Do NOT Eat Your Placenta Without Reading This First

But wait Tiff, don’t you encapsulate placentas for a living?

I sure do and I love my work and I believe wholeheartedly in the positive benefits that some women gain from taking placenta pills.

That being said. I’m an outlier. Even in my own field, I’m the black sheep. Lots of people don't believe that placenta pills work, others believe it's too risky, or that placenta pills have a negative impact on milk supply. My point is that I’m constantly fighting an uphill battle, even within the birthworker community.

A little bit of background on me and my “Placenta Girl” journey.

I started working with placentas in February 2012 and completed my certification in 2013 (which requires me to hold a food safety and handlers card as well as continuous certification through OSHA).

After giving birth in 2014, I processed my own placenta. And lemme tell ya, the difference between my first postpartum and this one was astounding. I’d already been sold on the benefits from the feedback I was receiving from clients, but now 100% all in.

Today, placenta encapsulation is becoming more and more popular. (Thanks or no thanks, Kim Kardashian.) But there's so much “information” out there, it's hard to know what’s actually true.

So let’s dig in with –

18 LIES ABOUT PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION YOU LIKELY BELIEVE

1. I can DIY my placenta pills.

Okay, so this one isn’t a lie as much as it is misleading.

I trust women. And I believe that they don't need to be told whether an organ that came out of their own body is safe to consume or not. And I trust that if anything looked or smelled off, they would certainly reach out to someone who could confirm that it was safe to move forward. Women aren’t stupid. So I'm not really going to address that here.

But what I am going to address is the fact that when you are a couple of days postpartum, trust me, the last thing you want to be doing is playing with your own placenta. I say this from personal experience. You should be resting and bonding with your baby, and that’s likely all you’ll want to be doing. You won’t feel much like working in the kitchen, regardless of what you're cooking.

That being said, if you have a supportive partner or someone close to you who’s willing to do it for you, then go for it. If you decide to DIY your placenta pills, I’m happy to questions that arise.

2. Placenta encapsulation is not regulated, therefore it is not safe.

Please. If you're anything like me, you don't really trust the FDA to tell us what's safe for us most of the time anyway. Let's be honest, they don't always have our best interests at heart. If they did, half the things we buy at the grocery store would be off-limits.

The fact that placenta encapsulation isn’t regulated does mean you have to be more discerning when it comes to choosing your placenta encapsulator. For example, in 2012 before I was certified, I shouldn’t have been processing placentas for anyone. I didn't know enough. And I didn’t realize that until I took my training.

But as long as you are having your placenta processed by a trained specialist, it’s as safe as eating out in a restaurant where someone else is preparing food for you.

3. It’s not safe to allow someone to process your placenta in their home.

I process placentas in my home. My workspace is dedicated to placenta processing. No one else goes into the space – no kids, no pets – just me.

I take your safety very seriously, and would never do anything that would put you at risk. I say this not only for the client’s sake but for my own sake, as well. I am a single mom and raising two kids. Placenta encapsulation is a major source of my income. I need to ensure that everyone involved is safe – that means you, me, my family, and my business. My livelihood, as well as the reputation of the entire encapsulation industry, depends on your safety.

I adhere to all food safety and OSHA recommendations AND you need to be sure that whoever processes your placenta for you does, too, regardless of where they work. Ask if they are processing in a separate workspace or if they're processing in their kitchen — or even their bathroom. And absolutely be sure to inquire about their cleaning and sanitizing process.

4. Consuming your placenta is cannibalism.

Cannibalism is “the practice of eating the flesh of one’s own species.” So unless you’re considering eating the placenta of another human being, taking your placenta pills is not cannibalism.

5. It’s a placebo effect.

Maybe it is. Tens of thousands of mothers have consumed their placentas, most in the form of capsules, and have had fantastic results or, at the very least, no results at all.

The anecdotal evidence is astounding. Many many women swear that when they miss a dose of their pills, they notice. So I say even if it is a placebo effect, does it matter? If the outcome is feeling better postpartum, then why would anyone discourage anyone from doing it? Especially when the risks are so few (the biggest risk is the one you take when choosing who will process your placenta for you — if they know what they’re doing, you’re safe).

Now, do I believe it’s just a placebo? No way. I believe it works just like any other supplement does, but placenta pills are even better because this supplement was made by you.

5. The process used to encapsulate the placenta will get rid of all the good stuff.

Nope. When I process placentas, I use the steamed method, which means that your placenta is gently steamed prior to dehydration…just enough to add some warmth back into it. And then when it is dehydrated, it's dehydrated at a temperature of 165, which is based on food safety standards. Your placenta is warmed enough to be safely consumed (think beef jerky), but not so much that it would destroy all of the nutrients. Sure, some of the nutrients will be destroyed during the heating process, but a study in 2016 did identify detectable levels of 16 hormones post-steaming and dehydration.

