Author & Photography: Taryn Goodwin
"I
had bad baby blues with my first and felt it starting after my second just
before I got the pills. The pills made everything better. I recovered much
faster, less bleeding, my slight tear healed faster with my second than a
similar tear with my first, my milk came in sooner and was over flowing (with
my first I never leaked milk, but with my second I had an abundance and would
leak when my milk let down.) My husband could even tell the difference in my
mood if I forgot to take my pills. I have taken them a few times since weaning
off them, during stressful times, and they help still, plus my milk gets a
boost each time I take them. This is seriously a life saver! I don't know how I
would have cared for my two year old and the newborn without these pills. And
the best part is they benefit me and my baby. No side effects to me or my
infant like if I had to take antidepressants while breastfeeding. Plus I'd
rather take something that I know exactly what's in it because I know what I
took in during pregnancy, than take some synthetic drug that had all sorts of
byproducts and animal hormones." -Ann S. (a former Spirited Birth Services Client)
If
we look at what most mammals in nature do, we see that it is normal
and natural to consume your placenta. In fact, to not consume your
placenta is to intervene with natures process
and to invite the consequences that come with that. An example of this
consequence is the fact that more than 80% of women experience the "baby
blues" after their babies are born. 80% is such a high number and I
imagine the real number of women experiencing this is higher) that the
"baby blues" is considered by medical professionals as a a NORMAL
consequence of the postpartum period. As is, postpartum fatigue. What
if these aren't normal consequences at all, but consequences of us not
following natures prescription for postpartum wellness?
So, why do we have the "baby
blues"?
Because the placenta actually acts as an primary endocrine organ in pregnancy
(a hormone producing organ) the placenta begins producing hormones at 6-8 weeks
gestation to help sustain pregnancy. This is a huge deal! These hormonal levels
continually increase during pregnancy, and by the third trimester there are 3 times the normal level of hormones in
an expectant mother’s system. These hormones are essential the mother's
hormonal well-being in pregnancy. By 4-5 days postpartum after losing the
placenta, these hormone levels will drop to below normal. This is a huge
fluctuation going from 3 times the normal level to below normal hormonal level,
and this is why we believe that mothers who ingest their placenta don't
experience this huge hormonal drop off.
Let us look at a comparison of the healing ingredients of the placenta, their
benefits to the new mother and how the ingredients are already being derived
from sources you wouldn't imagine by pharmaceutical companies to treat a number
of conditions...
The
known ingredients in the placenta and their pharmaceutical alternatives are:
•
Gonadotrophin: the precursor to estrogen, progesterone and
testosterone.
Fertility medicines Choragon and
Novarel are derived from the urine of pregnant women.
•
Prolactin:
promotes lactation.
Synthetic prolactin is used in women
to promote or create lactation. A hybrid version can be derived through the
pituitary glands of cattle.
•
Oxytocin: for
pain and bonding; produced during breastfeeding to facilitate bonding of mother
and infant. It also helps the uterus contract. In pharmaceutical form this is a
very addictive drug because it promotes a feeling of connectedness with others.
Pitocin is a snythetic form of
oxytocin used to induce labor or stop postpartum hemorrhage. It comes from the
pituitary glands of cattle and includes acetic acid for pH adjustment and .5
percent chloretone as a preservative.
•
Thyroid
stimulating hormone: boosts energy and helps recovery from
stressful events. Synthetic versions of
this hormone can be used to treat thyroid conditions and come from the
pituitary glands of cattle.
•
Cortisone:
combats stress and unlocks energy stores.
Synthetic creams and injections are
used treat arthritis, skin allergies, anti-inflammatory medicine and made from
cow adrenals.
•
Interferon:
stimulates the immune system to protect against infections.
Rebif, a synthetic form of Interferon
is a drug used to treat multiple sclerosis is made from genetically engineered
Chinese Hamster Ovary cells into which the human interferon beta gene has been
introduced.
•
Prostaglandins:
anti-inflammatory.
Cervidil, a synthetic prostaglandin is
used commonly to ripen the cervix for labor and is made from pig semen.
•
Hemoglobin:
replenishes iron deficiency and anemia, a common postpartum condition.
Hemoglobin-glutamer 250, an oxygenated
blood from cows is used when human blood isn't available.
•
Urokinase
inhibiting factor and factor XIII: stops
bleeding and enhances wound healing.
Synthetic versions of
cell-surface-bound urokinase (uPA) activity (made from chick embryo) are
currently being studied and believed to play a central role in the processes of
tissue remodelling important for wound healing, mammary gland involution,
ovulation and development and repair of the nervous system. Such activity is
also important in a number of disease states such as cancer and the
inflammatory diseases pemphigus and rheumatoid arthritis.
•
Gammaglobulin:
immune booster that helps protect against postpartum infections.
Immune globulin (IG) is a sterilized
solution obtained from pooled human blood plasma, which contains the
immunoglobulins (or antibodies) to protect against the infectious agents that
cause various diseases.
