Quick answer: While many women report feeling better after consuming their placenta, there's no scientific evidence to support the claimed benefits. Medical professionals discourage the practice due to potential contamination risks, including bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals, with no documented benefits to offset those risks.
What Is Placentophagy?
Placentophagy is the practice of consuming the placenta after giving birth. While most mammals do this naturally – exceptions include marine mammals like whales and dolphins, and camelids like camels and llamas (but we all know camels are jerks, so that doesn't count) – humans have only recently embraced it as a wellness trend.
Here's what surprised me: human maternal placentophagy hasn't been recorded as a routine practice by any culture anywhere in the world throughout history. It first appeared as a rare alternative practice in the 1970s among women in the US home-birthing community. So despite what you might hear about "ancient traditions," this is actually a modern phenomenon.
Scientists originally thought animals ate their placentas to remove traces of birth and avoid attracting predators. Current research suggests nutritional value is the primary driver. Interestingly, when researchers withheld placentas from animal mothers, the animals didn't seem particularly bothered and didn't reject their offspring, which raises real questions about how essential this practice actually is.
The Claimed Benefits (That Science Doesn't Support)
Advocates claim placentophagy can:
- Increase milk production
- Speed postpartum recovery
- Provide more energy
- Prevent or reduce postpartum depression
- Boost future fertility
- Offer pain relief
- Balance hormones after birth
The theory: Your placenta contains hormones, vitamins, minerals, iron, and protein. Proponents believe consuming it helps offset the sharp hormone drop that happens after delivery.
What the Science Actually Says
Here's the reality: there is no scientific evidence of any clinical benefit of placentophagy among humans, and no placental nutrients and hormones are retained in sufficient amounts after placenta encapsulation to be potentially helpful to the mother postpartum.
I know that's disappointing if you were hoping for a magic postpartum solution. Most studies on placentophagy are small, poorly designed, or rely on self-reported anecdotal data. We don't know if cooking, grinding, and encapsulating the placenta preserves any beneficial properties, and current evidence suggests it doesn't.
The biggest concern? Placenta capsule suppliers are making medical claims without scientific backing or regulatory oversight. You're essentially trusting someone's word that this will help you, when medical professionals are saying it won't.
The Real Risks You Need to Know
This is where things get serious. Eating your placenta isn't just unproven, it can actually be dangerous.
Contamination: The CDC reported a 2016 Oregon case where an infant developed recurrent group B Streptococcus infection linked to contaminated placenta capsules the mother was taking. The bacteria from the mother's capsules infected her newborn – twice.
Toxins: Your placenta acts as a filter during pregnancy, which means it accumulates toxins like mercury and lead, as well as potential bacteria and viruses. Cooking cannot eliminate these completely.
No standards: There are zero industry regulations for the encapsulation process. Quality, sanitation practices, and safety protocols vary wildly between providers. You're trusting someone to handle a biohazard in their home kitchen.
Because of these risks with no proven benefits, physicians discourage this practice.
How to Get Your Placenta from the Hospital (If You Still Want It)
Hospitals consider placentas medical waste and biohazards. If you want yours, you'll need to request it in advance and likely sign paperwork acknowledging you're taking responsibility for handling medical waste.
Don't wait until delivery day – ask your healthcare provider weeks ahead about their placenta release policy. Some hospitals require you to bring your own container. In 2007, a Las Vegas mother reportedly had to sue her hospital to claim her placenta after an emergency C-section. Make your wishes clear early to avoid complications.
Placenta Encapsulation Costs
DIY option: Around $75 for supplies, but honestly, I couldn't manage making toast after giving birth, let alone processing an organ in my own kitchen with proper food safety protocols.
Professional encapsulation: Approximately $200. They pick up your placenta, process it in their facility, and return it in capsules you're instructed to take over several months.
For those who can't or don't want to use their own placenta, encapsulated animal placenta is available at a lower cost, though it's unclear whether this offers any benefits whatsoever and it comes with the same contamination risks.
My Honest Take: Is Placenta Encapsulation Worth It?
I've been writing about pregnancy and new parenthood since 2010, and I've watched the placentophagy trend grow. Here's what I think after looking at the actual evidence:
The appeal is understandable. Animals do it, your placenta does contain nutrients, and when you're facing the terrifying reality of postpartum recovery and potential depression, you want to try anything that might help.
But the facts don't support the practice. There's no scientific evidence that it works. There is scientific evidence it can harm your baby through bacterial contamination. The placenta accumulates heavy metals and toxins that don't cook out. And the entire industry operates without regulation, safety standards, or accountability.
Some people argue that even if it's just a placebo effect, who cares if you feel better? Here's my problem with that: the placebo effect doesn't justify exposing your newborn to bacterial infections or consuming concentrated heavy metals. There are safer ways to support your postpartum recovery that actually have evidence behind them.
Better Alternatives for Postpartum Support
Instead of spending $200 on unregulated placenta pills, consider investing in:
- A postpartum doula or support person
- Meal delivery service for the first few weeks
- Mental health screening and therapy if needed
- Quality iron supplements (if you're anemic)
- Lactation consultant visits
- Actual rest and recovery time
Check out my guide to 11 Natural Remedies for Postpartum Depression for evidence-based approaches.
The Bottom Line
I know plenty of women swear by placenta consumption and genuinely believe it helped them. I also understand the desperation of early postpartum life – you'd try almost anything to feel better.
But when medical professionals actively discourage a practice because it poses real risks with zero proven benefits, I think we need to listen. Your placenta did an amazing job protecting your baby during pregnancy. It filtered out toxins, accumulated heavy metals, and served as a barrier. That's exactly why you shouldn't eat it.
Your postpartum recovery depends on proven factors: adequate rest, good nutrition, hydration, strong support systems, and monitoring your mental health. Focus your energy and money there instead.
Updated March 2026.
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