Doctors are warning mothers against the placenta eating trend

Eating the placenta after giving birth is common among animals and its called Placentophagy. However, this practise is becoming increasingly common among women.

Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and her sister Kourtney advocate for placenta eating after giving birth and now, many other women are doing it through many methods such as frying the placenta or drying it and turning it into powdered capsules which are then ingested, while others turn it into a smoothie and drink it.

Lately, I have been seeing many posts on women eating their placenta on groups such as Kilimani Mums.

In many hospitals, after a woman gives birth, the placenta is considered as waste but a mom can request to keep it. The placenta is the wall that forms on the uterus to act as a transport system between the baby and the mother, through the umbilical cord. It also helps keep the baby safe from diseases and such. According to women who have eaten their placenta, it is believed that some of the benefits of the practice include increased breast milk production, the body regains its nutrients thus increasing one's mood and energy as well as reduce postpartum depression. However, doctors are advising women against this practise, sighting the following health risks:

1. It could be contaminated.

Remember the placenta acts as a filter, keeping bacteria away from the baby. Also consider that it's common for women to defecate while giving birth during the push and this could mean that the placenta could be even more contaminated by all the bacteria present in the feaces.

2. It's hard to keep the placenta fresh.

Technically, the placenta is 'meat'. Once it's out of your system, it's meant to be discarded so unless you have a coolant where you will place your placenta so that it's fresh enough for consumption, it will probably not be safe to eat. It needs refrigeration asap lest it spoils. It's like eating meat that has been left out of the fridge all day. That doesn't sound too good does it? You may get sick and subsequently infect those around you.

3. You may not even end up getting the benefits you're looking to have.

Cooking, can damage the very nutrients you're hoping to receive. You have to cook at sterilization levels, and at that point, you've denatured all of the proteins and the hormones that you think are going to help you heal.

4. You may not like the taste.

While most women who have eaten it say that it taste like liver, you will probably not like it.

5. It's a money making trend.

Drying the placenta and turning it into capsules which can be taken as Vitamins can cost as much as 200-300 USD(20,000-30,000Ksh). The people advocating for eating of the placenta are probably just doing it to make money.

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