Placenta pill poppinā mamas, bear with me. While I am all about keeping you well nourished after your little one arrives, Iām not so sure your babyās placenta is the way to do it.
Yes, placenta pills may lift your energy and your mood.
But this isnāt the case for everyone.
Are placenta pills right for you?
For years now, I have heard mixed reviews about placenta encapsulation.
Not everyone loves their placenta pills. Thereās even a Facebook group dedicated to the topicĀ because some mamas feel a little alienated by their negative experiences.
Hereās the thing: Postpartum placentophagy ā or, eating your placenta after delivery ā alters the natural flux of hormones that takes place after birth.
This natural hormonal shift is important because it triggers milk production.
While other animals do eat their placenta after giving birth, this doesnāt necessarily mean that we need to follow suit. Until recently, thereās no evidence that humans ever ate their placenta after delivery.
With placenta pills growing in popularity, the reasons why you wouldnāt want to consume your own placenta are worth talking about.
Not only because thereās a spectrum of experiences to share. But also because placenta pills can interfere with breastfeeding. And when taken raw ā as a shooter, in a smoothie, or simply dehydrated at low temps ā your placenta can be the source of infection.
Bottom line: Placenta isnāt a happy fix for everyone.
Want to know more about whatās reallyĀ going on? Letās take a look.
Placenta pills may slow down or stop milk production
The most important and overlooked point is this: Your placenta is a source of the pregnancyĀ hormones estrogen and progesterone. And these hormones interact with other hormones, including the one responsible for milk production, prolactin.
After birthing your baby and your placenta, the withdrawal of progesterone triggers breast milk production. This leads to the secretion of prolactin.
Even though progesterone is the trigger, it happens along with a drop in estrogen. According to some reports, estrogen alone is enough to suppress the production of breast milk and this is why thereās also concern around using oral contraceptives during mamaās postpartum recovery.
Itās important to note that thereās still a bit of mystery around breastfeeding hormones. For example, a drop in estrogen initiates breast milk productionā¦but estrogen itself also stimulates prolactin.
That said, thereās enough evidence aroundĀ estrogen-containing contraceptives and their impact on breast milk, that it warrants caution when taking placenta pills, which contains active estrogen.
By taking placenta pills, youāre continuing to give your body pregnancy hormones.
And if thatās not enough to raise red flags, consider this account from Sarah Hollister,Ā a nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who works with nearly every new mom and baby at a group of four primary care health centers in Northern California:
I went back to the previous cases I had encountered of moms who never established a full milk supply or whose babies took 4-6 weeks to regain their birthweight despite immediate and extensive lactation support, and interviewed them about this piece of information. I found that nearly all had consumed their encapsulated placenta.
According to Sarah, she has noticed an āalarming trendā of mamas with low milk supply and babies who are not putting on weight. Despite the fact that these mamas were otherwise healthy and had given birth at home, at a lactation center, or in a hospital with the support of a doula.
All things that set you up breastfeeding success.
Placenta pills during postpartum arenāt really TCM
TCM, as in traditional Chinese medicine.
Popular websites explain that,
consuming the placenta, often done as placental encapsulation, is centuries old, practiced most often in Chinese medicine.
But major scholars who have spent a good part of their life investigating classical Chinese texts argue that in Chinese medical literature, there isĀ no evidence of women consuming their own placenta after delivery.
None. Zero. Ziltch.
That said, every major TCM textbook lists human placenta as a āherb.ā This herb has a therapeutic value as a tonic ā but not one to support postpartum recovery. Itās also not taken alone without other herbs to balance its effects. And under the right conditions, placenta can even make some folks feel worse.
The most common āside effectā of placenta pills that I hear about are depression and anxiety.
According to Sabine Wilms,Ā a historian specializing in classical ChineseĀ gynecological literature, placenta was never consumed to speed postpartum recovery. But it was buried in a very specific way.
Sabine explains that as a medicine, placenta is extremely potent. Certainly not for everyone or everyday use.
But āI felt great when taking my placenta pillsā
So. Many. Women report feeling amazing when taking their placenta pills. And if thatās you, fabulous. Iām cheering for you.
And sometimes, it helps to know why this really great thing didnāt give you the experience you were hoping for. If youāre surrounded by well-meaning folks who urge you to continue taking your placenta, now youāve got a little stack of resources to explain why youād rather not.
I did placenta encapsulation and my placenta was steamed and then dried before being put inside capsules. I had it delivered the day after I gave birth in the hospital and started taking them immediately. 3 pills on day one, gradually tapering off.
