A woman has revealed how she chose to personally prep and eat her placenta after giving birth.
Rose, 34, knew she wanted to consume the organ after hearing about the health benefits.
The placenta forms in the womb, also called the uterus, during pregnancy, and is connected to a developing baby by a tubelike structure called the umbilical cord.
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Through the umbilical cord, the placenta provides oxygen and nutrients to the foetus.
After delivery, a common way to prepare the placenta for eating is to put it inside a capsule.
And many companies now offer this service.
But Rose decided to do the dirty work herself.
“I decided to prep my placenta because I have had a lot of colleagues and friends who have struggled with postpartum depression,” Rose, from Florida, in the US, told What’s The Jam.
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“I was already having a home birth with a midwife and it was offered by my team to have the placenta prepped and encapsulated or I could keep it and prep it myself.
“I have never been really squeamish and I thought it would be pretty amazing to prep the very temporary organ that helped in sustaining my child’s life through pregnancy.
“[I hoped to] then use it to help me supplement my body with nutrients such as selenium, iron, protein, cholesterol and hormones like progesterone and oestrogen.
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“These all are also beneficial for the mother postpartum as nutrient deficiency is significant after birth.”
The mum shared how she prepped her reproductive organs following three steps – clean, portion and freeze.
Rose said: “Ensure proper and safe storage in freezer.
“Clean the placenta, rinse it thoroughly under cold running water removing any blood clots and membranes and trimming away the umbilical cord, then pat it dry with paper towels or a clean cloth.”
Next comes the portioning and freezing.
She said: “[You should then] cut the placenta into small, manageable pieces – I did little one inch cubes so it was easy to blend and store.
“I then put the portions in an airtight container and stored them in the freezer.
“You can take your portion out the night before to thaw before use, or just simply blend the frozen piece.”
The mum-of-one, whose son is now three months old, says she adds the portions to smoothies “because it has an earthy flavour”.
She pairs it with fruits or chocolate, with an almond butter base working best.
Rose said: “Additionally, you can dehydrate the placenta and grind it up to encapsulate it.
“This is the more popular method, and a lot of facilities exist to do this for you.
“There is evidence to suggest consumption of the placenta has a lot of potential benefits for postpartum women.
“As with anything, risks are also associated with it, and it should be discussed with the mother’s birthing team if this is something she would like to do, and her medical history should also be taken into account.”
Rose says she’s seen great benefits.
She said: “My midwives listed the rundown of potential things I could experience postpartum especially in the first couple of weeks.
“But I didn’t give it much mind – I’ve always felt I’m pretty happy and chipper, I didn’t think I would have any difficulties.
“So my midwives wrapped up and said they would be back to check on me on day two.
“Boy did I feel it.
“At that moment I remember thinking – ok, I have my placenta, I am prepping it first thing in the morning.
“And I did.
“From then on I didn’t feel those feelings again.
“Don’t get me wrong – it didn’t magically make postpartum and motherhood a walk in the park.
“But those feelings of irrational fear, sadness, brain fog and pressure didn’t bother me again.
“It was pretty incredible.
“Some [of my friends and family] think I’m an absolutely crazy hippie dippie.
“Others actually have read about the benefits and wished it was something they had done when they gave birth.
“Online it’s been pretty crazy as a lot of people have been criticising and even insulting me.
“And then some have been pretty supportive.
“Others comment on other spiritual uses of the placenta, like burying it or selling it to a bank and making loads of money.
“It was a pretty wild mix of reactions in the comment section.”
Rose posted a video about her experience to her account (@curlyhealthdoc ) and received over 15,000 likes.
One user said: “You prep what?? Earthy whattttt? I need some enlightenment here, is it safe? Is it normal?”
Lisbeth said: “I bet that thing is vitamin gold.”
Tabia said: “Wait …. what., she said placenta?”
One user said: “Wait a sec.”
Another added: “I love you for sharing this.”
Rose added: “I believe people are often quick to judge what they don’t fully understand.
“My intention in sharing this post was to provide insight.
“For those who may have felt triggered by the content, I encourage taking the time to look deeper into the practice and explore more than just the results of a quick Google search.
“I also hope this post has given some mamas curious about placenta preparation a clearer idea of what it entails.
“My goal was simply to share knowledge and open the door for others to make informed decisions.”
Placenta eating is not widely recommended with some studies suggesting that bacteria or viruses could remain within the tissues after birth.
