Abstract
BackgroundThe post-partum consumption of the placenta by the mother (placentophagy) has been practiced since the 1970s in the global North and is seemingly increasing in popularity. Maternal placentophagy is not known to have been practiced in any other time period or culture, despite being near-ubiquitous in other placental mammals. An in-depth qualitative exploration as to the reasons for the practice, its increasing popularity and how it is narratively incorporated into discourses surrounding “ideal” natural and medical births are given in this paper.Methods1752 posts from 956 users across 85 threads from the parenting forums Mumsnet and Netmums were identified for inclusion. A thematic discourse analysis was performed using NVivo.ResultsThree main themes were identified: women recounted predominantly positive attitudes towards their own experiences of placentophagy, and they were respectful of others’ views and experiences; some had negative views, particularly around the concept of disgust, but again, they were respectful of others’ experiences. By far the most common method of consumption of the placenta was encapsulation.ConclusionsThis paper identifies the motivation for placentophagy to almost universally be for medical benefits, most commonly the prevention or treatment of post-natal depression (PND). Whilst disgust is a common reaction, discussion of risks is rare, and positive experiences outweigh negative ones. The increasing popularity of the practice is ascribed in part to the comparative palatability of encapsulation and the use of the internet to share resources and remove barriers. Parenting forums are important spaces to negotiate normative birth practices, including placentophagy, and act to build communities of women who value personal experience over medical evidence and highly value personal choice and bodily autonomy. Placentophagy is discussed in terms of its relation to natural and medical births with arguments being made using both discourses for and against the practice. This paper argues that placentophagy is practiced as a resistance to medicalisation as an assertion of control by the mother, whilst simultaneously being a medicalised phenomenon itself.
Highlights
The post-partum consumption of the placenta by the mother has been practiced since the 1970s in the global North and is seemingly increasing in popularity
The ideal birth is part of birthing discourse characterized by two competing knowledges: the medical or technocratic view that emphasises the benefits of medicalisation and technology, and the natural or holistic view, which argues that medicalisation takes control and power away from women [34]
This paper offers explanations as to the motivations for placentophagy; it is almost universally practiced for the perceived medical benefits, especially the prevention or treatment of post-natal depression (PND)
Summary
The post-partum consumption of the placenta by the mother (placentophagy) has been practiced since the 1970s in the global North and is seemingly increasing in popularity. Human placentophagy is “the ingestion of a human placenta postpartum, at any time, by any person, in raw or altered form.” [1] Human maternal placentophagy is consumption by the mother of her own placenta. This relatively modern phenomenon is practiced predominantly by white, middle class, married women in the global North [2], and has grown rapidly since the 1970s [3]. The method of placentophagy most commonly practiced is “encapsulation”, a process where the placenta is dehydrated, ground and placed into capsules [4] This is done with either raw or steamed placenta. Some consume the placenta raw, often frozen in a smoothie, or cooked, usually in dishes as a substitute for meat
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