Give the healing ingredients above it only makes sense that
there would be a biological advantage to ingesting the placenta following
birth! Unfortunately, most of our best evidence is anecdotal from the mothers
who report back to us. I am hopeful that more research on human consumption
will take place as this practice continues to be popularized. One of the
primary questions to be answered is whether the traditional processing of the
placenta (steaming/dehydrating) would ruin or eliminate some of the hormones,
vitamins and minerals present in the placenta. Some preliminary research,
to be published out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found that many of
the compounds present pre-processing remained post-processing. The study
analyzed several components present in placenta before any type of preparation,
and after the steaming and dehydration that is common in converting the
placenta into capsule form. The results demonstrated that while some components
are reduced in the dried state, many components do still remain. In fact, the
research has shown that the iron content, in particular, is even more highly
concentrated after dehydration (Benysheck 2012). In another study,
researchers found that most women who have ingested placenta after a birth
would do so again after a subsequent pregnancy (Selander 2012).
Remember, you only have one placenta with each pregnancy, so I encourage you to
make the best of it. If you are on the fence about placenta encapsulation or
even think it’s absolutely bizarre I simply ask you to go ahead and put the
placenta in your birth plan and save it in the back of the freezer “just in
case”. It is far better to have the placenta and not need it, then to need the
placenta and not have it. Be sure to label it so your family doesn't
accidentally thaw it for dinner. ;-)
When hiring a professional placenta services provider here
are some questions to
ask:
•
Are you OSHA Certified? Be sure the provider has completed OSHA Bloodborne
Pathogens Training in accordance with the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 29
CFR 1090.1030. This will mean they are likely to use EPA & OSHA approved
sanitation methods.
•
Where do you prepare the placenta for encapsulation? Be leery of anyone who routinely prepares them in their
own home kitchen, not only is it illegal to prepare a food/supplement in a
kitchen (without an approved commercial kitchen) for resale, it is also easier
for cross-contamination to happen! This usually means the placenta
encapsulation provider brings her equipment to you, preparing in your home.
This also ensures that you see your placenta from start to finish to verify it
is in fact your placenta. *Occasionally, a separate and specialized off site
work area can be used to prepare placentas for encapsulation when done safely
and in line with OSHA standards.
•
Do you do the raw method or the TCM/Traditional method? The placenta is potentially exposed to bacteria from the
birth canal including maternal fecal matter, and infant meconium. The steaming
process helps to kill off these bacteria and can help protect against any
potential illnesses from bacteria allowed to culture on the placenta before
encapsulation. Also, in raw preparation, when the placenta is not dehydrated
for a long enough period of time mold
spores can grow in the raw placenta
capsules, thereby putting the mother at risk of food poisoning.
Raw
Method:
If you decide you want the benefits of raw consumption consume the placenta
immediately after the birth so bacteria has no time to grow, cut off a 1-2 inch
square piece and place inside the cheek or under the tongue for as long as
possible. It may then be discarded, or swallowed according to your preference.
You can also blend in a smoothie. This is
the fastest and safest way to incorporate the hormonal benefits of the raw
placenta. Placenta smoothie recipes can be found here: http://placentanetwork.com/placenta-smoothies/ *More on the TCM or Traditional method: According to
Traditional Chinese Medicine, cooling foods are best in the first 48 hours
postpartum. Raw foods, thus raw placenta, are used to help calm the hormonal
rush and blood flow down. After the first 48 hours, warming foods are most
beneficial. Cooked or steamed foods (TCM/Traditionally prepared and/or
encapsulated placenta) are used to help rebuild blood, chi, and slowly increase
the body's endocrine functions.
Traditional Method
(Also referred to as TCM):
The placenta is
steamed lightly, dehydrated, ground into powder and made into capsules. Average
yield is 75-200 capsules. Most mothers will have some left over to save for
hormonally stressful times later on.
Other placenta
options:
Placenta Tincture –
liquid remedy made for mother and baby or siblings as well
Placenta Salve/Balm –
made for diaper rash, nipple soreness, eczema, minor scrapes, etc.
Placenta prints –
keepsake prints of your placenta on archival paper
Placenta cord
keepsake – Your umbilical cord dried in the shape of a heart or spiral keepsake
A few local TCM/Traditional
Placenta Providers:
Serving Oklahoma City Metro
Serving Lawton, OK
Serving Oklahoma City Metro
Research
and Works Cited:
http://www.lucinebiotech.com/placental-encapsulation-and-postpartum-healt/
http://placentanetwork.com/research-and-articles/
Benysheck, Young,
Selander, Cantor. “Eating the placenta: A comparison of select hormones and
nutrients in unprepared placental tissue and placenta prepared for
encapsulation.” Ecology of Food and Nutrition, in press.
More about the
author: Taryn became
interested in placenta encapsulation after having postpartum depression after
the birth of her son. She learned about the benefits of ingesting the placenta
and was really attracted to the possibility of offering such a unique and
needed service. Taryn was the first Placenta Encapsulation Provider to serve
Oklahoma and she has prepared over 400 placentas for encapsulation and
regularly hosts presentations on the benefits of the placenta for postpartum
wellness. In 2010, Taryn worked with an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist to
create an OSHA course specific to the standards needed for our industry and has
successfully completed the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Training in accordance
with the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR 1090.1030. Taryn is
currently working with several experienced national providers to create a new
training association for placenta service providers.
