Do you know that some women ingest their own placenta after birth?

The placenta is the temporary organ that a woman grows in her uterus when she’s pregnant. It separates the mother’s blood supply from the baby while it provides nutrients, antibodies and oxygen; and it also filters substances that can be harmful to the baby. It is expelled from the mother’s body usually 5- 30 minutes after the baby.

In some culture, placenta has some spiritual significance; and lately we see a resurgence of women ingesting it because of the belief that it can help increase milk supply, prevent postpartum depression, increase energy level and promotes faster healing.

The practice of eating a placenta to treat ailments is an old practice of traditional Chinese medicine and the dried placenta powder was recognized as a potent medicine to treat ailments related to birth in Europe before the 19th century. Researchers can’t really determine when this practice started but it is known that it is getting popular in industrial countries such as U.S.A., United Kingdom, France, Germany and Australia.

I personally got intrigued by it because I’m currently dealing with postpartum depression and I had problems with my milk supply. So I sent messages to women who ingested their placenta after birth and to certified placenta encapsulation specialists to ask questions. I also started reading peer reviewed journals, researches and news about it. Thankfully 4 of them replied- Victoria Mustafa, Midwife and Encapsulation Specialist of The Placenta Tree from London, U.K. and Jamie Davison, Birth Doula and Encapsulation Specialist of New Jersey Placenta Encapsulation from United States; Carissa Hernandez from Pennsylvania who experienced taking the placenta pills and the placenta smoothie and Jenna, a Labor and Delivery nurse who have witnessed women taking their placenta in her hospital.

Me: When did you start this business and where did you get certified? Also, in a gist what does the training teaches you to do?

Victoria: I started my business in October 2017 after having my 2nd son. I trained with IPEN (International Placenta Remedies Specialist Training Programme) which teaches you everything you need to know about encapsulation, its a hands on course using donated placentas and half the time is theory. Before the training day we have to undertake a course in food hygiene, HACCP training and undertake an IPEN exam.

Jamie: With Love Placenta was created a year ago this past March. I am certified through the Association of Placenta Preparation Arts. They are the most comprehensive certification course for placenta encapsulator currently available. It teaches you everything from anatomy of the placenta, traditions involving the placenta around the world, to a strict safety and sanitation protocol we are required to follow.

M: Who can be trained? Do you need to have a background in healthcare?

V: Yes you need to be either a midwife or doula or undertaking the courses to become any of these (you need a background knowledge of placentas).

M: What kind of placenta is okay to be ingested and what kind of placenta is not good? Do you inform the doctors about your service and do they tell you that it’s good or are you also trained to assess the placenta?

V: Here in the UK our placentas are not taken away unless there is serious cause for concern (if the mother or baby is poorly etc). Most placentas are normally fine to be consumed, if you are on medication then this needs to be checked with your consultant if he/she is happy for you to have it encapsulated. If you smoke in pregnancy then you are unable to have any remedies as the placenta acts as a filter to the smoke to attempt to stop it going through to baby.

J: During the booking process I go over extensively the signs that a placenta would not be usable for encapsulation. Any signs of infection of the placenta must be communicated to me prior to collection. Medical providers always examine the placenta post delivery and would communicate to mom if/when they thought there was a problem.

M: In July 2017 there was a reported case of a baby who got sick because of the mom’s consumption of placenta and because of that, CDC issued a statement that warns mother about eating their placenta. Why did it happened and how do you prevent it from happening in your practice?

J: In order to ensure the safety of a placenta from a mother who tested positive for GBS we make sure the placenta is steamed to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, which is the standard temperature meat is brought up to kill any bacteria. The placenta is then dehydrated at 160 degrees for at least 12 hours to ensure the safety.

M: Are there any side effects to it?

J: The most reported side effect is being jittery/can’t sleep. If you are taking too many capsules, they often give you that feeling of when you drink too much caffeine but haven’t eaten enough food. This is easily remedied by taking less capsules. Some women experience headaches, but it’s also usually the result of taking way too many capsules. Every woman is different and how many capsules they need is very personal.

M: How much does it cost?

J: My basic encapsulation package is $300, my deluxe package is $350. (*Click here to check out Jamie’s packages)

V: *please email Victoria at theplacentatree1@gmail.com for her prices in London. Please subscribe or email Victoria to get a copy of the information sheet that she sent me.

Placenta Capsules

A post shared by NJ Placenta Encapsulation (@withloveplacenta) on Apr 30, 2018 at 1:35pm PDT

First, the placenta is washed thoroughly in cold water removing excess blood and clots

For the Traditional Chinese Method (TCM) the placenta is steamed alone or with lemon, ginger and green chilli.

The placenta is then sliced and dehydrated using a food dehydrator for 10-15 hours depending on size.

Finally, the dried placenta is grind into a powder and put into capsules

Storage: TCM capsules should be stored in a cool dry place. Contraindications: It is not advised to consume TCM capsules if you have an infection in the body such as the flu or mastitis. It is said that the yang (heat) energy from the TCM capsules can feed the infection.

SIMPLE METHOD: Some midwives and placenta remedy specialists believe that steaming the placenta may damage vital hormones and nutrients. Using the simple preparation the placenta is not steamed but sliced raw and dehydrated at 70 degree C for 60 minutes to destroy surface pathogens and yeasts, then reduced to 55 degree C for the remaining 14-16 hours. Storage: Simple capsules should be stored in a cool dry place.

Placenta Smoothie

A post shared by Victoria Mustafa (@theplacentatree1) on Mar 5, 2018 at 1:06pm PST



Consuming a small piece of the placenta (about 3 tablespoons size) within 24 hours after birth in a smoothie with berries, fruits and water has been shown to encourage the hemorrhaging (bleeding) of the uterus to slow down and/or stop while also replenishing your body with essential hormones and nutrients giving you much needed energy after birth. Mothers who have the raw placenta smoothie after birth report greatly increased energy and often notice their milk ‘comes in’ within hours. To eliminate all risk of cross contamination we use a brand new hand-held blender for each client, included in the fee. The raw placenta smoothie tastes of nothing but berries and fruit; in fact it’s quite delicious! (A smoothie uses a raw product that has not been processed). – Victoria Mustafa

My husband and I are planning to have our second baby soon and I am not really sure if I am going to try this for myself. DH is definitely against it but I am open to it. For now, I really enjoy reading about it and educating my self.

Click here to read about the joint study done by UNLV and Oregon State University that was published just this month of May, 2018.

“The largest study of its kind found mothers who consumed their placenta passed on no harm to their newborn babies when compared to infants of mothers who did not consume their placenta.” – FRANCIS MCCABE

Click here to read the transcript of Meredith Carlson Daly’s interview with Dr. Crystal Clark in 2015 to know why she thinks that eating the placenta after birth carries no health benefits.

According to Carissa, her biggest concern was that she is anemic and have fatigue. She was also worried that she will have PPD. She said that she did her research before she reached out to a local business to get more information.

Nurse Jenna thinks that this practice needs more research but believes that every mom should make choices that they feel are best for them and the baby.

Have you tried ingesting your own placenta? How was your experience?

Are you pregnant or planning to get pregnant? What do you think about it?