Placenta pill
/ Courtesy: NBC News
If you’re suffering from postpartum depression or you know someone who is, you know how difficult it can be to live with after having a baby.
To cut their chances of being diagnosed with it, some women are turning to something somewhat unusual. They are actually taking pills made from their own placenta to reduce the risk of postpartum depression.
"I definitely experienced the crying and the mood swings to a degree that I didn't want to experience them again," said Joanna Spellman. So after giving birth to her second child, Spellman started taking placenta pills -- at least three a day -- made from her own ground-up placenta. "At first, I was put off by the idea of consuming my own placenta. It just sounds weird." But Spellman gave it a try. "I definitely felt a lot better this time around than my first. I didn't cry as much; my moods weren't as up and down."
Jennifer Hendrickson started the service out of her Pennsylvania home, preparing the placenta of new mothers for them to eat. "I clean it, I rinse it off and I clean all the blood out of it and everything. Then I slice it up and I put it in a food dehydrator," she explains.
After it's dried, Hendrickson grinds it up and puts it in capsules. She says if new moms tell their doctor and hospital in advance they want to keep their placenta, they rarely have a problem taking it home.
Currently, the process of encapsulating the placenta is not regulated by health officials.
But not everyone’s convicted this is treatment will work. Psychiatrist Deborah Kim says there are no scientific studies supporting any of the placenta consumption claims. There are other proven treatments, however, for postpartum depression, and she fears women taking placenta pills instead of seeking medical treatment are taking a big risk. "The worst possible outcome of postpartum depression is suicide. You might not bond with your child appropriately, and so it's really playing with fire," Dr. Kim said.
As for mom Joanna Spellman, she's determined to continue. "Even if it is just a placebo effect, if that's what it takes to feel better then I don't see the harm in it."
What do you think of the idea of taking a pill made from your own placenta? Would you try it? Do you think it would help? Have you ever suffered from postpartum depression? Which treatments worked for you? Leave your thoughts below.
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