Why Do Some Women Eat Their Placenta After Childbirth?

After a baby is born, the placenta, an organ that fed and protected the baby in the womb usually gets thrown away. Yet some new mothers choose to eat it. 

Why would anyone want to eat something their body no longer needs? Here’s a simple look at the reasons, the methods, and what science says.

When the placenta grows inside you, it works like a life-support system. It brings oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the baby, and carries waste away. Once the baby comes out, the placenta’s job is done. But many women believe it still holds valuable nutrients that can help them recover after childbirth.

Reasons Women Eat Their Placenta

1. Energy Boost
   Pregnancy and labour can leave a woman feeling weak and tired. Some believe that eating the placenta quickly after birth can give an energy lift, almost like a natural tonic.
   
2. Reduce Baby Blues
   “Baby blues” or postpartum sadness affects many new mothers. Some women hope that the hormones and nutrients in the placenta might balance their mood and keep depression away.
   
3. Improve Breast Milk Production
   Good milk flow is a worry for first-time mothers. There’s a belief that placenta nutrients can encourage more milk.
   
4. Hold on to Nutrients
   In pregnancy, iron, vitamins, and proteins move from mom to baby through the placenta. Some think those same nutrients stay in the organ and should not go to waste.
   

How It’s Done

• Smoothies and Shakes
  Fresh placentas can be blended into a fruit smoothie within hours of birth. Red berries and banana are popular choices to mask taste and smell.
  
• Capsules
  Another method is to have the placenta cleaned, dehydrated, ground into a powder, and put into capsules—similar to taking a vitamin pill.
  
• Cooked Dishes
  Less common but traditional in some cultures: cooking small pieces of placenta into soups or stews.
  

A Real-Life Story

Charlie Poulter, from Reading in England, decided to try placenta eating after learning it might help her avoid post-natal depression. She drank a berry-banana smoothie with a palm-sized piece of placenta just hours after giving birth. “I drank it quickly because I didn’t want to think about it,” she said. She’d battled depression for 18 months before pregnancy and worried she’d feel low again.

According to Charlie, she never developed post-natal depression and she “swears it was the placenta.” Her husband pointed out that even if it was just a placebo effect, something that works because you believe it does at least it wasn’t harmful.

What Science Says

Despite many personal stories, research does not back up these health claims. A review by a team at Northwestern University looked at ten studies on eating the placenta. 

They found no solid proof that it helps with mood, energy, or milk production. They also warned that no study had checked for risks, such as infections.

Because the placenta filters out toxins, it can hold onto bacteria or viruses. If not stored and prepared correctly, eating it could carry germs.

Expert Views

• Royal College of Midwives
  They say it’s a matter of personal choice, but women should know the facts. Placenta is like any other food: it can spoil. Proper storage and preparation are important. They advise talking it over with a midwife before birth.
  
• Northwestern Researchers
  Lead author Cynthia Coyle notes that women who choose placentophagy (“eating placenta”) often are very careful about what they eat in pregnancy. Yet they may not realize the lack of evidence or the possible risks in eating their placenta after birth.
  
• Obstetricians’ Caution
  Many doctors won’t recommend it. They point out that while the placenta carries nutrients, it also holds waste and could bring infections back into the body.
  

Should You Try It?

If you’re curious, learn all you can first. Talk to your healthcare provider about safe handling, storage, and preparation. Remember that no strong scientific proof says it will boost your health, and there may be hidden risks. 

Whether you “eat” your placenta or not, the most important part is caring for yourself: rest, good nutrition, and support as you recover and care for your new baby.

Eating the placenta is rare in humans but common in many animals. Some believe mammals do it to hide birth smell from predators, or to help mother and baby bond. 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, dried placenta has long been used as a restorative remedy. In recent years, blogs, social media, and celebrities have helped spread the trend in Western countries.