Eating the placenta. Everybody’s doing it. Well every other mammal that is. “Placentophagia” is the term used to describe the act of ingesting the placenta after childbirth, and we are the only mammals that don’t do it. (Besides dolphins and whales, that is..) However, with the interest in alternative medicine growing and more and more moms wanting to embrace the natural way of doing things, the placenta eating craze, believe it or not, is actually growing! Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
January Jones of Mad Men fame does it. After her son Xander was born, she had capsules made out of her own dried placenta. “I have a great doula who makes sure I’m eating well, with vitamins and teas, and with placenta capsulation,” Jones told People. “It’s something I was very hesitant about, but we’re the only mammals who don’t ingest our own placentas.” She went on: “It’s not witch-crafty or anything!” Jones insisted. And she’s not.
January Jones seems like the girl next door that we would all like to hang out with. She seems normal. And she’s doing it! Holly Madison also said that she is going to eat her placenta after she gives birth. And have you heard the rumors that Tom Cruise was dying to eat Katie’s placenta after she gave birth to Suri? Google that for a big laugh!
Why are all these celeb mommies and regular gals jumping on the placenta eating train? Well, supposedly there are a TON of benefits to eating the placenta. Apparently, eating the placenta helps to prevent postpartum depression, aid in breast milk production and lactation, and replenishes nutrients lost during pregnancy.
There haven’t been any medical studies on the topic as of yet, but midwives and doulas everywhere are recommending it, and we are sure that some big medical studies are on the horizon as we speak. But as of right now, doctors and other medical professionals say that there is no medical reason to eat your placenta, and there are no known benefits at this time.
Normally, the placenta is dried, ground up, and made into pills that a woman can take after she goes home from the hospital. Sometimes it is made into jerky to eat as a snack. Some women have it frozen, and they grind bits of it into a smoothie. Some women even get placenta facials (Jennifer Lopez swears by them!) Some really brave ladies even cook their placenta and eat it with their meals, making it into chili, spaghetti sauces, and stews. Shew!
From fertility vitamins when you’re trying to conceive to eating your placenta post-birth, it’s a whole new world out there!
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