Consuming Post-Birth Placenta - Consumption of a Lost Soul?

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
So, IF WE CAN EAT PLACENTA....

What in the hell is and was ever wrong with stem cell research?

Conspiracy here.

Well i would guess that people who are against stem cell research would also be against consumption of human placenta...

Just my guess!!

reply to post by Muckster

Glad we got it cleared up Muck.

I understand what you're saying. Consuming the placenta due to a lack of food sources, however, very very few countries if any at all anymore consume the flesh of their dead.

If their reasoning for eating the placenta was for food, then one would think that they would be consuming their recently deceased. After all, there would be a larger source of food in a human body.

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
So, IF WE CAN EAT PLACENTA....

What in the hell is and was ever wrong with stem cell research?

Conspiracy here.

Rev, I was thinking about the exact same thing actually and I'm glad you brought it up. The whole ordeal about stem cell research was about taking the cells from the circumcised foreskin of newborn baby boys, but as we all know, there was a big ethics storm of that and it the entire Stem Cell Research was scuttled.

Is there any way for stem cells to be collected from the post-birth placenta?

I support stem cell research as long it's helping to advance the process of finding cures for diseases and afflictions.

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
So, IF WE CAN EAT PLACENTA....

What in the hell is and was ever wrong with stem cell research?

Conspiracy here.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with it if taken from the umbilical cord, it is taking it from an aborted baby or from fertilized eggs that were never implanted. that people have issues with. Most people against stem cells research of the former to promote the use of umbilical stem cell research. The problem is that the current system is set up so that the birthing parent has to PAY to donate the umbilical cord just like you have to to donate bone marrow. I would have loved to do both if it wasn't so costly.

Rev, I was thinking about the exact same thing actually and I'm glad you brought it up. The whole ordeal about stem cell research was about taking the cells from the circumcised foreskin of newborn baby boys, but as we all know, there was a big ethics storm of that and it the entire Stem Cell Research was scuttled.

I was unaware of that. That is sad. I would have donated from both my boys as well, I am just opposed to it coming from and aborted baby or from fertilized eggs.

[edit on 7-4-2010 by calstorm]

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
So, IF WE CAN EAT PLACENTA....

What in the hell is and was ever wrong with stem cell research?

Conspiracy here.

You made a good point! There's so much things wrong with this I cannot list here.

Uh I wont get political here... never mind ok.

reply to post by Detailed Perfection

Originally posted by Detailed Perfection Thanks for the reply and information Smoke. It's already been mentioned before, but wouldn't this be considered cannibalism?

Technically and realistically this is cannibalism any way you cut it but in my opinion only so much as it is cannibalism in the same way it would be cannibalism if a person was to cut out several pounds of their own flesh, fry it up and eat it.

I realise that many cannibalistic tribes from history did run serious health risks in forming such a habit in the form of Kuru but a mother eating her afterbirth cannot surely be in the same league can she? It is a one off event that has evolved over a great deal of time and intelligent thought on the subject is the new kid on the block here as mothers eating afterbirth is perfectly natural and to deny this in human mothers I would think could be a cause of many allergies in children? I am guessing of course as I am no expert on such matters.

I think that in such a context such an act by a new human mother is not against nature as such an act is a win, win situation as firstly it is giving the very best start to the newborn child and secondly gives a powerful vitamin burst to the mother at a time when she really needs one and that to me is powerful justification to eat but do not ask me to prepare it or to even be in the vicinity of cooking placenta as that is probably an aroma that would stay with me till death.

Originally posted by Detailed Perfection Thanks The consuming of human flesh. As far as I know, it's illegal in the US to consume human flesh. Maybe we should add the legality of partaking in such a practice as well as the morality of it.

I think it is probably illegal everywhere but in Scotland and the wider UK there must be some dispensation to eat placenta and I can add nothing more really other than to say that I see nothing ethically wrong at all with eating the placenta as it needs to go somewhere and what better place than the mothers digestive system rather than the hospital incinerator?

