!!!!!Ladies eat own placentas!!!

[Eos of the Eons]

Umh erg aack gaaauhhhh!!!

It's true!

A lady asking for recipes (http://mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?threadid=97495)


Why?

I've read that it helps balance hormones postpartum and thru menopause.

I assume,it would have tons of nutrients,all I put into it, and what kept the baby alive and growing for 9 mo.

I too am concerned about the cooking, but it was done in the first 24 hours by ametures,and I was a bit preoccupied and an ameture myself.I do know of people cooking it and eating it like liver or other meat,so I belive it still has a lot of health and healing value.

.


!!!!No, the baby got nutrition from the blood/nutrient transfers in the umbilical cord you ...&@*#^@*&#^&@ (**idiot)


Recipes:


Placenta Roast:

All "food" should be properly cleaned prior to cooking, and all "food" should be properly cooked prior to eating.

This is a good recipe for placenta, which should NOT go to waste:

INGREDIENTS:

1 to 3 lb. placenta no more than 3 days old
1 large onion
1 large green or red pepper (green will add color to the presentation)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 sleeve of saltine crackers
1 tsp crab or shrimp seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1 clove garlic (roasted and minced)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop onion and green or red pepper in small cubes. Place in large bowl. Crush saltines into crumbs and add to onion and pepper cubes.

COMBINE IN LARGE BOWL:

Placenta, seafood seasoning, pepper, garlic, and tomato sauce. Place into aluminum loaf pan. Cover and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours, occasionally pouring off excess liquid. Retain liquid for gravy base if desired.

~posted to the Homebirth email list



ummm, I am speechless. The pseudoscience...the....

ummm

http://www.geocities.com/virtualbirth/placenta.html

[UnrepentantSinner]

When my cat gave birth some years ago I watched with disgust as she at the placentas off each of the kittens.

Two thoughts:

a. She also crapped in a box, and I don't want the mother of my child doing that either.
b. She ate hers raw. When the suggestion is made for placental sushi eaten during the course or immediately after child birth... then I'll take it seriously.

[Eos of the Eons]

I found this on the recipe page:

Placenta Recipes (Mothering Magazine, September 1983, Vol. 28, pg 76)

Editor's note: I have not heard of anyone who routinely makes a habit of eating placenta... it would be an 'after-the-birth-only' type activity. Many animals, including herbivores routinely eat their placentas, as it replaces vitamins and minerals lost during the labor process. Many women who have tried it swear they feel better faster, and they do not suffer from postpartum depression because of the nutrients the placenta has given them. It has been called a 'harmless' meat, as no creature is killed to procure it. Placentas should only be eaten fresh, if this is something that appeals to you.


Each placenta weighs approximately 1/6 of the baby's weight. Cut the meat away from the membranes with a sharp knife. Discard the membranes.



Ummmm

haahhahahahahaha!!!

[LuxFerum]

No, no, I didn't read that.:(
Unbelievable.:eek:

[Eos of the Eons]

Originally posted by LuxFerum
No, no, I didn't read that.:(
Unbelievable.:eek:

That's what pseudoscience does. Drives people to believe the weirdest things.

It has been called a 'harmless' meat, as no creature is killed to procure it. Placentas should only be eaten fresh, if this is something that appeals to you.


"harmless meat"

"should only be eaten fresh"

Remember that.

And now you have a wonderful link for any new mom who is looking for placenta recipes.

But, just give me a steak. MMMM Beef!

[Skeptoid]

There was an article in Science Digest many years ago about (human) placenta eating. There wasn't a shred of science in the whole article. I never bought the mag again.

[richardm]

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall once made some Placenta Pate for a friend, treating it as though it was liver. He reckoned it tasted okay, and so did the the people at the dinner party he served it to (not all of them knew what it was in advance, IIRC).

Mind you, he'll eat anything. He once cooked and ate some woodlice on the grounds that they're crustaceans like shrimps, and therefore should be quite similar.

"Mm. Dusty", he said. He didn't have many takers for them.

[Rolfe]

It is weird watching cows eat their placentas after giving birth. Their mouths aren't very well adapted for this, but they get stuck into it nonetheless. The instinct is obviously very strong.

I'm struggling to remember some old lessons here, but as far as I recall the hormones in the placenta are important in the uterus contracting down and returning to normal after the birth.