My milk came in on Day 2! And I had zero symptoms of depression and my energy was great. I am a fan. But I also made sure to use someone who is certified and has a TON of experience to encapsulate mine. Care Messer at the Birth Education Center in San Diego.
YAY! So glad that they worked for you, Maggie.
Even with a really awesome encapsulator, the levels of hormones in placenta aren’t always great for all folks. I have lots of friends who love placenta and I’m glad it did good things for you š
So interesting! I love that you wrote about this, definitely showing those variations of normal. It sounds like it is not for everyone… I’m currently taking my placenta pills (I started with two a day, but found I do best with one) and had no issues with milk supply. I’ll keep this post pinned for a balanced reference. Thank you!
Thanks, Erin!
I had my placenta encapsulated as well and took all the pills as directed. My milk came in right away and I never had any trouble breastfeeding. My boy is six months old now and still exclusively breast fed. I was fortunate not to experience sadness or PP depression. While my experience was a good one I do appreciate this alternate point of view.
Hey Lindsay,
That’s awesome, glad you had such a positive experience!
I was one of those moms who didnāt have a good experience. I would take my dose of placenta caps and immediately feel overwhelmed with emotionāI joked to my husband that I would swallow the pills and then cry! (Not actually that far from the truth.) I only took them for about three days since I felt so much more emotionally stable without, so fortunately I didnāt see any effect on my milk supply. I appreciate that youāre bringing this perspective out there, Megan.
Thanks, Taylor. I’m glad you made the connection to placenta pills so quickly. With fragmented sleep, postpartum is hard enough as it is! xxo
What an awesome and informative article! I’m so glad I took a moment to check out your wonderful site! What a fabulous resource and wealth of helpful wisdom and encouragement you are! With blessings, Kelly
Thanks, Kelly! I’m glad you found it useful š xxo
Thank you so much for bringing this to attention. I am someone who suffered with low milk supply, my milk never really ‘came in’ the way that everyone described it would, and although I’m still breastfeeding at 15 months my little boy was very very slow to gain weight as I felt I never had enough milk (he completely dropped off the bottom of the growth scale for many weeks).
He also suffered with a tongue tie and I wondered if that could have been the cause but never considered taking my placenta pills could have affected it. I can’t remember how long I took mine for exactly but it definitely wasn’t for long as I realised I started getting headaches after taking them and felt this was my body telling me to stop.
It makes me feel bad to think if that could have affected it as it made things so difficult at the beginning and I’ve always doubted what was ‘wrong me with’ for not having enough milk.
I’m not sure if I will have another baby but if so I wouldn’t try placenta encapsulation again. Thank you x
Hey Emma,
Thanks for sharing your story here. After writing this blog, I have had many mamas contact me and tell me what they went through. Which tells me that this is an important conversation to have. So much love, xxo
Thanks for posting this and for all that you do, Megan. I adored my placenta pills and was planning to get them for my second child due in February, but this is the second article Iāve read with opposing information. Iām going to have to give it more thought!
Thanks, Lauren! There may be a place for placenta pills – from the perspective of Chinese medicine, which uses placenta as an herb, it’s incredibly warming and wouldn’t be used if someone doesn’t have enough “yin.” If someone goes into postpartum with a good balance of yin and yang (and a good balance of hormones), that person may get a boost in energy.
If you want to listen to the rhythms of your body, placenta pills *do* give you an unnaturally high level of pregnancy hormones during postpartum. So, caution is probably a good idea. As with so many things related to health, no one size fits all š xxo!!
This is so refreshing to hear, because I definitely felt way worse when I took my capsules, which were mixed with other herbs. I felt jittery, anxious, and just all around no bueno! I was hoping they would work wonders like I had always heard, but it wasn’t the case for me!
Wouldn’t it be great if they worked magic for everyone? As far as I can tell, jitters and anxiety are not uncommon when taking placenta pills – definitely a possible side effect. Thanks for sharing your experience, Erin xxo!!
Unfortunately I was one of those moms adversely affected. My breast feeding seemed to be on track in the beginning, but once my little one had lost significant weight by the end of the second week and I had attempted expressing with dismissal results – It was clear she was starving – my heart just broke understanding why she had been permanently rooting, latched and crying. I had been taking placenta encapsulated pills and now wonder what level of contribution it made to my poor milk production.
I felt like I had failed her and now wish I could do that first month over again.
Hey Taryn,
I know firsthand how hard + heartbreaking it can be to not be able to breastfeed your baby. You did the best you could in the moment, those first months are difficult so many ways. I know it’s easier said than done, but no #momguilt š Your baby is so lucky to have you for her mama.
