What is Placentophagia?
Placentophagia (or placentaphagia) is the practice of consuming the placenta. Many mammals naturally eat the placenta soon after birth and as do some traditional cultures. Preparations vary, including eating raw slivers, recipes such as lasagna, soups, stews etc., or medicinal pills and concoctions. The placenta can be eaten by the mother and/or saved for the child (after introduction of solids). The most beneficial times for the mother are shortly after childbirth or during times of tiredness or energy deficiency. For the child it may be useful at times of energy deficiency or perhaps considered before the seven and eight year cycles of growth.
Why Eat Placenta?
There are many benefits to eating placenta and although it is not well documented in Western society it is has been used as a medicine in China for many years. In fact, the placenta is quite sort after, being included in pharmacological preparations to treat infertility, chronic fatigue syndrome and a variety of other diseases. Placenta is bought from young, healthy women then tested and treated accordingly. Why let this valuable organ go to waste?
Benefits of Placenta Pills
The consumption of the placenta augments Qi (energy) and Xue (blood) and therefore tonifies Yang, Yin and Jing (Vital Essence).
All foods have properties that can benefit the body, depending on the body type and other factors. Placenta is considered to be a very powerful medicine as it is life giving and stores the vital essence for the baby. Placenta is often included in traditional medicinal combinations with restorative functions.
Generally we cannot directly tone the vital essence as it is over a process of years that this is built up. Firstly there is the Qi that comes from what we consume. Some of this Qi is then turned into Xue (blood) after digestion, and stored in the liver. If the body is producing enough blood (via good health practices), it is then transported from the liver to the kidneys and marrow (in Traditional Chinese Medicine – TMC, the kidneys control the bone marrow) and becomes Jing. There are two types of Jing: prenatal and postnatal. Pre-natal Jing is the reason why pre-natal care is so important for future health. It comes from the sperm and ova during conception and cannot be replenished. Postnatal Jing can be replenished but it takes many years. Pregnancy is taxing on the body and can drain Qi, Xue and Jing (in that order) even if the mother follows the best of health regimes.
More specifically, placenta pills may help to:
• Increase general energy
• Allow a quicker return to health after birth
• Increase production of breast milk
• Decrease likelihood of baby blues and post natal depression
• Decrease likelihood of iron deficiency
• Decrease likelihood of insomnia or sleep disorders
The body is so individual and because of the powerful nature of this medicine other benefits are also likely but too numerous to mention.
I believe that this practice is particularly beneficial to vegetarian mothers and those prone to post natal depression.
You can encapsulate if you lotus birth, if you wish to lotus birth please don’t hesitate to talk to me about this process. Kasey Whitehead Faeries Roam Healing and Birth www.faeriesroamhealingcentre.weebly.com.
Placentophagia (or placentaphagia) is the practice of consuming the placenta. Many mammals naturally eat the placenta soon after birth and as do some traditional cultures. Preparations vary, including eating raw slivers, recipes such as lasagna, soups, stews etc., or medicinal pills and concoctions. The placenta can be eaten by the mother and/or saved for the child (after introduction of solids). The most beneficial times for the mother are shortly after childbirth or during times of tiredness or energy deficiency. For the child it may be useful at times of energy deficiency or perhaps considered before the seven and eight year cycles of growth.
Why Eat Placenta?
There are many benefits to eating placenta and although it is not well documented in Western society it is has been used as a medicine in China for many years. In fact, the placenta is quite sort after, being included in pharmacological preparations to treat infertility, chronic fatigue syndrome and a variety of other diseases. Placenta is bought from young, healthy women then tested and treated accordingly. Why let this valuable organ go to waste?
Benefits of Placenta Pills
The consumption of the placenta augments Qi (energy) and Xue (blood) and therefore tonifies Yang, Yin and Jing (Vital Essence).
All foods have properties that can benefit the body, depending on the body type and other factors. Placenta is considered to be a very powerful medicine as it is life giving and stores the vital essence for the baby. Placenta is often included in traditional medicinal combinations with restorative functions.
Generally we cannot directly tone the vital essence as it is over a process of years that this is built up. Firstly there is the Qi that comes from what we consume. Some of this Qi is then turned into Xue (blood) after digestion, and stored in the liver. If the body is producing enough blood (via good health practices), it is then transported from the liver to the kidneys and marrow (in Traditional Chinese Medicine – TMC, the kidneys control the bone marrow) and becomes Jing. There are two types of Jing: prenatal and postnatal. Pre-natal Jing is the reason why pre-natal care is so important for future health. It comes from the sperm and ova during conception and cannot be replenished. Postnatal Jing can be replenished but it takes many years. Pregnancy is taxing on the body and can drain Qi, Xue and Jing (in that order) even if the mother follows the best of health regimes.
More specifically, placenta pills may help to:
• Increase general energy
• Allow a quicker return to health after birth
• Increase production of breast milk
• Decrease likelihood of baby blues and post natal depression
• Decrease likelihood of iron deficiency
• Decrease likelihood of insomnia or sleep disorders
The body is so individual and because of the powerful nature of this medicine other benefits are also likely but too numerous to mention.
I believe that this practice is particularly beneficial to vegetarian mothers and those prone to post natal depression.
You can encapsulate if you lotus birth, if you wish to lotus birth please don’t hesitate to talk to me about this process. Kasey Whitehead Faeries Roam Healing and Birth www.faeriesroamhealingcentre.weebly.com.