I remember hearing about a woman who was a farmer's daughter and a farmer's wife, who was preparing for the birth of her first child. She was heard to ask the midwife, rather apprehensively, "Do I have to eat the placenta?"

Rolfe.

[Mercutio]

I had an acquaintance who did eat her placenta. She was very into "natural" childbirth, to the point that she went against her physician's recommendations and had a needlessly (IMHO) complicated and (IMHO) dangerous delivery. (I base my opinion on her own description of the event, which I figure must have been the best possible spin on it from her perspective. I'd hate to hear the physician's version of the story.)

On the other hand, if you are going to eat placenta, you ought to have a damned good recipe. She blended hers into milkshakes. Makes me gag just to think about it.

Another friend has ceremonially buried each placenta, planting a tree over each as a lasting monument to the birth and the child. A nice sentiment, but ya gotta wonder about the woo-woo implications of a skunk digging up the tree to get at the tasty fertilizer...

[shemp]

I'm so glad I read this thread. It should help with my dieting; I won't be eating for a few days.

[Crossbow]

Well, this is a hear-say story, so take it for what it is worth.

When I was an EMT learning to deliver babies, we were told to keep the placenta in a plastic bag so that various tests could be done on it and not return it to the family.

So someone asked the Paramedic giving the class, "Who would want to keep the placenta?"

The medic answered, "Well, some years ago I had to deliver a baby in someone's house and they wanted to make a soup out of the placenta. But I told them that could not be done since the doctor would need to do some testing on it."

Go figure!

[bug_girl]

i have a friend who is becoming a midwife, and what she told me was they recc. 3 options:

1. eat it.
2. ultrafreeze it in case you need stem cells
3. plant it ceremonially

i think the eating stems both from the idea that most other mammals eat the placenta, and also in times of famine, why throw good food away? it's clearly nutritious.

of course, i've been on tv twice for eating insects, so you can interpret this however you want. i have a great recipe for mealworm pizza. (and yet, am creeped out by the idea of placenta loaf....go figure).

[Suezoled]

Oh Hey! I remember that web page. I had forgotten it before, for obvious reasons. Thanks so much for bringing up this HORRIBLE web site; I will likely be scarred for life! :D

Yeah, well, you think that's bad, try Lotus Birth. Very much along the same "it's natural so it's good" lines: http://www.pregnancy.com.au/Lotus_birth.htm

Since 1974, many babies have been born this way, including babies born at home and in hospital, on land and in water, and even by caesarean section. Lotus birth is a beautiful and logical extension of natural childbirth, and invites us to reclaim the so-called third stage of birth, and to honour the placenta, our baby’s first source of nourishment.

[Craig]

There was a programme on a few years back (a documentary of some sort) in which the new parents celebrated the birth of their child by inviting a few friends round for a party and dinner...guess what the main course was...

[Brian]

Originally posted by Mercutio


On the other hand, if you are going to eat placenta, you ought to have a damned good recipe. She blended hers into milkshakes. Makes me gag just to think about it.



That is the single most disgusting thing I have heard in my life.

[Keziah Mason]

Note to self: Avoid eating meals cooked by new parents. If you want to replace vitamins and minerals, eat a multi-vitamin.

You know, a lot of mammals also eat their own (or other species') feces. I wonder when we're going to see these "natural" folks are going to jump on that bandwagon.

[Soapy Sam]

I understand the placenta is actually produced by paternal genes. ( Third Twin or someone, correct me please if this is untrue).
This would make it somewhere between cannibalism (eating your husband) and autocannibalism (biting your nails).

I'm not sure which is worse.

[Suezoled]

How does one grade placenta as a safe product to consume? Do USDA inspectors have any criteria? I would hate to see unsafe mass marketing of human placenta and no way to guard against food poisoning. :p

[Chanileslie]

I think animals eat the placenta more due to not having predators drawn to the site where their newborns are. As for nutrients, that is possible, but we as humans, have other ways of getting our nutrients, and I don't think (for the most part) we have to worry about predators coming and eating our tasty young. I could be wrong.

[Suezoled]

I don't think (for the most part) we have to worry about predators coming and eating our tasty young. I could be wrong.