Thank you for sharing your story here. I want the adverse “side effects” of placenta pills to be as well known as the benefits, xxo
Megan
Thank you for sharing. Makes tears come to my eyes. Sometimes itās important to remember that when living things experience stress, it makes them grow stronger. Plants, animals, itās a real fact of nature… so maybe this can be a way to think about it that helps you see that itās okay. Your baby is stronger now for a little stress early on! Best to you
I had an amazing experience postpartum taking placenta pills at max dose starting day 2. I tapered off over the next 2 months. Iāve honestly never felt better in my life and dropped below my pre-pregnancy weight by 20lbs in the first week of giving birth. I slept like a rock. No anxiety or pp depression. Milk supply was never an issue, and Iām still breastfeeding at 21 months. Not to mention my kiddo is thriving. I attribute all this to the boost placenta pills gave me at the beginning of my postpartum journey when my body needed support the most.
Hey Lacie!
That’s such great news. Like all herbs or supplements, placenta pills can definitely help those who need them – each person is unique. From the perspective of Chinese medicine, placenta pills are extremely warming and labor + delivery depletes the body (many mamas report feeling “cold” after having baby whereas others have night sweats). I’m so happy to hear that you had such a positive experience š
Great article Megan. I am forwarding your article to my mentor (dr.katrine heigelmann) and I will let you know her thoughts! Personally I’ve only heard, experienced the positive, buuuut I also may have not been noticing the women who have had bad experiences.
It’s a mixed bag, for sure. I link to this in the blog – this post was inspired by two articles on Sabine Wilms’ website, she’s a classical Chinese scholar: https://www.happygoatproductions.com/blog/2017/9/6/a-lactation-consultants-perspective-on-placenta-encapsulation Her take on placenta pills is particularly interesting since placenta is a TCM “herb.”
xxo
I ended up not doing anything with my placenta before many reasons, two of which I had never thought of pre-birth though: I was induced with Pitocin and I had cholestasis. No professional on my birth team could definitively tell me if either of those two things would affect the placenta by the time it was delivered. I wanted to be safe not sorry!
That makes so much sense, Madeline! š
I actually came across this article because I was searching trying to find out how well hormones hold up when heated like this with both cooking and dehydrating the placenta. I’ve only heard good experiences and it made me really want to pay for this service, BUT I’m really suspicious of whether there are any hormones even left after all the cooking. I know nutrients can be retained, like with any meat, but, where’s the evidence of what hormones are even left? I feel like I’d need to have proof before feeling that I’m not just wasting money. Anyone know of any studies done on this? š
Your article has made me feel ‘normal’. I decided to stop taking my placenta capsules because I felt they were the reason for my migraines. I was instructed to take 1 3 times a day. I ended up taking only 1 at the same time every day but the migraine lingered. I decided to see if my migraine would go away if I didn’t take my capsule and VOILA! I put my capsules into the freezer and didn’t take a single one after that. Functioning was more important. My son is 1 this weekend and we are still nursing!
So glad to hear. Thank you for sharing this, Kyra xxo!!
I had a great experience taking them and noticed it helped my energy and mood. I was so sad when I ran out! My milk supply was plentiful and perfect for babe. Not sure what Iād do second time around.
Hey Carly,
YAY. so happy to hear that placenta pills worked for you! We need all the postpartum support we can get xxo!!
Thank you so much for this! I just started taking my yesterdayā my son is almost 3 weeks old. Not sure if I started to late or not but Iām definitely feeling more negative side effects. I read a comment above that said something like āsheād swallow the pill and then cryā thatās totally the weird feeling I get minutes after taking mine! I havenāt felt overwhelmed or cried at all since my son was born.. until today! Day 2 of taking the capsules š Iām happy I read this today. I will discontinue taking them because Iām positive itās whats causing these feelings. (Good thing my milk supply is ok.) I really wish I had a positive experience š Anyway, thanks again for sharing this perspective!
So glad this helped, Julia!
Everyone is different and that’s okay. A good prenatal and diet can also give mamas postpartum support xxo!!
Yes & NO ! First baby: I tried rawxabd got sickālike hot sweats and quick temp spike! So I got it encapsulated by my yoga teacher along with some other herbs and it was wonderful and I felt balanced. Fast forward 4 years and second baby I got encapsulated by top placental specialist at double the cost and I had PANIC & SADNESS! Tried three days spaced apart and then never again. Saved them to plant with a tree in our yard.
*raw and
Thanks for sharing this, Cassie! Mixing placenta with other herbs can help balance its actions. Placenta is a powerful tonic herb xxo!!
