need a lot of vitamins to maintain the health of the body. Is it so? nine0005
- Any medical consultation on Instagram needs to be said categorically "no". The person behind the blog can present themselves as they please, and there is no way you can verify this data. There is also a fashion consultation based on the results of analyzes, but this does not work that way. A doctor does not treat tests, he treats a person, it is necessary to communicate with the patient, to see him.
As for drugs for pregnant women, they should be as small as possible. Including vitamins.
All over the world, medical research on pregnant women is prohibited, so even on specialized vitamins and medicines it is written that they should be taken with caution by pregnant women. There is the concept of drug safety. nine0007 Almost all pregnant women take folic acid, some drugs are selected individually according to indications, someone takes medications necessary for the treatment of chronic diseases. Take what has been proven to be beneficial, but as prescribed by doctors. Picking something for yourself is dangerous.
https://ngs24.ru/news/more/66199645/
7 celebrities who decided to eat the placenta after having a baby
We collected seven celebrities who tested the benefits of the placenta on their own experience. nine0017
Nikki Reed
In 2017, the star of the vampire saga "Twilight" Nikki Reed and her husband Ian Somerhalder became the parents of a girl who was named Bodhi Soleil.
After giving birth, the actress decided to transform the placenta into special capsules in order to use it as a biological supplement. Apparently, the pills lasted only a few months - at the end of the same year, a photo with a half-empty jar appeared on Reed's Instagram. In a message attached to the post, the actress noted that "every mom should do what she thinks will be good for her health." However, she still did not advertise pills from the placenta. nine0017
Hilary Duff
During the recording of a medical podcast dedicated to pregnancy, American actress Hilary Duff, best known for the TV series Lizzie Maguire, revealed that she decided to turn her daughter Banks Violet's placenta into a smoothie. Recall that the girl was born in October 2015.
"It was the most delicious cocktail I've ever had," the actress told podcast host Dr. Elliot Berlin. She also admitted that for a long time she was extremely skeptical about the idea of consuming the placenta, but decided to go on an experiment when she learned that postpartum depression could be prevented in this way.
nine0017
Katherine Heigl
Comedian Katherine Heigl, known to many from the films "The Naked Truth" and "Knocked Up," also joined the list of celebrities who decided to use the placenta after the birth of a child. During her third pregnancy, Heigl worked extensively with a naturopath who urged her to encapsulate the organ.
During a conversation with People, the actress noted that immediately after the completion of the caesarean section, a man approached her and offered his services in the manufacture of capsules based on the placenta. Apparently, some clinics already officially carry out such a service. nine0017
Alicia Silverstone
"Clueless" and "Batman & Robin" star Alicia Silverstone took placental capsules from the birth of her first and so far only daughter, Bear Blue. During a conversation with reporters, Silverstone admitted that she was not originally going to experiment with her health. The idea to encapsulate the placenta came from one of Alicia's fans, who gave her a bottle of pills as an exclusive gift.
When asked if she enjoyed the experience, the actress stated that "it was love at first sight." nine0007 “I was very upset when they ended. These capsules really helped, ”said Silverstone.
Mayim Bialik
Star of the cult comedy series The Big Bang Theory, Mayim Bialik has come under fire after she publicly admitted to eating a placenta. Sheldon Cooper's on-screen sweetheart spoke about the experience of natural childbirth and breastfeeding in one of the popular health blogs.
“Humans are the only mammals that choose not to eat the placenta. While in the animal kingdom it is still a natural process. Animals eat the placenta for an extra dose of protein and iron, which help the body recover from a difficult birth,” Bialik wrote.
January Jones
American actress January Jones of Mad Men fame has also come under public scrutiny after her decision to capsule her placenta. It happened in 2011, when the trend for the use of the placenta was not yet particularly relevant.