*abruptly puts the hindquarter of Chanileslie's child that she had been gnawing on behind her back and whistles innocently*

[Chanileslie]

Originally posted by Suezoled
Oh Hey! I remember that web page. I had forgotten it before, for obvious reasons. Thanks so much for bringing up this HORRIBLE web site; I will likely be scarred for life! :D

Yeah, well, you think that's bad, try Lotus Birth. Very much along the same "it's natural so it's good" lines: http://www.pregnancy.com.au/Lotus_birth.htm



Okay, those people are freaking loons!!

[Chanileslie]

Originally posted by Suezoled


*abruptly puts the hindquarter of Chanileslie's child that she had been gnawing on behind her back and whistles innocently*

Dang, I was wondering what happend to the child!! Oh well, I have three others who are all big enough to fight back! So watch it lady, or you may be on the menu! :p

[Deetee]

I remember VIZ magazine here in the UK - about 10 years ago they ran a series called "the modern parents" where a woowoo couple had a straightlaced kid called Tarquin. One edition carried the consumption feast of the placenta of their new baby. Hilarious stuff

This lotus birth site advocates leaving the placenta attatched to the baby until it drops off.......

[Phaycops]

Originally posted by Chanileslie
I think animals eat the placenta more due to not having predators drawn to the site where their newborns are. As for nutrients, that is possible, but we as humans, have other ways of getting our nutrients, and I don't think (for the most part) we have to worry about predators coming and eating our tasty young. I could be wrong.

That's what I thought, too. That seems much more likely than "reclaiming nutrients" or some such. And people, just because the animals do it, doesn't mean we should!

[shecky]

JesusChrist!!!!
:jaw:

Look at these recipes (http://www.geocities.com/virtualbirth/placenta.html)
Placenta Cocktail:
1/4 cup raw placenta
8oz V-8 juice
2 ice cubes
1/2 cup carrot.
Blend at high speed for 10 seconds

That's almost as bad as placenta milkshake.

I should suggest to these weirdos that they make flour from dandruff and old toenail clippings. :rolleyes:

[DaChew]

Got Placenta?

Placenta, it's what's for dinner.

Placenta, the other white meat.

The California Placentas

Placenta, the San Francisco tr... No that definitely doesn't work.

I wonder what kind of wine goes with placenta?




Sorry, everyone. Pay no attention. Just a little brainstorming.


Mikey won't eat placenta, he hates everything.

[Vorticity]

OK.

This thread is right up my alley (sort of).

Right now, in my freezer, is a human placenta. I'm not joking. Let me explain:

Several months ago, when my partner was pregnant, she decided she wanted a home birth. At first, I was against it, and wanted a "normal" hospital birth. Then I looked into it, and found out that statistically it's not as chancy as you might think, especially if there are no risk factors, which there weren't. So we hired a midwife, to be ready for the time of the birth. One of the questions that the midwife asked us was what we wanted to do with the placenta. She said that, yes, she HAD had clients that ate it.

Neither of us wanted to eat it.

I was confused, and didn't see why we couldn't just throw the thing in the trash. My partner, however, thought that was a waste. She wanted to feed it to the dog. I vetoed that suggestion, since the last thing we need is for the dog to start developing a taste for human flesh, especially with a new baby around. Then she said it was sad to unceremoniously trash the thing, so we should bury it somewhere. I didn't see why it would be 'sad', but I didn't care either way, so I agreed. After all, if that's what she wants, where's the harm?

After the birth, we threw it in the freezer in a bag. This Friday, we're supposed to go down to a point by the Bay and bury it. So I guess some coyote can dig it up and have a meal that night.

[Chanileslie]

Originally posted by Phaycops


That's what I thought, too. That seems much more likely than "reclaiming nutrients" or some such. And people, just because the animals do it, doesn't mean we should!

Well, I am sure it provides some nutrient value for a mother animal who may not be able to leave her newborns for a few days to go hunting or searching for food, but for humans, well, we have refidgerators!! But I do think the primary reason even for herbivores whose newborns get up and walk within a few hours of birth, is so they hide the evidence that might draw a predator.

[Brian]

Originally posted by Vorticity
[B]OK.

This thread is right up my alley (sort of).

Right now, in my freezer, is a human placenta. I'm not joking. Let me explain:



Put it up on eBay.

