Placenta Benefits:
This may not be for you but I recommend reading the information below so you can make an informed decision.
- Contains your own natural hormones
- Is perfectly made by you, for you
- Balances your system
- Replenishes depleted iron
- Gives you more energy
- Lessens postpartum bleeding
- Has been shown to increase milk production
- Helps you to have a happier postpartum period by equalizing the quickly reduced hormonal state of your physical body
- Helps to hasten the return of your uterus to its pre-pregnancy state through the oxytocin contained in your encapsulated placenta.
- Can also be helpful during your monthly cycle, menopause, for general mood swings, periods of major life transition, etc. if properly stored for later use.
Information from http://2doulasonamission.com
Placenta Information:
The placenta and the umbilical cord are your baby’s life line during pregnancy. It is the energy force from which your baby gets all their nutrients.Many people of the world have known the secret power of the placenta as a medicinal supplement. The placenta is thought to be rich in nutrients that the mother needs to recover more readily from childbirth.
There are a variety of potential benefits to placenta medicine. For one, the placenta contains vitamins and minerals that may help fight depression symptoms. The most important nutrients found in rich supply in the placenta include: Iron - essential for oxygen absorption in the cells, Vitamins B6 - aids in the making of antibodies, Vitamin E - for healing damaged skin cells, Oxytocin hormone - essential for facilitating birth and breastfeeding, Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) - responsible for reducing stress levels, Cytokins - Fibroblasts that trigger cell metabolism healing and replacing damaged cells and tissue recovery after birth
During and after a normal vaginal delivery (including post-natal bleeding) a new mother will lose between 1/8 to 1/10 of her body's blood supply, with cesarean section births blood loss can be significantly more. Losing a large amount iron so quickly can cause anemia, leaving a new mom feeling tired, faint and exhausted. The blood needs high supplies of iron to carry oxygen to the cells. The placenta benefits the new mother by supplying incredibly rich meaty iron, amino acids and essential fats which we believe is the perfect replenishment following the ordeal of birth. Also, a mother will typically bleed for 3-6 weeks after birth. However, mothers who consume their placenta after birth bleed significantly less; usually much lighter bleeding for just 5-10 days after birth.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been using placenta medicinally for thousands of years. One of the well-known TCM uses for placenta, is to help with insufficient lactation. Interestingly enough, in 1954, researchers conducted a study on 210 women who were expected to have insufficient milk supply. They gave dried placenta to the women, and discovered that 86% of them had a positive increase in their milk production within a matter of days.
Today, approximately 80% of women experience some level of postpartum depression/mood disorder. Using the placenta for its medicinal properties during the postpartum period is a natural & healthier way you can help avoid these symptoms and the costly treatments that usually accompany them, such as medications and counseling. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a study that focused on CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone). During the last trimester of pregnancy, the placenta secretes so much CRH that the levels in the bloodstream increase threefold. However, postpartum women have lower than average levels of CRH, triggering depressive symptoms. They concluded that the placenta secreted so much CRH that the hypothalamus stopped producing it. Once the placenta was born, it took some time for the hypothalamus to get the signal that the CRH levels were low, and to begin producing it again. Taking in you placenta can help regulate the CRH level so they do not drop so rapidly.
Placenta Crafting:
Modes of Consumption (note – you do not have to choose one method of consumption. You could use part of your placenta for smoothies, and the rest for encapsulation or part for encapsulation and the rest for a tincture etc)
- Raw: The placenta is most beneficial when consumed raw. Some mothers cut off a small chunk of placenta immediately after birth and hold it in their mouths. Others have their partner, doula or friend prepare them a smoothie immediately after birth, or have a placenta preparation provider prepare them smoothies.
- Encapsulation: Not quite as potent as raw consumption, but still very powerful. Your placenta will be dehydrated, ground, and encapsulated. You will start with a general doseage and then gradually reduce. Self regulation is key and dosage may be increased/decreased as needed. Capsules keep indefinitely if stored in the freezer and then used as needed (after the first few weeks of general dosage) for help with milk supply, mood swings, and times of transition. Capsules can also be used during your monthly cycle and menopause.
- Tincture: The tincture is more subtle, is homeopathic and captures the energy and essence of the placenta. Tincture can be used on an as needed basis for mama, and is also beneficial when given to the baby to help with teething, overall crankiness, times of growth spurts, big transitions, etc.
- Chocolates: Think about how we crave chocolate when we are stressed. High quality chocolate contains minerals and endorphins, as does the placenta itself – so you are getting a double dose! I also add a bit of cayenne pepper – the pepper aids the vascular system opening, which means quicker absorption for the placenta magic.
Non-Consumption:
- Burial
- Art Prints