that time i ate my placenta

I will be the first to admit that pregnancy and mommyhood has changed me. I never really cared too much about eating organic, non GMO foods or saving the environment and all that jazz but something about creating a new life put all of that into perspective for me. I began to see how important all of these things are and how I want the very best for my little man.

When I got pregnant I immediately decided to clean up my eating, be a better recycler, use natural products, and avoid any chemicals, additives, etc. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed my treats while pregnant (and after) but made more of an effort to make sure they weren't filled with crap and ingredients I had no idea how to pronounce. I started to look into all different kinds of natural products, remedies, wellness, etc. and I got hooked. I discovered the Bradley Method way of birthing, ditched my OB and got a midwife, and then discovered placenta encapsulation.

Before getting pregnant if you would have asked me if I was going to eat my placenta I would have said heck no techno. I probably would have laughed it off and acted grossed out (as many people do when they hear the word placenta). But since I was on a healthy, natural kick I decided to look into it and research all of the benefits. The idea that it was good for you and your baby was very intriguing to me and I had to learn more.

I found a wealth of information so here is a much condensed version as well as my experience.

Some benefits to consuming your placenta:

- Balances out hormones so you can avoid those baby blues
- Helps to increase iron levels
- Increases milk production
- Increases energy levels
- Reduces postpartum bleeding
- Help with menstrual pain and even menopause

Being someone that has suffered from anxiety and depression, I was very worried about the possibility of PostPartum Depression so when I discovered that by eating my placenta my risk would be lowered, I was sold!

There are a number of ways in which you can consume your placenta.

Ways to consume your placenta:
- Encapsulation
- Grill it and eat like a steak
- Blend it into a smoothie along with other fruits & vegetables

Honestly, I didn't even consider the other options. I knew right away that the only way I could do this was by encapsulation. The process (for me) was fairly easy. All I did was birth it out, put it in the fridge in a tightly sealed container, and then had a doula come and pick it up. The process of encapsulating it goes a little like this: clean it, dehydrate it, put it in capsules, and voila! (I birthed in a birthing center but if you are in the hospital you will need to let all your nurses and doctor know you want to keep your placenta so that they don't throw it away)

My placenta made about 150 capsules and arrived on the Sunday after Truett was born. For the first few days I took 2 capsules at each meal and then about a week later I started to take only 2 twice per day. Eventually I started to forget and then moved them from the fridge to the freezer where they can keep for a good while (I can't recall the exact amount of time, but a good friend of mine still has hers from 2 years ago).

My Experience: 
As for my experience with the benefits listed above... I can definitely say that I did not experience any PPD and that I felt pretty level and steady the days & weeks following Truett's birth. I had my moments and did cry a few times, but they were more so either tears of pure happiness & love or tears of straight up exhaustion. It wasn't ever a sadness type crying. But I can't say for certain if I would have gotten PPD, I just know that with my history it was a high probability.

Iron levels, I'm not sure about. I never really had a problem before so there was no reason to check after.

My milk came in on day 3 and Truett has had no trouble gaining weight, he is quite the happy healthy little chunk. I haven't had any supply issues and things are still going great with breastfeeding.

My energy levels have been pretty stellar! It's so funny because for the first few weeks everyone would ask me if I was tired and if I was sleeping, yada yada yada. Honestly, I wasn't tired! Hold on while I go knock on some wood... but really, even though the sleep wasn't great for the first few weeks (and we still have some rough nights) I never felt too exhausted or like I was sleep deprived. I really think the placenta pills had a lot to do with this and I am so thankful for them!

Typical postpartum bleeding can last anywhere from 3-8 weeks, sometimes even longer. Fortunately, mine tapered off by 3 weeks and was completelygone by 4.

As for the last two, I can't say. My period has still not returned and I won't have to worry about the other one for a while. I will report back about helping with the period pains when that time comes though.

----------

Overall, it was a really great experience for me and I am so glad that I chose to eat my placenta. Will I do it again? Definitely! 

As with anything, consult your doctor first and do your research! I am happy to answer any questions that you might have but I am certainly no pro. This definitely isn't for everyone and I didn't think it would be my cup of tea either but I am really happy with my decision. Our bodies are incredible!