[Suezoled]

I just never thought people would get so anthropomorphic about placenta. One person says it's like keeping baby's first tooth, or a piece of umbilical cord or a lock of hair from baby, but....keeping a gob of rotting, potentially disease carrying membranes attached to your kid until it naturally falls off...? (Lotus birth)

Munching on your placenta because it's "natural?" Did these people lick their newborns clean after they were born, too? Animals do that, after all. Do they parents lick their baby's genitals to encourage defecation? Animals do that, after all. I mean, where does it all end?

[Suezoled]

Originally posted by Brian


Put it up on eBay.

Nope. You can't sell human body parts, including souls on ebay. Remember?

[roger]

Originally posted by shecky
JesusChrist!!!!
:jaw:

Look at these recipes (http://www.geocities.com/virtualbirth/placenta.html)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Placenta Cocktail:
1/4 cup raw placenta
8oz V-8 juice
2 ice cubes
1/2 cup carrot.
Blend at high speed for 10 seconds

Good god, that's disgusting!!!

I mean, where's the vodka????

[Brian]

Originally posted by Suezoled


Nope. You can't sell human body parts, including souls on ebay. Remember?
Sell it as a foodstuff.
1 lb. Mystery Meat No Reserve!!!

[bug_girl]

which came first, the eating of placenta for nutrient value, or to hide the evidence? There also are a lot of informational chemicals in body products (i.e., poo, etc.) which is an additional reason for eating them. Seems like either would provide a selective advantage.

i would think that nutrients would be the most likely candidate, since eating a body product for protection assumes a level of biological "knowing" that it might attract a predator. that's a big cause and effect jump for an early mammal(ish?) brain.

hard to say without being there and seeing the first mammal do this. The marsupials do thoroughly cleanse the fetus on it's way to the pouch--maybe it all started there?

Verts creep me out!

(and for the record, i have never indulged in coprophagy, nor do i plan to:p )

[Suezoled]

Some species of birds toss away eggshells from their nest. The more experienced the bird, the more likely it will do it. It's been recorded that new parents of the same species are more likely to lose their first season of young to predators, because they fail to do this. (the predators would follow the stink of rotting eggshell secretions.)

New rat mothers in labs are observed to be the most clueless about their young when they are born. They have been observed not cleaning the young, walking around with the umbilicus (and baby rat) still attached to them (which is a riot if they are trying to use an exercise wheel and their umbilical cord gets tangled in their legs), failing to nurse, or keep them warm. The more experienced rat moms will, if the litter is healthy, clean, nurse, and keep warm the little pups.

So it could just as easily be a learned behavior.

[bug_girl]

oh yeah, forgot. mammals actually Learn stuff.
i'll go back to bugs now:)

[Suezoled]

...on the other hand, birds do carry away their young's feces from the nest. This is likely to keep the predators from tracking, or to keep the nest clean. Maybe both.

Mammals keep their kids clean by licking them, including genitals, which also eliminates tracking of predator via fecal scent. Keep things clean and parasite-free, too.

Clean animals are healthy animals. OR healthy animals stay clean so stay healthy.

And then there are humans who put their placenta in the blender.

[Skeptoid]

Originally posted by DaChew
Got Placenta?

Placenta, it's what's for dinner.

Placenta, the other white meat.

The California Placentas

Placenta, the San Francisco tr... No that definitely doesn't work.

I wonder what kind of wine goes with placenta?




Sorry, everyone. Pay no attention. Just a little brainstorming.


Mikey won't eat placenta, he hates everything.
Here are a few from the Advertising Slogan Generator (http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi?word=placenta):

Placenta Born and Bred.

Get The Placenta Out.

Placenta Really Satisfies.

The Placenta That Eats Like A Meal.

Monsieur, with this Placenta you are really spoiling us.

Top Breeders Recommend Placenta.

[roger]

Originally posted by Skeptoid
Top Breeders Recommend Placenta. LOL

[bug_girl]

Originally posted by Suezoled
...on the other hand, birds do carry away their young's feces from the nest. This is likely to keep the predators from tracking, or to keep the nest clean. Maybe both.

now birds, that i do know:). egg predators are a constant threat, so i would think a clear threat/cause association is possible. and birds have the heaviest parasite load of any of the animals i've worked with, so cleanliness is very important to bird health.

