Yes, I really did. And there's a picture to prove it.

I wrote the post below during my pregnancy. I will give the update on how it ultimately went at the end.

Placentophagia: More Than a Hippie Idea?

I used to fantasize about giving birth outdoors in a pool of water with all of nature standing by. I saw myself unclothed and wide open without fear – embracing the most instinctual, creative process I would ever be permitted to participate in. Elements of that fantasized natural birth remain at work in me as I prepare to welcome my little one. Part of embracing the simplicity of birth as integral to our physical beings is looking at the way mamas of the wider animal kingdom approach birth.

Most animals find a dark, quiet, unobserved place to give birth. They show no signs of fear; just trust in the wisdom of their bodies. And, of course, many animals will follow the birth by eating their placenta. Ok, so some of you are not going to be able to handle where this is going. Hear me out! While this practice is thought to stem in part from the need to eliminate scents that would bring predators near, many human cultures have adapted the practice for supposed health benefits. I thought about this in the past and it made sense to me. All that iron, those nutrients, and hormones are leaving your body – doesn’t it make sense that taking them back in would make you somehow stronger, more whole following birth?

But the notion of some vague ‘wholeness’ alone was not enough to make me think about cooking up my own raw body part. In fact, the whole placenta consumption thing didn’t come to my mind at all during most of my pregnancy – forgotten in my imaginative notions of birth. It was not until it came up in my childbirth class as a possible remedy for postpartum depression that my ears perked up.

Postpartum depression is a real and powerful phenomenon that I must confess I have feared. It is much more likely to plague women who have a history of depression. I fit that category. I have struggled with my thoughts and emotions to the point of finally deciding to go on medication for depression my senior year of college. It was a hard choice for me, but it made a difference in my life. It allowed me to have the stability to focus on the mental and emotional work I needed to do in order to pull myself out of beliefs about life and myself that I was allowing to cripple me. As I adjusted to the meds, I was able to slowly transition from weekly therapy, to monthly therapy, to working in my own mind. When I became pregnant the decision of whether to go off the medication was very trying. There are rare known side effects of SSRIs on developing infants, but also known side effects of maternal depression during pregnancy. I was deeply torn. I was ultimately able to go off my medication successfully by 20 weeks, the point at which known dangers to the infant are said to begin with SSRIs. It has not been with out some bumps, but for the most part my pregnancy has led me into a time of deep inner peace, strength, and tranquility. The spiritual and physical work I have committed myself to in the quest for a ring of inner safety in the absence of medication has, I believe, reaped lasting benefits.

All this said, I don’t want to return to that dark place when the hormones in my body are in the incredible post-partum flux and I am wrought with fatigue. I did some research, and sure enough there is some grassroots evidence that the hormone and nutrient rich organ that my body generated from scratch in early pregnancy can stem some of the ill effects of postpartum fatigue and mood swings that many feel is inevitable.

Once I knew this, I was sold on trying it, whether or not the remedy could promise anything for certain. Anything is worth a try. People turn their placenta into shakes, stews, and lasagna. But here in town there is another perhaps less disturbing way to consume your placenta. It would require putting out $200 (but maybe that would be less than I would have to ultimately put out for a prescription depression drug?) Specialists will come to your home just days after birth to dehydrate, grind, and encapsulate your placenta. These placenta pills can be taken multiple times a day and stretch over months. Some women even save a store for replenishment during their menopause changes. No benefits of the placenta are lost in the encapsulation process and in fact this form of placenta is apparently accepted and used in Chinese traditional medicine. Sounds like something even the most squeamish among us could stomach.

...So, if I can swing the money, I think I will be popping placenta pills each morning and night for a little while if any one is interested in a sample. If the price winds up seeming to steep to me, you are always welcome to come over to my house for a nice hearty stew. I promise it will be spiced to perfect flavor. =)

Update:

I have remained depression free since the birth of my daughter and feel that besides the normal mild swings of early postpartum, my hormones and emotional adjustment have felt pretty stable. I don’t know what I can attribute to the placenta. Maybe nothing at all. A greater portion of my thanks ought to go to my husband, strong family, and loving community. And motherhood itself has played a refreshing role in my life – taking my focus much off of myself and turning it towards the nurturance of another person. There simply isn’t time to dwell so heavily on my own thoughts and feelings. But for whatever it’s worth, I took that thing home, cut it up like any good piece of beef, solicited a little help from my husband in seasoning with soy sauce and Asian spices and added it to foods for several days. And, yes, Phil tried a bite, too. It’s not every man who sits behind you in the birth tub and goes along with your crazy ideas like it was commonplace. I guess I got lucky.

If any of you tried this, thought about it, or will think about it I would love to hear your story! Meanwhile, I'll be thinking up a recipe for next time. =) =) =)