A woman eating her placenta is seen as something of a taboo in today’s society. However, it might be more common than you think and is said to be packed full of healthy nutrients, important for new mothers.
Kim Kardashian did not eat the placenta of her first child, North West. However, after hearing about the benefits from other new mom’s, such as that it can ward off postpartum depression, Kim ate the placenta of her second baby, Saint West, and was so pleased with the results, she continued to do so with her other two children.
Read more below about the effects of eating your placenta and why Kim decided to start eating hers.
The Pros and Cons of Eating Your Placenta
A placenta is an organ attached to the inner lining of a pregnant woman’s womb.
The organ performs functions that the unborn baby cannot. It allows a link between the mother and baby, and primarily acts as both a filtering system and to provide the baby with his/her own supply of blood.
Eating the placenta after giving birth to baby is said to have positive benefits to the mother, such as warding off postpartum depression and boosting her breast milk production.
Other known benefits to eating your placenta include, increased iron supply, more energy, improved mood, better maternal bonding and higher skin elasticity.
However, as with anything there are also risks involved, eating something used to filter waste and that was present during the birthing process, is not guaranteed to be sterile, which means that eating your placenta could cause an infection to you or your baby, the latter from ingesting harmful pathogens through your breast milk.
As with any meat, there can also be cross-contamination and so it is important that the placenta is prepared in a sterile environment to avoid blood-borne cross-contamination.
If she decides to try it, there are a variety of methods a woman can chose from to consume her placenta. The most popular method is to steam and dehydrate the placenta and turn it into capsules. However, you can also boil the placenta and eat it, or add the placenta to a smoothie.
There are lots of placenta recipes and remedies online. Just follow the link below.
Why Kim Eats Her Placenta
After suffering from postpartum depression after her first child North West, Kim announced on her blog that the second time around she would try a new diet regimen, that of eating her placenta.
After hearing others rave about the benefits, the reality star decided that she had to try to for herself. She explained on her blog that after giving birth to Saint West, her second child, she started taking placenta pills.
“I heard so many stories when I was pregnant with North of moms who never ate their placenta with their first baby and then had postpartum depression, but then when they took the pills with their second baby, they did not suffer from depression!” She wrote. Afterwards, she seemed more than happy with the results, so much so that she continued to take the placenta pills of her third and fourth children. “I had great results and felt so energized and didn’t have any signs of depression! I definitely had to do it again. Every time I take a pill, I feel a surge of energy and feel really healthy and good. I totally recommend it for anyone considering it!”
Kim Kardashian
Other Celebrities Who Have Eaten Their Placenta
Many celebrity moms, including Holly Madison, January Jones, Kim Zolciak and even Kim’s own sister Kourtney Kardashian, have spoken publicly about having eaten their placenta after giving birth.
Although the process might appear unusual to some, eating the placenta after giving birth is known to have amazing benefits, and although not every woman is so keen to give it a go, it certainly works for Kim.