6. It’s been practiced since Ancient China.

This is an interesting one. While I would love to sit here and tell you that the practice has taken place since ancient times, there's really not a ton of evidence that supports that. There is evidence that the placenta was used for remedies in Ancient China as early as the 1500s, but typically placenta wasn't being consumed by women as part of their postpartum healing.

Cultures all around the world have different ceremonies and practices for how they deal with the placenta after birth, but it wasn't until the ‘70s here in the United States that women started consuming their placentas in pill form. And sometime in the 80s, an American midwife who had studied Traditional Chinese Medicine introduced the idea at a MANA conference (Midwives Alliance of North America). This is when the idea began to build steam in the West.

7. The placenta is a filter and, therefore, full of toxins.

The placenta is a filtering organ, but it does not hold on to the toxins that it filters out. The placenta is not a filter like the one in your HVAC system. It doesn’t hold onto the nasty stuff. Rather, it filters the good stuff to the fetus and the yucky stuff back to you so that your body can dispose of it.

8. Placenta pills can negatively affect milk supply.

I’ve written an extensive blog post about this already, so here it is for those of you who love to read all of the details.

But for those of you who prefer the CliffsNotes, here you go.

Basically, the placenta is full of hormones that trigger milk production (hPL, prolactin, and oxytocin). In addition, when the placenta is released from your uterus, that’s what sends the message to your body to make milk. So as long as there’s no retained placenta, putting the placenta back into your body won’t cause a decrease in production.

And think about it, over 4000 species of mammals (even vegetarians) eat their placentas, and none of them need help from lactation consultants when it comes time to nurse their babies. (I’ve got to credit the “OG” IBCLC, Judy Schneider, with that observation – thank you, Judy!)

Going further, I’m a firm believer that when a mom is struggling with milk production, there’s something else going on, and although it’s easy to blame placenta pills, the evidence just isn’t there that it causes a problem. If my clients report a supply issue, I ask why she believes she has a supply issue, and we take it from there. Sometimes it’s an easy fix, and sometimes more help is needed. But the beauty of having your placenta pills means that if something isn’t working, you have me there in your corner. I can refer you to someone who can help figure out what’s up. You’re not left alone struggling and searching Google or Facebook groups where you’ll get tons of inaccurate information and tips that could end your nursing relationship for good.

9. It can make you or your baby sick.

I’ve also written an extensive post about this, so here it is for you bookworms!

For the rest of you, here's the rundown. There’s absolutely no evidence anywhere that any woman or baby has become sick from placenta pills. There are tens of thousands of placenta specialists, midwives, and doulas processing placentas all over this planet. Tens and tens and tens of thousands of women have consumed their placentas. And none of them have gotten sick. None of their babies have gotten sick.

Now, you're possibly thinking, “But wait, I do remember hearing something about a baby getting sick from the mom taking placenta pills.”

You remember correctly. Go read that blog post.

10. There’s no evidence that placenta pills work.

Right. Because no one has funded a large-scale study YET.

But what we do know is that there is no evidence that it is unsafe. And as I said above, the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming.

11. Women will rely on their placenta pills for important nutrients.

This infuriates me. This argument just goes to show how little trust the medical community has in women. Does the medical community truly believe that women are so ignorant to believe that taking placenta pills would replace all other sources of nutrition? I just can’t figure this one out.

12. Moms who have PMADs (perinatal mood and anxiety disorders) won’t seek help.

Similar to my rant above, the medical community does not trust women and this is evident here. I guess the concern is that women who are struggling with postpartum depression or anxiety wouldn’t seek help from a therapist or doctor because they are taking placenta pills and therefore believe that the placenta capsules would replace their meds.

Honestly, the majority of my clients already struggle with depression and/or anxiety and this is one of the main reasons they seek out my services. Or they’ve struggled in the past and were ignored by care providers. They are trying to help themselves and I just can’t see the harm in that. Many of my clients are already being treated with medication prescribed by their doctors and obviously would continue to take the medication even while taking their placenta pills.

Let me go further and say that typically women are sent home after they give birth with no support, and nothing other than a date on their calendar for a 6-week follow-up appointment. And at that appointment, they’re given a form to complete that asks about their mood.

However, when you hire me, you also hire an additional support person who’ll check in on you way before the 6-week mark.

I check in on my clients within the first week or two after they give birth, and more often than that for those who need it. I’m available for them if they are feeling “off”. What this means is that when you have your placenta pills and an additional support person checking in on you, if you are struggling with any sort of perinatal mood disorder, you’ll be more likely to seek help from a doctor or a therapist because your placenta specialist will encourage you to do so, just as any other birth worker would do (a doula, postpartum doula, lactation consultant, homebirth midwife, etc).

While, on the other hand, sitting around for 6 weeks waiting to see your OB just allows you to sink deeper into darkness.

