Placentophagy

What is placentophagy?  Placentophagy is defined as the act of mammals eating the placenta of their young.  People are often shocked at the mention of ingesting your own placenta but did you know that most mammals participate in the act of placentophagy?   

In aminal studies, researchers found that eating the placenta after birth helped with pain releif, milk production, and shrinking of the uterus back to normal size.  The placenta also contains oxytocin, which helps with bonding and stress relief.  The placenta can be a great source of nutrition for an animal that has just given birth and mammals have been created with an instinct to make the most of that nutrition by ingesting their placenta

Now I know that people are much different than animals.  We also have greater availability and access to nutritious foods.  However, I do believe that a lot of times nature can serve as a great guide in our modern culture.  As more and more women in the west start to partake of this simple remedy that has been revered in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, we begin to really see it's effectiveness.

So don't let all that nutrition go in the trash can!  Use it to help you have a happy, healthy post partum!

Growing a healthy baby & placenta

These days it's difficult to sort through all the research about health and diet without becoming overwhelmed and down right confused!  So many people seem to know what diet is best and they often contradict other expert dietitians.  This is the reason that I love studying traditional foods.  Scientific research is always changing and evolving the more we learn about food and the human body but the intuitive knowledge of our ancestors is a solid foundation that we can build off of and will remain reliable.

Pregnancy and the 6 months before and after are a very important time for a woman and her baby.  Good nutrition during pregnancy can protect a baby from a variety of diseases later on in his or her life.  Healthy mothers grow healthy babies! In traditional societies, women followed special preconception and pregnancy diets that emphasized nutrient dense food such as muscle and organ meats, raw milk, bone broths, eggs, seafood and vegetables.  Eating foods such as these during pregnancy is very beneficial for both the mother and baby.  

A preconception and pregnancy diet should include:

• Cod liver oil (I like Green Pastures)
• Raw Milk, 1 qt per day (check out www.realmilk.com/where to find raw milk near you!)
• Butter, 4 TBSP per day, preferably from pastured cows
• Eggs, 2 or more, preferably from free range hens.  More egg yolks are also recommended because they contain superior nutrition.
• Liver, 4 oz once or twice a week
• Fresh seafood, make sure to use varieties that are low in mercury!
• Beef or lamb, preferably grass-fed
• Lacto-fermented foods
• Coconut oil, lard, and bone broths regularly 

COD LIVER OIL
Cod liver oil is rich in vitamin A, D, and K and omega-3's EPA and DHA, among other things.  Cod liver oil has been called "the number one super food" and is an effective treatment for many ailments.  Pregnant women who use cod liver oil give birth to infants with a reduced risk of type 1 diabetes.  Cod liver oil protects against heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, rickets, allergies, behavioral disorders and more.


RAW MILK
Raw milk is much different than the pasteurized milk you buy at the super market.  Pasteurization kills many of the beneficial properties in milk and leaves it a dead food.  Raw milk naturally contains many vitamins, minerals and beneficial enzymes that feed and nourish your body and your baby.  Drinking raw milk has been a cause for some controversy but raw milk produced under clean circumstances has been shown to be just as safe (if not safer) than store bought milk.  Raw milk contains lactic-acid producing bacteria that protects it against harmful pathogens.



BUTTER
Butter has been vilified in our culture but the benefits of butter are countless!  Butter protects against heart disease, cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, and asthma.  It also aids thyroid health, fertility, digestion, growth and development, and weight loss.  Butter contains vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), glychospingolipids (a fatty acid that protects against gastrointestinal infections), cholesterol (maintains intestinal health and is needed for brain and nervous system development in the young), and the Wulzen factor (a hormone like substance that protects against arthritis). 

EGGS
Eggs are an excellent source of nutrition for pregnant women.  Eggs are rich in protein, the building blocks of life, and they also contain many amino acids and beneficial vitamins and minerals.  Eggs are one of natures perfect foods.

LIVER
Liver?  Yes, liver!  While the thought of it may be unappealing, liver is a powerhouse of nutrition.  Liver is rich in iron and other minerals, choline, vitamins, A, B, D, and K.  It is an excellent way to help treat iron deficiency during pregnancy and makes a great first food when baby is ready.

