Oct 2
2019
Placenta Pills After Birth: Should Women Take Them?
As you may already know, the placenta is one of the most incredible organs out there. It is mainly responsible for the nourishing of babies while they are in utero.
As a matter of fact, the placenta helps unborn babies in so many ways, that some mothers decided to get all of the nutrients that the organ contains back into their body.
Obviously, they do so by taking supplements, such as the Purtier Placenta Supplements, with some of them claiming that these pills increased their milk supply and even helped them avoid postpartum depression.
Let’s see if women should really take placenta pills after birth.
Placenta Encapsulation
This is a process which implies a whole placenta being transformed into pills which can be taken postpartum. Reportedly, it is one of the few ways through which new mommies can eat the placenta.
However, placenta encapsulation is the most popular way, with 70 to 80% of mothers choosing this option – if they already decided that they want to eat their placenta.
Is Encapsulation Safe?
Theoretically, eating your placenta and placenta encapsulation should not come with any real downsides. However, taking such pills may imply some health risks, mainly due to the fact that there are no standards in place for the placenta encapsulation process.
For example, if the placenta is not properly encapsulated, you may come in contact with dangerous bacteria that can make both you and your baby sick.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, improper encapsulation may cause an infection to be passed on to the baby when breastfeeding.
The Benefits of Placenta Encapsulation
The placenta comes with many benefits simply because it is rich in iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6. On top of that, it is also loaded with several reproductive hormones, such as progesterone and estrogen.
The two mentioned hormones are known to drop after birth, which is why many women consider taking placenta pills – mainly to restore the levels of estrogen.
- People who have taken placenta pills also state that they can help you boost milk supply, prevent anemia, lower the chances of postpartum depression, and balance hormones, as mentioned above.
- A small survey showed that 40% of women involved in it showed mood improvements, while 26% reported less fatigue and more energy.