13. There’s financial interest on the part of placenta specialists.

Trust me, ain't nobody getting rich off of this. Those of us who dedicate our lives to this work do so because we truly believe in it and because we want to help women have a positive postpartum experience. The costs involved with placenta encapsulation may seem steep — my placenta encapsulation service costs $300, which covers the costs of running a business and my labor. I can only process so many placentas safely within the course of a month, so the packages have to be priced so that I can sustain myself and my family and continue to offer the service.

But yes, let’s allow the hospital and pharmaceutical reps to tell us how placenta encapsulation specialists are just trying to make money off of your placenta.

14. Not many people do it; it’s weird.

Personally, at this time, I have processed nearly 1500 placentas. I know of other specialists who have processed close to 2000, and some are even in the multiple thousands. There are people all over the globe offering this service, so while it certainly can’t yet be considered “mainstream”, you’re definitely not alone in considering consuming your placenta.

15. It’s gross.

Lots of things are gross. Like world hunger, homelessness, sexual abuse, and pedophilia. Some would even say eating a hamburger is gross. But taking placenta pills? Nah. Seriously, if you want to do it, definitely don’t let this be a deterrent. Once you give birth, your birth attendants will package up your placenta for you, and when I return your pills to you, they just look like vitamins. You wouldn’t even know what's in there if you didn’t actually know what’s in there.

16. Care providers don’t recommend it because there’s not enough research.

Care providers do a lot of things that aren’t based on research (cervical exams, amniotomy, no food during labor, circumcision, I could go on and on.) If you’ve taken a good, quality, out-of-hospital birth class, you already know that. And if not, sign up for one ASAP.

Since there are no risks involved with placenta consumption, I can’t really grasp why certain care providers believe that THIS is the one thing they need to cite a lack of research for. I’m going to go out on a limb here – could it possibly go back to the fact that the medical community doesn’t trust women?

Care providers don't recommend placenta encapsulation because they don't know enough about it to feel safe recommending it. And since it’s not regulated, it must feel risky. I get it. That part makes sense.

But what I cannot understand is why, if they know that at least some of the women who are under their care are interested in having their placentas encapsulated, they don’t take the time to inform themselves, rather than telling these women they don't recommend it.

I’ve sent letters to local care providers on multiple occasions explaining my safety protocols and outlining the safety of the practice, in general. I’ve offered to meet with them in their offices, offered to host lunch and learn sessions for their staff members, or simply chat over the phone. I’ve never gotten a response.

So I’ll say it again, I believe that many care providers do not recommend placenta encapsulation simply because they don't trust women.

I’d also like to point out that MANY care providers do actually recommend placenta encapsulation and that some have even had their own placentas encapsulated. I wonder what those OB/GYNs and nurses who are constantly raging against the practice think of their colleagues? (I’m happy to share a list of supportive providers with anyone who’s interested.)

17. It’s only for crunchy moms.

Definitely not! I've been doing this for a long time and I can tell you that crunchy moms are in the minority on my client list. Of course, they’re on the list, but they’re the exception as opposed to the rule. My clients come from all walks of life. I’ve processed the placentas of professional sports players, obstetricians, lactation consultants, pediatricians, lawyers, scriptwriters, nurses, television producers, accountants, therapists, midwives, doulas, educators, activists, military personnel, etc.

They give birth at home, at birth centers, in birthing tubs, once even on the side of the road (accidentally, of course); they do it without meds and with meds; they have scheduled cesareans and emergency C-sections; they are induced or go over 42 weeks…you get the point.

18. The placenta is not sterile.

A recent New York Times article referenced a study that claimed the placenta is “not sterile” and that “several studies found that the organ was contaminated with bacteria, as well as selenium, cadmium, mercury, and lead”. The results of the study referenced didn’t show that any levels of the toxins found in the placenta were too high to cause concern, even if a mother were to consume her entire placenta in one day, which doesn’t happen. Additionally, all of the metals discussed in the article already cross the placental barrier and make their way to the developing fetus AND are passed to babies through breast milk. Yet, no one is suggesting that women stop breastfeeding because there are heavy metals in their breast milk.

Lastly, the placenta is, in fact, not sterile. This is true. Nothing in the human body is. It's not easy to find anything in our world that is sterile. In fact, your infant being exposed to the bacteria that live in your birth canal can actually be beneficial. That's why researchers are now studying the use of vaginal swabs to “seed” babies born by cesarean section and that's why it's recommended that you skip baby's first bath.

Women who choose placenta encapsulation do have one thing in common, though. They are all empowered enough to choose to do it.

Women who choose placenta encapsulation trust their instincts, they learn as much as they can, and they make decisions that they believe are right for them.

If that's you and you'd like to learn more, why not set up a complimentary consult? I'd love to chat with you about how placenta encapsulation can help you OWN your postpartum.