The placenta has long been thought of as a magical part of the creation of a baby. This incredible organ is uniquely designed for your baby and an integral part of any pregnancy and birth. The placenta physically connects the mother to her unborn baby, feeding the developing fetus a continuous supply of essential oxygen, nutrients and vitamins through the umbilical cord.
During and after birth women lose 1/8-1/10 of their blood supply from the bleeding wound left inside the uterus, where the placenta was attached for 9 months. As is true with most mammal species, we believe the human placenta was made to be consumed by the new mother to make up for this loss by replacing essential fats, protiens, vast amounts of iron and essential hormones to heal wounds and aid the body in self recovery after birth. Sex, Time and Power: How Women's Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution
Why should pregnant mothers consider consuming their placenta after birth?
Dried placenta powder was recognised as a potent medicine in Europe for centuries and used to treat and cure many ailments, mostly those surrounding birth. (History of Childbirth by Jacques Gelis) However since the late 19th century most natural birth methods were replaced by modern birthing techniques, losing along the way many valuable traditions practiced for centuries. The benefits of consuming the placenta are being rediscovered and scientists are beginning the study placentophagy in humans. Today there is profound scientific research showing consuming the placenta can be just a beneficial for humans as it is for other mammals. Testimonials from many new mothers reveal that consuming the placenta after birth helped improve energy levels, increased milk production and slowed or stopped post-birth haemorrhaging, creating an overal healthier and quicker post-birth recovery.
Do all mammals consume their placenta after birth?
Yes, almost all land mammals consume the placenta immediately after the birth of their young, except for marsupials who re-absorb it. Our closest relative, the chimpanzee has only been observed giving birth a handful of times in the wild (chimpanzee's do not reproduce in captivity). During each observation, the new mother was seen to consume her placenta within minutes after its birth. Mammals are thought to consume there placenta for a number of reasons. It's important to notice that mammals do not bleed after birth, (humans bleed for 2-6 weeks) and their milk 'comes in' within hours after delivery (humans milk takes 2-3 days to 'come in'). Mammal births are observed to be pain-free with a very short and easy post-partum recovery.
Do humans have the same benefits as other mammals when eating the placenta?
Enjoying a raw placenta smoothie made with fresh organic berry fruits as soon as possible after birth is the most natural way of consuming the placenta. Raw placenta smoothies helps to stop post-partum haemorrhaging and give the body an immediate boost of hormones and iron much needed following birth to slow bleeding and encourage milk production. When the placenta seperates from the uterine wall it leaves a large wound that can take weeks to heal, especially if the new mother is breastfeeding as all the best nutrients are being fed to the newborn leaving little nutrients to aid the new mothers healing process. When the placenta is consumed many new mothers report having almost immediate reduced bleeding and breast milk much sooner than normal.
Once the placenta has been dried and made into capsules it is thought of as a form of medicine and will have different benefits than eating the placenta raw. Even through the cooking process iron, hormones, nutrients and rich growth factors are present in the placenta capsules - all of which support a new mother's body through the post-birth recovery period. Read more about the powers of Rich Growth Factors.
What other nutrients are found in the placenta?
Other nutrients include, iron - essential for oxygen absorption in the cells, many vitamins such as B6 which aids in the making of antibodies, large amount of minerals including iron, oxytocin hormone - essential for facilitating birth and breastfeeding, CRH - stress-reducer hormone, rich growth factors - fibroblasts that trigger cell metabolism, all in unique levels suited specifically for the new mother.
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