Thank you so much. No one has ever shared this perspective. But my intuition told me to bury placenta and not eat. My sister took her placenta in pill form and was never able to make a good milk supply… she had to supplement with other mothers milk. She is very healthy and my guess is the placenta hindered her supply. Who knows? We can follow our intuition though. I never have liked pills, and followed my intuition which said- no thatās not for me. Thanks again – Angela
Hi Megan! I am a first time mom and did take placenta pills back in January. I did not have an issue with milk production but I did have pretty severe postpartum depression. Unfortunately, I did not connect it with the pills and continued to take them until they were gone. I felt like I wasn’t presented for the first 2-3 months home with my baby and everything felt like such a blur. I cried everyday, all day, barely left the house and felt so alone. Next go around I will not be taking them. Thank you for providing this information!
Thank you so much for sharing! BIG HUGS xxo!!
FTM here and was researching about baby acne/eczema when I came across your post. I am 3 weeks postpartum and had my placenta encapsulated. I’ve been taking the pills as directed. I haven’t noticed any extreme effects; however, my baby did start getting what I think is baby acne or eczema on his face (I am EBF). I’ve read that baby acne is a result of hormonal surges from the mother and wonder if taking the placenta pills could be contributing to increased hormonal surges in myself and causing the baby acne breakout? I may try stopping the pills and see what happens!
Thanks for sharing this, Laura. Let me know how it goes!!
I was researching for his exact reason! What did you find? Did it help? Trying to decide if I need to stop as well bc my daughters acne is super bad š
I am trying to figure out if the pills are linked to my little ones baby acne? How do you feel about it in hindsight? Has there been any more links between the pills and acne?
This makes a lot of sense. I encapsulated my /my daughters placenta and didnāt feel it gave me any benefits. I struggled with low milk supply, depression & anxiety but I also had other stuff going on (thyroid etc) so I canāt put it down to the pills but for the price of what it costs here in New Zealand to have the encapsulation done, I wouldnāt do it next time around.
I loved my placenta pills and the affect they had on my mood both pregnancies. However, I was never able to breastfeed either of my children which absolutely devastated me! Iāve always had hormonal issues and after reading this article I now wonder if the reason my milk never properly came in was the pills? Very interesting. I did notice that if I forgot to take my pills my mood would be so much lower and Iād have lots more anxiety, so I know it worked well mood wise but now Iāll always wonder if thatās why my BF journey was unsuccessful š thanks for the article!
I feel you, Maren! Sometimes it’s tough to put all the pieces together, especially in retrospect xxo!!
This is so interesting! Iām 5 weeks postpartum and Iām continuing to take my placenta pills. I actually had an opposite reaction of feeling engorgement and having an oversupply every time I took the full dosage (which I tried every 3 days and the result would be consistent). So I had to lower my intake and then gradually work up to the full dosage until my milk supply was regulated. No anxiety or depression yet, but I think these kinds of things just affect each person differently.
Exactly! Everyone’s body is at a different place and with different needs, so it’s really hard to make a blanket statement about what’s “good” or “bad.” Instead, it’s what’s uniquely right for you at this moment in time. You could say that about a lot of things in life!
From an herbal perspective, placenta will work well for some folks and not so well for others.
I had my placenta encapsulated but I didnāt start consuming them until my milk came in because I heard of this happening. Lucky for us, I had no supply issues, lots of energy and no baby blues. My son was/is tongue and lip tied and despite that and taking the pills, he gained a great amount of weight and even doubled his birth weight by 3 months. Im happy for us it worked out and for the next time, I think I will have the pills made just in case but Iāll wait to use them (if at all). Thanks for all your hard work!
That’s so great to hear, Laura!
I had oversupply issues with my first 2 babies. I had my third 11 days ago and was starting out the same way. My midwife convinced me to do placenta encapsulation, which I didn’t do with the first two. I started the pills when baby was 4 days old and my supply tanked down to almost nothing and I became very emotional and full I’d anxiety. My baby had a tongue tie (which has been revised) and couldn’t latch well which could have contributed to my supply tanking, but my older two had tongue ties as well and supply was never an issue. I didn’t know about the possible negatives from placenta until someone posted the link referenced above from Sarah Hollister in a mom group. After reading that, I immediately stopped my pills and now my supply is starting to come back up. I’m so thankful to have read that article when I had only taken the pills for 5 days, so hopefully my hormones can recover and I can produce milk normally now. Thanks for this article. It’s nice to see I’m not alone because other people are acting like I’m crazy to have had a negative experience with placenta.
Thank you for sharing, Mary!
So glad more folks are talking about the possible negative effects of placenta pills. Hope the anxiety evens out and your supply picks back up quickly, there are a lot of wonderful herbal galactagogues that can help with this xxo!!
