The placenta is thought to be rich in nutrients that the mother needs to recover more readily from childbirth. In Italy, women have been known to eat parts of the placenta to help with lactation. Hungarian women bite the placenta to expedite the completion of labor. And knowledgeable midwives in this country have their birth mothers take bites of raw placenta to help stop hemorrhaging, due to its beneficial oxytocin content. The placenta is considered rich in iron and protein, which would be useful to women recovering from childbirth, and a particularly beneficial to vegetarian women.
Pregnancy is taxing on the body, even if the mother follows the best of health regimes. The theory behind placentophagy is that you are returning the nutrients lost during the birth process back to the body to aide in quick and smooth postpartum recovery.
The benefits of placenta encapsulation include:
*Decrease in baby blues and postpartum depression.
*Increase and enrich breastmilk.
*Increase in energy.
*Decrease in lochia, postpartum bleeding.
*Decrease iron deficiency.
*Decrease insomnia or sleep disorders.
The placenta's hormonal make-up is completely unique to the mother. No prescription, vitamin or herbal supplement can do what one placenta pill can.
So there you have it. Why would you want to throw away the placenta that has the very power to help you out so immensely postpartum? The placenta is truly a gift! Own it and indulge in it's natural power.
*Special thanks to the moms from CafeMom that contributed to this blog post*