Such acts of cannibalism to my mind are progressive, have a high level of altruism to it and the act benefits both mother and child. To call it cannibalism actually seems erroneous even though technically it is level of cannibalism but one born of love rather than hungering need?

Whoa. This thread is the epitome of death metal.

That leads me to wonder then if a bay drinking breast milk would make the bay a cannibal as well. Both the placenta and breast milk are things the body produce due to a certain situation that wouldn't exist in the body naturally other wise. The placenta is something that the mothers body produced just like breast milk to support the baby. One to nourish the baby inside the womb and one to nourish it out side, not an actual body part.

Pacific Islander's have been eating the placenta as part of their culture for millennia, as well as most mammels, it gives the female a huge burst of vitamins and nutrients lost to the foetus and helps her to recover. The placenta is nothing more than a filter for the foetus, Saying it is morally wrong (or anything else for that matter) to eat it is in itself wrong. Just because you don't agree with it dosn't mean it is bad. live and let live and stop being so judgmental

reply to post by k0mbination


Komb, I'm in no way trying to judge anyone for their actions. I brought up the subject to merely open up discussion about it and see what the general consensus on ATS felt about the subject matter.

I'm bumping this in hopes that some of the day shift folks have a chance to read and reply. There are far too many people on ATS for this to die after 2 pages.

I'm hoping that a fellow ATS'er either partakes in the practice of consuming the placenta, or they know people that do. Either way, I would love to get some insight from them.

reply to post by Detailed Perfection


fair enough, good luck.
I did once see on TV (it was a documentary) a lady make pate out of her placenta and feed it to her guest's at her "welcome party" I think she called it. The wrong thing bout that was she didn't tell anyone what it was till after the event, and she thought that was normal. As the old saying go's there's 'nowt as queer as folk'

I have squeezed out two placentas.

My sis was in the room for one birth and claims the placenta stunk. I dont recall a stench.

But I can tell you this, I would never eat a placenta, as its purpose is to filter toxins and such from reaching the fetus.

Kind of a turn off, like eating liver or kidney (other body filters).

I would not have been adverse to burying it but felt no overwhelming need nor desire to have anything to do with the purplish red jellatinous piece of flesh my own body produced.

I know this is a taboo topic, but it grosses me out thinking about eating it.

And it seems cannibalistic to boot.

I akin it to this: flushing my own body waste. The placenta is a waste product.

But I respect other cultures and what they do with it is up to them. More power to them!

Me I am firmly rooted in good old American thought on this one. I dont think many in America practice placental eating.

reply to post by hotbakedtater


It is strange that your placenta stank as you describe as the two placentas I witnessed had only a slightly metallic smell to them much like wet iron though they did look very unappetising on any level, sitting there in each case like something out of an 18certificate horror movie. Of course I did not exactly lean over and take in a deep lungful either as I was doing well just to stay on my feet at the time and was therefore determined not to make even a fleeting eye contact with a placenta.

Perhaps placentas offer up different smells as a relation to diet or even slight differences in genetics?

However I disagree with you slightly when you mention that placentas are just a filtration and toxin removal filter as it is actually much more than that and the mechanics of a healthy placenta is something to blow the mind.

I hope you do not take this next bit as being patronising (you are the expert I was just a witness) but without the placenta there would be no nutrients and gasses being delivered directly to the foetus and it is for that reason classed as an organ not a waste product though I guess after birth it would be an organ now relegated to becoming a waste product that has simply accomplished its mission - Hence only a slight disagreement with you.

Eating the placenta known as Placentophagy seems to bring very powerful health benefits and I wonder if Placentophagy was something our ancient ancestors partook of as it would seem to me with high infant mortality in those heady days that ancient mothers could probably have done with the all the help they could get.

Placenta recipes

That all said excuse me while I push my lunch to the side, suddenly I am suddenly not very hungry -

Thanks Tater, for adding to the female perspective.

