Placenta Encapsulation – What is it and how can it help you?
Nicole Seamons CLD(CBI), PBI
Placenta has been consumed by women for centuries. Some cultures even hold rituals. Most western cultures now however frown upon it or consider the placenta medical waste. A lot of birthing women won’t even look at the placenta after birth let alone consume it. Should you reconsider that? I believe so!
Let me tell you how the placenta can benefit you AFTER you have had your baby.
Helps rebalance your hormones & increase energy ~ If you’ve had a baby before you may remember around day 3-5 what is known as the baby blues, those periods of crying or being angry at everyone around you. There are 8 hormones said to impact a woman during the postpartum period (Thyriod T3 & T4, Prolactin, Cortisol, CRH, Oxytocin, Vasopressin, Progesterone and Estrogen) because the levels of these hormones drop significantly after the delivery of the placenta. By consuming the placenta you are adding these hormones back to your body reducing the risks of negative feeling and even postpartum depression which is linked to these hormones.
*Reduce postpartum bleeding & shrinking of the uterus ~ The shrinking of the uterus is stimulated by a high level of Prostaglandins which are a group of biologically active compounds, it also helps slow down postpartum bleeding and reduces the risk of postpartum anemia.
*Postpartum anemia ~ During childbirth (vaginal or cesarean) we lose blood and continue to lose blood for a few weeks after, the placenta is filled with iron being a blood filled organ by consuming the placenta the iron levels won’t drop so dramatically if at all.
*Pain relief ~ The placenta is filled with natural opioid enhancing factors which act as a natural pain reliever, amniotic fluid is even greater and can provide more of a pain relief than the placenta. The advantage to a natural pain reliever like amniotic fluid and the placenta is that the mother isn’t effected by any side effects that many synthetic pain relievers have.
*Increases milk supply ~ In a study conducted by Soykova 210 women who were struggling with milk supply were given dried placenta in test conditions and an amazing 86% noticed fast improvements in the amounts of milk they were producing, some results were so great that they had increased production of up to 70g per feed!
The placenta doesn’t stop benefiting you after the postpartum period, the capsules can be frozen and taken during hard time or leading up to and during menstruation when hormones are raging.