("Want gruesome bird parasite pictures to go with your placenta poopoo platter, m'am?")
anyway, we digress. as a bug eater, i tend to be of the "if it's biologically sustainable and doesn't spook the horses, eat it" camp.
however, even i got squicked over the recipes. and i'll never be able to hear Copeland again! [orchestral fanfare]
"Placenta--it's what's for dinner!" :D

[Yahweh]

This is one of the most hideous threads I've ever read... COOL!

[Eos of the Eons]

Originally posted by bug_girl
i have a friend who is becoming a midwife, and what she told me was they recc. 3 options:

1. eat it.
2. ultrafreeze it in case you need stem cells
3. plant it ceremonially

i think the eating stems both from the idea that most other mammals eat the placenta, and also in times of famine, why throw good food away? it's clearly nutritious.

of course, i've been on tv twice for eating insects, so you can interpret this however you want. i have a great recipe for mealworm pizza. (and yet, am creeped out by the idea of placenta loaf....go figure).

You can't get stem cells from the placenta...as far as I've ever seen. They come from the umbilical cord.


I bet that's to chewy for them folks to eat though.

[Eos of the Eons]

Originally posted by Suezoled
Oh Hey! I remember that web page. I had forgotten it before, for obvious reasons. Thanks so much for bringing up this HORRIBLE web site; I will likely be scarred for life! :D

Yeah, well, you think that's bad, try Lotus Birth. Very much along the same "it's natural so it's good" lines: http://www.pregnancy.com.au/Lotus_birth.htm



Huh???? The placenta and the umbilical cord are providing life here..why don't they eat the umbilical cord? It's far denser, and MUST contain wayyyy more nutrition.

Well, see post above on why they prolly don't try it :D

[Eos of the Eons]

Originally posted by Chanileslie


Okay, those people are freaking loons!!


My older children have blessed me with stories of their lives before birth, and have been unanimously in favour of not cutting the cord- especially Emma, who remembered the unpleasant feeling of having her cord cut, which she describes as being “painful in my heart”.


I agree one million percent Chanileslie!!!

[BTox]

I first read this thread during lunch break. Lost my appetite!

[geni]

Originally posted by BTox
I first read this thread during lunch break. Lost my appetite!

I do my first check of the board over breakfast. I do not need threads like this.

[Eos of the Eons]

I've haven't laughed this hard for months after reading page 1!

***has sore tummy from guffawing so much***

My darn placenta almost made me bleed to death. I want to kick and stomp on it, and then feed it to the whacky woos. Take that you rotten life robbing placenta!

[BTox]

Originally posted by Eos of the Eons
My darn placenta almost made me bleed to death. I want to kick and stomp on it, and then feed it to the whacky woos. Take that you rotten life robbing placenta!

My wife had a similar problem - the OB/GYN left part of the placenta in the uterus, and she hemorrhaged terribly 2 weeks after the birth - back in the hospital for a few days. Maybe she should'b eaten it after all. :p

[espritch]

I wonder what kind of wine goes with placenta?

A nice Qiante...and some fava beans?

[Rolfe]

Originally posted by Deetee
This lotus birth site advocates leaving the placenta attatched to the baby until it drops off....... This whle business of tieing and cutting the cord has always struck me as weird. I've delivered any number of calves and lambs and puppies and so on, and the cord in these species is soft and friable and nearly always parts on its own during the birth. So the lamb (or whatever) is actually born with just a couple of inches of torn cord attached (and you can sling some antiseptic at it if you're feeling that way inclined), and is often up and sucking before the placenta is expelled as a completely separate thing.

The human umbilical cord seems to be a really peculiar structure if it actually has to be tied and cut.

Rolfe.

[Psi Baba]

There was almost a Saturday Night Live sketch back in the 70s about a new product which would turn a placenta into a meal. The product was to be called Placenta Helper. The sketch was abandoned because they thought it was too tasteless! (Imagine that!). The script for the sketch was eventually published in a book about the show. Here is a small portion of that script:

"Placenta Helper lets you stretch your placenta into a tasty casserole." "Like Placenta Romanoff--a zesty blend of cheeses makes for the zingy sauce that Russian czars commanded at palace feasts." The last line would have been a voice-over from Don Pardo: "Placenta Helper--make a rare occasion, a rare occasion."