I agree with you on the point that it didn't look very appetizing to me either as I stodd there in the O.R. with my wife and our newborn. Nothing about it made me lick my lips and ponder how wonderful it would taste if fried up with some scrambled eggs and rolled into a breakfast burrito.


Thanks Smoke for the recipe link.

Now we just need to see if Bobby Flay and the gang over at Iron Chef would be willing to use post-birth placenta as the "secret ingredient". Which Iron Chef will come out on top with dishes like Creamed Spinach Placenta Pershudo, or Grilled Rosemary Placenta with a Raspberry Jelly topper, or something a little more traditional like Roasted Placenta with a Wild Mushroom Gravy.

I'm only kidding around of course, but it's good to see the conversation open up, even if it is coming about slowly.

Thanks to everyone that's contributed to the thread so far.

I realize the placenta has more than one purpose, and it also nourishes the baby, but still. Yuck on eating it.

My sis is the one who claimed it smelled bad, maybe because she cut the cord she got too close to it. She was a teenager so her description may be dramatic, I was euphotic holding my new baby and didnt notice any smells.

It looks very very disgusting, and that might be the taboo I cannot get past on this subject.

And since it served its purpose it gets cast off after birth, which is why its called after birth, not here I come eat me, I reckon.

Im gonna have to keep visiting this thread for appetite control.

And have we determined it is technically cannibalistic?

Originally posted by Detailed Perfection

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
So, IF WE CAN EAT PLACENTA....

What in the hell is and was ever wrong with stem cell research?

Conspiracy here.

Rev, I was thinking about the exact same thing actually and I'm glad you brought it up. The whole ordeal about stem cell research was about taking the cells from the circumcised foreskin of newborn baby boys, but as we all know, there was a big ethics storm of that and it the entire Stem Cell Research was scuttled.

Is there any way for stem cells to be collected from the post-birth placenta?

I support stem cell research as long it's helping to advance the process of finding cures for diseases and afflictions.

Yes, it's possible to recover stem cells from the cord after birth. I know this because we had it done after the birth of each of our 2 children.

Edit to add link: en.wikipedia.org...


[edit on 8-4-2010 by RMFX1]

reply to post by hotbakedtater


Tater, I think the jury is still out whether or not it could be considered cannibalism. However, there is an interesting Wiki article about Self-Cannibalism or Autophagy, wherein it references Placentophagy as a form of Self-Cannibalism.

Wiki - Self Cannibalism

I guess the final decision is going to be left in the hands of the reader and what opinion the form about the matter.

Wow...great taboo topic brought up here at ATS!! It may be disgusting to talk of but love the topic still.

I have had 3 children. I have never thought of doing such a thing myself, but have always been very aware of the animals that give birth that eat the after birth of each young. They dont seem all too thrilled when they do it...but they still will eventually rip into it as if they just know it is needed. Imagine cats and dogs, that give birth to a placenta after EACH young...1 momma cat may eat up to 6 placentas~~! Hows that for appetizing!

As I have sat beside my momma cats and dogs during birth, I have watched a many of them submit to this animalistic practice and it seems their instincts takes over to make themselves partake of it. Have humans just lost this instinct? It is very possible.

Imagine being alive way way back in the day. Not having hardly any milk available to you, only living off of caught animals or found vegetation from the lands. It may of once been very natural for a mother to 'know' that this attachment between the baby and her would offer her nutrition as well as the baby, whom she will feed through her milk. I have seen some momma cats and dogs that eventually after eating several of these will refuse to eat the last one or mabey even the last two. This was only observed of a momma that had a large litter and she had already ingested at least 4 of the young's placentas.

Is this something that monkeys and Apes do? Just curious...guess Ill google...

Well, if humans ever had that instinct, my genetic line must have lost it LONG ago.

Just talking about this subject and its sister subject self cannibalism, literally make my stomach clench in revulsion.

It is an instinctual aversion to this practice I possess, even now my tummy is getting tight, it is weird! Its like an instinct telling me dont do these things.

Nice to see we have made it to two pages, this is a very taboo subject!