In the animal kingdom, nearly all mammals are known to consume their afterbirth - even herbivores. Some say this is simply to keep their nests clean and prevent the scent from bringing in predators. If this were the case, then predators at the top of the food chain would not consume their placenta and non-nesting mammals would not consume their placenta. But they do! Even when the baby has long since been ready to walk or run from the birth site, mammals have often been observed taking their time and spending an hour or two consuming the placenta in the same birth site. The placenta is most reported to help: Increase Energy * Balance Hormones * Enhance Milk Supply *Quicken Postpartum Healing Shorten Postpartum Bleeding * Help Mother Feel Happier * Help Mother Get Better Sleep Replenish Iron, Minerals and Vitamins
Avoid Postpartum Depression or the "Baby Blues"
Many people have heard of women experiencing the "baby blues", but many women also think it won't happen to them. In reality, 80% of women experience some form of "baby blues". Symptoms include: Sudden Mood Swings * Weepiness * Increased Irritability * Sadness * Anxiousness * Anger Constant Fatigue * Disinterest in the Baby
According to a study performed by the National Institutes of Health, "During the last trimester of pregnancy, the placenta secretes so much CRH that the levels in the bloodstream increase threefold. However, it was also discovered that postpartum women have lower than average levels of CRH, triggering depressive symptoms. They concluded that the placenta secretes so much CRH that the hypothalamus stopped producing it.....After childbirth, the hypothalamus doesn't immediately receive the signal to begin producing CRH again, which can lead to postpartum depression. Eating the encapculated placenta will raise a mother's CRH levels therefore, reducing postpartum depression.
Placenta's Ingredients for Healing
Prolactin Promotes lactation; increases milk supply; enhances the mothering instinct Oxytocin Decreases pain and increases bonding in mother and infant; counteracts the production of stress hormones such as cortisol; greatly reduces postpartum bleeding; enhances the breastfeeding let-down reflex Placental Opioid Enhancing Factor Stimulates the production of your body's natural opioids, including endorphins; reduces pain; increases well being Prostaglandins Regulates contractions in the uterus after birth; helps uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone Contributes to mammary gland development in preparation for lactation; stabilizes postpartum mood; regulates post-birth uterine cramping Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Regulates the thyroid gland; boosts energy Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH) Regulation of CRH help prevent depression Cortisone Reduces inflammation and swelling; promotes healing Interferon Triggers the protective defenses of the immune system to fight infection Hemoglobin Oxygen-carrying molecule which provides a boost in energy Iron Replensishes maternal iron stores to combat anemia; increases energy; decreases fatigue and depression Immunogloublin G Antibody molecules which support the immune system Human Placental Lactogen This hormone has lactogenic and growth-promoting properties; promotes mammary gland growth in preparation for lactation in the mother; regulates maternal glucose, protein and fat levels.