[Eos of the Eons]

Originally posted by Rolfe
This whle business of tieing and cutting the cord has always struck me as weird. I've delivered any number of calves and lambs and puppies and so on, and the cord in these species is soft and friable and nearly always parts on its own during the birth. So the lamb (or whatever) is actually born with just a couple of inches of torn cord attached (and you can sling some antiseptic at it if you're feeling that way inclined), and is often up and sucking before the placenta is expelled as a completely separate thing.

The human umbilical cord seems to be a really peculiar structure if it actually has to be tied and cut.

Rolfe.


I wonder what happens with other primates? It would be a pain trying to care for a baby attached to a placenta, and kinda gross as it dries up or whatever.

[popsy]

Apparently it can be used as a beauty treatment.

http://www.edifyingspectacle.org/gullibility/blog/archives/miracle_cures_health_quackery/human_placenta_beauty_tre.php

It felt and looked like a large black prune. But you can’t be too careful. “What is it?” I asked. “It’s a birth sac, a placenta,” came the reply. “What animal?” A brief smile. “Oh, a human. You take it for women’s problems, and to make you more beautiful.”

[Eos of the Eons]

that's a cool site:

Gullibility isn't in the dictionary

I've bookmarked it, thank you :)

[wipeout]

Originally posted by BTox
I first read this thread during lunch break. Lost my appetite!

I was eating eggs(!) and toast and drinking tea while reading this thread and I felt fine. :p

I must have a strong stomach and be able to seperate thoughts and feelings.

I guess that means I'm a potential psychopath. :D

[Frankie]

Originally posted by richardm
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall once made some Placenta Pate for a friend, treating it as though it was liver. He reckoned it tasted okay, and so did the the people at the dinner party he served it to (not all of them knew what it was in advance, IIRC).

Mind you, he'll eat anything. He once cooked and ate some woodlice on the grounds that they're crustaceans like shrimps, and therefore should be quite similar.

"Mm. Dusty", he said. He didn't have many takers for them.
Yes I watched that too. I haven't looked at a woodlice in the same way again.




Would I eat my placenta. No. Isn't it cannibalistic to eat oneself?

[Eos of the Eons]

Originally posted by Frankie


Would I eat my placenta. No. Isn't it cannibalistic to eat oneself?

I think it's taking cannibalism to new heights. Why don't they drink their menstrual blood while they're at it? It's sacred and natrual too....part of woman's cylce...blah blah. Well that would just be nuts...like eating your placenta.

[Luciana]

Originally posted by popsy
Apparently it can be used as a beauty treatment.

http://www.edifyingspectacle.org/gullibility/blog/archives/miracle_cures_health_quackery/human_placenta_beauty_tre.php



I thought that was even commonplace? Here I we have placenta shampoos, but they're from cows. The reason they "work" is because they have a high level of hormones, just like the pill, which also "works" for hair. I never tried it. I know these shampoos are dirt cheap, so I'm sure they cater for a less literate audience. Somehow, I don't find the idea of cow's placenta shampoo offensive. IF there's any placenta in there, of course. Somehow I think of that as being homoepathy, which means it contains nothing of the original substance.

Now, eating your own placenta... if my body expelled it, it was for some good reason. Why not swallow back kidney stones too? And, above all, I find it so grossly unnecessary. So many multivitamins out there. And if you need nutrients that bad, have your blood tested and go to a doctor. :rolleyes:

[popsy]

Originally posted by Luciana Nery



Now, eating your own placenta... if my body expelled it, it was for some good reason. Why not swallow back kidney stones too? And, above all, I find it so grossly unnecessary. So many multivitamins out there. And if you need nutrients that bad, have your blood tested and go to a doctor. :rolleyes:

Well, there is a group that thinks drinking one's own urine is a good idea.:nope:

[Graham]

After our younger daughter was born, one of the nurses held the placenta out to me in a nice little ziplock bag and asked me if I wanted to take it home.

I honest;y don't remember exactly what I said but I'm pretty sure the look on my face was, well, expressive . . .

(ew - seriously, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew)

Graham

[Rolfe]

Well, there's no doubt that the instinct to eat the placenta is very strong in many animals, including herbivores like cows. I don't know what the grounds for this assertion are, but in college I was told that the hormone content in the placenta is important in encouraging the uterus to shrink down to the normal non-pregnant condition as soon as possible and probably minimise the risk of haemorrhage.

I think it's also clear from the posts on this thread that the human female has no such compelling instinct. :D

Rolfe.