I had my placenta encapsulated after my first was born. I never felt the need to take the pills, and when I did try taking them I didnāt really notice a difference in my mood, milk supply, energy levels, etc. I still have them in my freezer. Iām pregnant again; would there be any benefit to taking the placenta pills now?
Hey Hannah,
Placenta is a pretty powerful “herb” in TCM and it’s rich in hormones. So if you do take them, I wouldn’t do it during pregnancy. Your immune system and hormones are in a delicate balance right now.
I would wait until postpartum or even save it for later on, when you can work an acupuncturist.
Congrats on baby number two, xxo!!
I am so glad that I found this article. I am currently near birth with my second child, and have wondered if I should try placenta encapsulation again. After the recommendation of several friends, I did placenta encapsulation with my first child, but did NOT have a good experience. I have questioned for years since if my bad experience was due to the placenta pills, or if it was just PPD. I took the pills as directed, but would occasionally forgot and miss a day. I noticed the days that I would take them were my ‘bad days’ when I would have awful anxiety. I seriously felt crazy and miserable. I finally noticed the connection between the two and threw the rest away. I have never heard of the low milk supply problem, but I struggled from day one with producing enough milk and my baby was under weight for 2 months until we finally got him supplemented with formula. I am so happy I found this article, because again, I wasn’t sure if it was really the placenta pills or just bad luck. I will NOT be using them this time around, and am hoping to have a happier post partum experience!
Iām so glad to hear this was helpful!! Cheering you on, mama! Keep in touch with how things go xxo
how long does it take for the negative side affects to disperse after stopping the pills.
my friend has really bad anxiety and just stopped yesterday.
Hi Shirla,
It’s hard to say without knowing more about what’s going on.
Hope she’s feeling better xxo!
I did placenta pills and had a really good experience. I talked to some other Moms and it seemed the ones who didn’t have a good experience had let their placenta sit out at room temp too long or their encapsulist wasn’t great. It is important to concider the info presented here on hormones to make an informed decision. I am prone to depression but had none postpartum. Also my milk supply came in and was over supply for months, baby’s reached birth weight within days. When I would get ‘weepy’ we would always realize I had missed taking my pills. It was my secret weapon postpartum!
Thatās great! So happy to hear that you had a good experience xxo!!
I took placenta pills and felt amazing up until they ran out. Great milk supply, tons of energy despite little sleep, no signs of depression or anxiety, no night sweats.
However, once my pills stopped, the hormones hit me like a ton of bricks. Severe anxiety, very tired, breaking out, night sweats. I did also have a colicky baby, so maybe the anxiety and fatigue were linked to that.
If I did it all over again, I would still encapsulate my placenta, but would taper off the pills much more gradually.
This is great feedback, thank you for sharing Georgie!!
Gave birth to baby #2 (at age 36) on 1/19/23. Didn’t feel ppd at all like I did with baby #1 (age 24 in 12/2010). But due to lingering fear from last birth had placenta encapsulated just in case. Still haven’t taken them. Milk supply is low 3 weeks after birth & wondering if possible increase is worth risk of hormone issues taking placenta…wish there was guaranteed alternative to milk supply boost.
On day 3 of first time doing placental encapsulation. I take two twice daily. I have felt so weepy and angry at times. Also, my milk production is like nothing before, definately overproducting. This is baby #5. I am engorged, baby lacks a deep latch, nipples are injured with scabs and I find it a burden to even pump with the pain! I am considering stopping my pills. I wanted to try it initaily because my MS and that it might aid in autoimmune inflammatory response diseases and rate of relapsing after giving birth. Not sure if the dehydration process kills those hormones and even makes it worth it? Thoughts.
Hey Amber,
So sorry to hear you’re going through this ā¤ļø speaking from a TCM perspective, it sounds like it’s adding too much “heat” to your body.
Because so much immune development for baby takes place during pregnancy, it makes sense that it may impact the signs of autoimmune disease. And also – it’s always a good idea to listen to your body. If you’re seeing improvements/a shift in MS symptoms compared to previous postpartum periods, then you may want to add in some additional TCM herbs to balance the very warming effect of placenta.
As far as I know, only higher temperatures would affect protein structure. Usually placenta is dehydrated at lower temps. Hope this helps xxo!!
I had severe prenatal anxiety and initially thought the placenta pills would help post partum. They seem to have the opposite effect and every time
I have them I wake up in the night crying and anxious. I have wondered if it be was possible that my prenatal mood has been stored in my placenta some how. Regardless, I do much better without them.
Thank you for sharing this!!