The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are warning new mothers to stay away from the practice of placenta encapsulation after one incident where a mother’s placenta capsules infected her newborn baby with Group B Streptococcus (GBS).
First ever double-blind placebo-controlled study on placenta encapsulation shows…disappointingly, not much. With the popularity of placenta encapsulation on the rise, everyone is wondering “does placenta encapsulation actually help?” Unfortunately, the jury is still out on that one. What we do know is that anecdotally, the women who are encapsulating and consuming their placentas are reporting big benefits that we can’t ignore. read more
Humans are one of the only land mammals who do not consume the placenta after birth. Humans are also one of the only land mammals who experience issues with postpartum mood disorders and issues with having enough milk supply to feed our babies.
As more and more celebrities have their placentas encapsulated after birth for their consumption, this practice is growing in popularity and acceptance. Celebrities like Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Tia and Tamera Mowry, and Mayim Bialik have made placentophagy more well known amongst the masses. But what is the big deal?
If the concept is completely new to you, know that it isn’t for human beings, or mammals in general. Consuming the placenta has been a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine since the 16th century, suggested not only for mothers, but for a variety of individuals. In addition to TCM, many cultures around the world have histories with traditions involving ingestion of the placenta.
Recently more and more mothers in the United States are trying placenta encapsulation. Think about it- is it really that surprising? It is hard being a new mom, and many of us are willing to try all kinds of things when we hear from other parents that they’ve helped.
