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So midway through the pregnancy I learned something that I thought was pretty gross at the time. New mothers were consuming their placentas after childbirth. My immediate reaction was one of disgust. Who would want to eat that?! It looks like an oversized liver and is filled with and covered in blood, who could possibly get past all that and actually eat it??
Well, in our birthing class we really got into the benefits of placentophagy. We learned that consuming the placenta in the immediate post-partum period can:
- Help to balance your hormones
- Replenish depleted iron levels
- Assist the uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy state
- Reduce post-natal bleeding
- Increase milk production – this has been proven in a study
- Make for a happier, more enjoyable post-natal period
- Increase your energy levels
These things got my attention. I also learned around this same time that humans are the only mammals on the planet that don't consume their placentas after birth of their offspring. That little fact really got me thinking. What do all the animals know that humans don't? There must be some benefit for them, otherwise what reason would they have for doing it? In case you haven't learned this about me yet, I am a big believer in doing things the natural way. There is something to be said about observing nature and natural processes and following that lead. So, follow I did.
Probably the most popular way for women to consume their placentas is by placenta encapsulation. This process is usually performed by someone knowledgeable about encapsulation, and involves cleaning the placenta to remove external clots, dehydrating it, and then grinding it down into powder form and placing it into easy to swallow capsules. Sometimes it is steamed prior to dehydration. This idea sounded all fine and dandy until I realized the cost. Now, I have mentioned before that I am a pretty
Enter the placenta smoothie. Eating the placenta in it's raw form was another way I read that it could be consumed. Perhaps the most hard core, and definitely not for the faint of heart. My logic was that I could get past the grossness of eating raw placenta if it meant I could save us $200. I read a few recipes and testimonials from the raw placenta eaters and they swore up and down that the placenta could not be tasted at all when added to a fruit smoothie. I figured I would give it a whirl (pun intended) and if I just couldn't do it then, well at least I had tried.
At the birthing center I had the midwife save the placenta after delivery. It was written as such in our birthing plan and we had brought a container to take it home in. They put it in the fridge for me until we left, and we kept it in our fridge when we got home. The day after the birth, I decided it was time for my first smoothie.
This is where things get pretty icky. Don't say you haven't been warned (twice) now!
The hardest part of the whole process was actually "processing" the placenta into usable pieces. My intention was to cut it into cubes and freeze them, and then just throw them into my daily smoothie. Well, when I dumped out that giant, slimy lump onto our cutting board I started to slightly regret my decision. It was covered in blood and needed to be rinsed off. I also had to cut away some parts that didn't look like they would be helpful, including what was left of the umbilical cord. Now, let me remind you that I have been a vegan for nearly seven years now, and I am grossed out by even the idea of cutting up cooked meat. This whole raw, bloody placenta was way over my head. Somehow though, I got through it. I tried to put on my nursing cap and pretend that I was conducting a medical experiment and meanwhile attempted to shut out the idea that I was going to be eating this very gross thing I was cutting up. Finally, I was finished. I had the whole thing cut up neatly into nine cubes, each approximately 1 1/2" square. Placed on parchment paper for easy removal I covered the cubes with foil so Erik wouldn't have to see it in the freezer (he supported me 100% in this process, but is far too squeamish to even look at the frozen cubes).
I made my first smoothie that night, and I was completely shocked to realize that you can't at all taste the placenta. Had I been able to detect even a hint of something odd in the drink, I think it would have shut down the whole operation. Fortunately, it tasted like a regular fruit smoothie and when I got past the idea of what I was drinking, it went down pretty easily. That being said, I always used a straw and sucked it down in as little time as I possibly could. No need to sit around and try to "enjoy" it!
In case you are interested in serving placenta smoothies at your next house party, here is the recipe I came up with:
Ingredients:
- 1/2-3/4 cup frozen berries*
- 1/2 banana
- 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used soy for extra protein)
- 1 piece of raw plaenta
Add all the ingredients to your blender and blend. I mean, really blend. You don't want any, ahem, "pieces" unprocessed in your drink. I used our vitamix and blended for at least 1-2 minutes. *For the berries I used a blend of cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Think red berries here - you want something to hide the color of the placenta.
Now, the part you are probably wondering about. Did it help me in the post-partum period? I really believe that it did. Now, I don't really have anything to compare it to. I have never given birth before to know if I would have suffered from post-partum depression. However, I will give you this little nugget of info and you can do with it what you wish: I made my smoothies at night before bed. The first few days, I felt amazing. Lot's of energy, breastmilk came in as scheduled without issue, and everything seemed to be going great. But on the fifth day I decided I was too tired to make my smoothie that night and skipped it. Now, this could just be a coincidence - I am really not sure. But the next day I felt awful. I was suddenly overcome with such anxiety I spent a good part of the afternoon crying hysterically. I had these terrible feelings that something awful was going to happen to the baby. Erik tried to comfort me but nothing he said really helped, I just couldn't shake the awful anxious feelings I was having. That night, I went back to the smoothie. Wouldn't you know, the next day I felt fine and gone were the tears and anxiety. Coincidence? Maybe. But I think I am now forever a believer in the power of the placenta.
I finished the rest of the placenta somewhere around 10 days post-partum. I was worried that when it was gone the anxious feelings would return. Fortunately, they never did and (despite being quite sleep deprived) I am still feeling pretty darn good. Although, I might never look at a fruit smoothie the same way again...
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