[richardm]

Originally posted by Rolfe
Well, there's no doubt that the instinct to eat the placenta is very strong in many animals, including herbivores like cows. I don't know what the grounds for this assertion are, but in college I was told that the hormone content in the placenta is important in encouraging the uterus to shrink down to the normal non-pregnant condition as soon as possible and probably minimise the risk of haemorrhage.


I have heard it suggested that they do this so as not to leave any tasty morsels lying around that might attract in predators who might in turn fancy snacking on the new youngster.

[sorgoth]

hahahahahahahahhaa :D


That's great. :D "Mmm....placenta..."

[Keziah Mason]

Originally posted by sorgoth
"Mmm....placenta..."

"It's not just for fetuses anymore!"

[Rolfe]

Keziah, what on EARTH have you done to that kitten?

Rolfe.

[Keziah Mason]

Originally posted by Rolfe
Keziah, what on EARTH have you done to that kitten?

Rolfe.

Dare you mock the eldritch tentacles gracing the face of the Mighty Cathulhu, Kitten of the Great Old Ones? Flee mortal, before you feel her wrath!

[Rolfe]

Originally posted by Keziah Mason
Dare you mock the eldritch tentacles gracing the face of the Mighty Cathulhu, Kitten of the Great Old Ones? Flee mortal, before you feel her wrath! Meeeeeoooooowwwwww.......!

Sound of Rolfe fleeing into the December sunset....

:c1:

[athon]

I don't think this is exactly 'pseudoscience'. While it isn't exactly going to cure all ills and returns all lost nutrients, there certainly isn't anything wrong with it. Sure it sounds disgusting, but so what?

I've heard from a number of women who have tried it, and it's apparently like stringy pasta. It would have to be pretty nutritious, if you think about it.

Athon
(I ate my own placenta on my way out! no, I can't back that up...)

[Keziah Mason]

I don't think this is exactly 'pseudoscience'.

If we had anthropologists telling us of placenta-eating rituals in primitive tribes, I might agree. Instead we have middle-class faddy women in developed countries chowing down and proclaiming it natural. Smells like pseudoscience to me.

[Eos of the Eons]

Originally posted by athon
it's apparently like stringy pasta. It would have to be pretty nutritious, if you think about it.

Athon
(I ate my own placenta on my way out! no, I can't back that up...)


LOL, you're not helping ***has fits of giggles****
Stringy Pasta! Ewwwwww!

[athon]

Originally posted by Keziah Mason

If we had anthropologists telling us of placenta-eating rituals in primitive tribes, I might agree. Instead we have middle-class faddy women in developed countries chowing down and proclaiming it natural. Smells like pseudoscience to me.

It's a fad, sure, but there's nothing I know of that says 'eating placentas realigns your chakras'. It's nutritious and revolting, just like brussel sprouts! Just because some Nimbin hippy does it doesn't automatically make it pseudoscience. They wear hemp and drive combies - is that pseudoscience too?

Athon
(if you think about it, it's perfect to go on a pizza base. Just add cheese!)

[Quasi]

A woman I worked with ate a placenta. She is from China and apparently it is still common there in rural areas.

[richardm]

Originally posted by athon
I've heard from a number of women who have tried it, and it's apparently like stringy pasta.

I was more-or-less okay with this thread until you mentioned the "Stringy Pasta" part. Bleah!

[Suezoled]

All the anthropomorphic hype surrounding the reason for middle class new-age "naturalist" mommas is what gets me. Hey, if you wanna eat your own potentially disease carrying flesh, go right ahead. But proclaiming it a "natural extension" and "honoring" the dang thing... no, that's a little over the edge, for me anyway.

[popsy]

Originally posted by Suezoled
All the anthropomorphic hype surrounding the reason for middle class new-age "naturalist" mommas is what gets me. Hey, if you wanna eat your own potentially disease carrying flesh, go right ahead. But proclaiming it a "natural extension" and "honoring" the dang thing... no, that's a little over the edge, for me anyway.

How does "honoring" and "placenta" work together in the same sentence? :p Yeah, I respect my liver, and my intestines, and all the things that keep me going, but no, I, too, have little respect for a placenta, or urine, or feces, etc. These things are meant to go by-by when they've done their work.

I, too, think there is something newagy in placenta-eating. Like ingesting the spirit of birth or some such crap. Besides, I don't like organ meats, anyway.