FRESH SEAFOOD/SMALL FISH
Seafood is an excellent source or nutrition.  One of the traditional sacred foods is small fish.  Small fish such as anchovies and sardines are especially nourishing because you are eating the whole fish, bones, meat, head and all.  They are rich in minerals such as calcium, and vitamins A, D, and B12.  Because of their smaller size they are also lower in mercury, which can be harmful to you and your unborn baby.


MUSCLE MEAT
Meat is another great food to eat while pregnant.  The benefits of grass-fed, pastured meat is well worth the extra price.  Meat from pastured animals is richer in vitamins and minerals because they have had ample access to fresh grass, as opposed to synthetic vitamins that grain fed cattle consume.  Grass-fed beef is also rich in CLA, an important fatty acid that protects against cancer and aids weight loss.

LACTO-FERMENTED FOODS
Lacto-fermented foods are full of nutrition for you and your unborn baby.  They also contain important bacteria that help populate your gut and aid in digestion.

Why the placenta?

"You're suggesting I do WHAT with my placenta!?!? That's gross."

That is exactly what my first thought was when my midwife suggested that I look into consuming my placenta.  I had done a lot of research on natural childbirth and was planning my first home birth but I had never before heard of placenta encapsulation.  Even though I suffered moderate bouts of postpartum depression with my first two children, the idea didn't really peak my interest.

I left the prenatal appointment and didn't think anything else of it... until later that night.  In my inbox was an e-mail from a totally unrelated person all about the benefits of placenta medicine.  It was absolutely fascinating!  What at first sounded almost a little disturbing, had now become something I was really interested in doing.  After looking over all the research I decided I was going to do it!

After my sweet baby boy was born in July of 2009, I encapsulated his placenta.  At the time of his birth my husband, my 3 children and I were living in a one bedroom "apartment" without a kitchen in the attic of a boarding school we were volunteering at.  My husband left 3 days after the birth to begin his job as an over the road truck driver.  I was far away from my and my husbands family and our house half way across the country that refused to sell.  There were a lot of stressors in my life but I did not have once instance of post partum depression.  I had energy to tend to my young children and all the tasks I was now responsible for completing without the help of my husband.  My milk supply was plentiful.  This was the first baby that did not have supplentation with formula.  It was amazing and I couldn't believe it!  Thus began my passion for placenta medicine.

So what are the benefits of placenta medicine?

** HELP WITH MOOD & POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

The wonderful thing about using placenta pills instead of pharmaceuticals is that, since it contains your placenta, it is perfectly suited to your needs and already contains your own natural hormones.  Pharmaceuticals can have a long list of side effects that most people wish to avoid.  Research has shown that new mothers have lower than normal levels of a corticotropin-releasing hormon, or CRH.  The secretion of CRH releases a cascade of other hormones, including cortisol, which helps us fight stress.  During the last weeks of pregnacy the placenta secretes a lot of CRH in the blood stream of pregnant women.  After the birth however, the levels remain low because feedback has been disrupted from the higher levels.  It is believed that ingesting the placenta will help elevate the levels of CRH naturally and help post partum women deal with the new stresses of motherhood more efficiently.

** IRON DEFICIENCY 

During a normal delivery a mom will lose about 550 cc of blood.  Your placenta contains hemoglobin which is a protein that replenishes iron deficiency and anemia.  Consuming your placenta can help you avoid the risk of iron deficiency - which can cause weakness, fatigue, dizziness, or headaches.  None of which you want, especially in early motherhood!

** INCREASE YOUR MILK SUPPLY

Struggling with breastfeeding and milk supply can be a very discouraging and emotionally challenging experience for a new mother.   Your placenta contains prolactin which is a hormone that promotes laction.  The placenta also contains oxytocin, which is referred to as the "love" hormone.  Oxytocin helps alleviate pain and also facilitates bonding between the mother and her baby.

** HELP WITH ENERGY & STAMINA

After having a baby the mother needs as much rest as possible.  But regular daily activities must resume eventually.  When that time comes the placenta can be a great way to support her energy levels.  The placenta contains a thyroid stimulating hormone that boosts energy and also helps recover from stressful events.  As mentioned earlier it also contains cortisol, which helps with energy as well.  The placenta also contains gammaglobulin and interferon, both of which stimulate and boost the immune system to keep the new mom from succumbing to common sicknesses.



The placenta is an amazing, life giving organ that can continue to give nourishment long after delivery!!