To Eat or Not to Eat – That is the Placenta Question

What started as a seemingly innocent dinner conversation quickly spirals into a bizarre blend of horror, sci-fi, and a sprinkle of misguided wellness. “Should I eat my placenta?” Jodie asks, chopsticks in hand, balancing her ramen on a third-trimester belly. Tom’s spoon pauses mid-air. A beat passes. And then… the drama begins.

On one side of the sofa, Tom’s imagination leaps into a full-blown horror flick – he sees the placenta morphing into a leggy alien creature bursting from Jodie’s body. He’s horrified. Tassie the bulldog, however, is intrigued – is it food?

On the other side, Jodie dreams of power. Not just any power – Lucy power. You know, Scarlett Johansson tapping into 100 % of her brain’s potential from a mystery drug? Jodie sees her placenta, delicately freeze-dried and encapsulated, transforming her into a super-intelligent being who can write a novel, solve climate change, and do the food shop—all before lunch.

This post blends humour and animated fantasy frames with real discussion. We’ll look at:
🔹 The history of placentophagy (yeah, that’s the actual word)
🔹 Different methods people use—raw, smoothies, pills (please, not raw)
🔹 Reported benefits vs. scientific evidence
🔹 Anecdotes and lived experiences from real parents
🔹 The surprising link between mammals and placenta consumption
🔹 Why some people do it—and why it’s all deeply personal

A brief history of placentophagy

Placentophagy is defined as the ingestion of a human placenta postpartum, in any form . Of the more than 4,000 species of placental mammals, most routinely consume the afterbirth—humans being a notable exception until very recently. Maternal placentophagy re-emerged in the U.S. among midwives in the 1970s and has since gained a small but growing following in Western cultures, thanks in part to celebrity endorsements and the natural-birth movement .

Methods of placenta preparation

There’s more than one way to placenta:

• Raw: Slice it sashimi-style (cue Tom passing out).
• Smoothies: Blend chunks with berries, banana and almond milk—breakfast with a side of trauma.
• Encapsulation: The most popular (and least vomit-inducing) method. You send your freshly cleaned placenta to a certified UK prep service—such as Placenta Practice—and receive your own batch of freeze-dried capsules, ready for daily dosing .

Reported benefits vs. scientific evidence

Anecdotal perks frequently cited by parents who’ve tried it include:

• Increased energy
• Reduced risk of postpartum depression
• Faster healing
• Improved milk supply

In a survey of 189 women who consumed their own placenta, 95 % reported “positive” or “very positive” experiences—most commonly improved mood and lactation .

But scientific studies paint a different picture:

• A 2015 systematic review found no conclusive evidence that placentophagy reduces postpartum depression, enhances recovery, or boosts milk production—and called for more research into its risks .
• The first pilot RCT by UNLV researchers showed that daily placenta capsules provided only about 25 % of the iron RDA for lactating women, with no improvements in iron status compared to a beef-placebo group after three weeks .

Safety concerns

The CDC warns that placenta encapsulation does not reliably eliminate infectious pathogens. In 2017, they linked one infant’s late-onset Group B Strep sepsis to contaminated placenta capsules and advised against ingestion without strict processing standards .

In the UK, placenta for oral ingestion is explicitly not classified as relevant material under the Human Tissue Act—meaning there’s no formal regulatory framework for placentophagy . If you’re considering it, always:

• Discuss with your midwife or GP
• Follow NHS infection-control advice
• Consider professional support from organisations like Doula UK

My midwife’s anecdote

When I spoke to my midwife, she was open and supportive—she’s seen plenty of her clients opt in, and shared a simple prep example: cube and freeze your cleaned placenta in berry-blend batches, then blitz one smoothie a day until it’s gone. I haven’t decided for sure which method I’ll use, but knowing this hack is on the table makes the idea feel more approachable.

Placentophagy in the animal kingdom

Most mammals—cats, dogs, elephants, even guinea pigs—eat their placenta. Evolutionary biologists suggest this instinct aids in mother-young bonding, masks birth scents from predators, and may release a natural opioid-enhancing factor (POEF) that eases postnatal pain .

What’s next—and how you can follow along

I haven’t given birth yet, my placenta is still warm and cozy and keeping my baby safe completely oblivious to this discussion surrounding it’s future cannibalism—but this is your front-row seat as I navigate the decision. Once baby arrives and I choose a prep method (smoothie hack or otherwise), I’ll share:

• Taste test: does it actually taste okay?
• Any shifts in energy, mood or milk supply
• Raw reflections on whether it feels empowering or just plain weird

👉 Watch this space: updates will drop here on the blog and on Instagram. If you’re curious, contemplating, or just love a good birth-woe saga, subscribe or follow—let’s swap notes on this wild postpartum experiment!

Pregnancy and birth deliver enough surprises—why not navigate the weird ones together?

— Jodie

Further reading and resources:

🏥 NHS Postnatal Care
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/postnatal-care/

🧬 Human Tissue Authority
https://www.hta.gov.uk/

💊 Placenta Practice (UK-wide encapsulation service)
https://www.placentapractice.co.uk/

🔬 Placenta Plus (laboratory-based encapsulation)
https://placentaplus.co.uk/

🌿 Birth Baby Balance (encapsulation & other placenta remedies)
https://www.birthbabybalance.co.uk/placenta-encapsulation/

💚 Mind (mental-health charity)
https://www.mind.org.uk/

🤰 PANDAS Foundation (pre- and postnatal depression support)
https://www.pandasfoundation.org.uk/