Eating the placenta?

Question

What's the story behind this?

Answer 1

This is called placentophagy. The most general benefit of placentophagy is that placenta and amniotic fluid contain a molecule that modifies the activity of endogenous opioids in such a way that produces an enhancement of the natural reduction in pain that occurs shortly before and during delivery.

There is also a school of thought that holds that placentophagy naturally occurred to hide any trace of childbirth from predators in the wild, though the amniotic fluid not similarly ingested by the mother seems to discount this theory.

Answer 2

I read some on this when I was PG with my second.

Eating the placenta is believed to help reduce the chances of post-partum depression. (I know someone who had "placenta stew" after her daughters were born. I think freeze drying it and putting it into capsules is also popular.)

Also, lets say you gave birth somewhere away from a hospital and you were bleeding a lot. Eating some of the placenta is supposed to help stop post-partum hemmorhage.

Personally, I think only in a life and death situation!