No one can quite prepare you for how raw and powerful it feels to give birth. Yesterday, Calvin Harris shared an insight into the birth of his and Vick Hope's first child. “My wife is a superhero and I am in complete awe of her primal wisdom!” wrote Harris on Instagram.
As well as beautiful photos of the married couple holding their child, the carousel also contains an image of Hope's placenta, which caused some unwarranted controversy in the comments. “Congratulations,” one person wrote, “but don't go eating that placenta.” Why not? I thought. When I found out I was pregnant, I knew that I'd choose to have my placenta made into capsules. But I never predicted how much they'd help my postpartum recovery.
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It's fair to say that my birth plan didn’t quite go the way I had imagined. Three days overdue, my waters broke at home. Some 36 hours later, after three failed epidurals, I had an emergency caesarean and finally met my beautiful little boy, Louis.
There's an onslaught of information about prenatal care – what not to eat, what vitamins to take, how much caffeine to consume – but there's comparatively little about postpartum care.
I had spent nine months growing a tiny human, giving him every nutrient I could, and watching as each scan revealed new milestones. But I wanted to know what to do after I'd had my baby. This led me to consider placenta encapsulation, a process that involves dehydrating the placenta into a powder, which is then encapsulated into pills or capsules.
The female body creates a whole new organ when pregnant. The placenta provides oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, whilst removing carbon dioxide and other waste products at the same time. It helps protect your baby by producing hormones that aid in growth and pass on immunity from you to them. Within those nine months, our body gets used to this 'new' organ, and once your baby and placenta are delivered, at full term, you are left with roughly a ten-inch-long internal wound.
I chatted with Nikki Welling, the founder of Cherished Placentas, to find out more about the process. Nikki set up the company after suffering from postnatal depression after the birth of her first son and researching placenta encapsulation. We spoke about how the placenta has often been seen as a 'taboo' organ. I remember when Kim Kardashian made headlines from her own encapsulation journey – and viewers' comments saying, “How can you eat your own placenta?” and “It is a waste product from childbirth”. Judging from the rhetoric surrounding Vick Hope's decision to save her placenta, times haven't changed.
While there's no solid medical stance on whether eating your placenta is good or bad for you, we know that the placenta has plenty of hormones, stem cells, protein, iron, and essential fats, as well as vitamins B complex, A, D & K. However, some experts have also warned that the scientific evidence in this area is inconclusive – and that the benefits could be a result of the placebo effect.
Anyone considering placenta encapsulation is advised to consult their GP in advance, and, if considering encapsulation, to thoroughly research the company to ensure safety guidelines are followed.
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For me, the process was simple. I filled out a form, and a few days later, a box arrived at my door containing everything we needed for the encapsulation. Our freezer was filled with four ice packs, laid flat, that I was instructed to bring with me to the hospital when I went into labour. Before the birth, I joined a WhatsApp group with Nikki and my birth partners, George (my partner) and my mum. I was told to simply drop a text into this chat when Louis made his grand appearance.
After the birth, my midwife double-bagged my placenta and slotted it in between the ice packs. I then had the option to drop it off at my local Post Office, or arrange a home collection.
A few days later, I had a delivery at my door, ready for me to start my postpartum recovery journey – it's safe to say I have never felt better. I have taken these capsules regularly for the past four months, taking a few days off to see if I noticed a difference in my energy levels, which I did.
As I write this while breastfeeding my son, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for having chosen this journey.
This article reflects one writer's experience. For healthcare advice, it's always recommended to book an appointment with your GP to discuss what's right for you. You can find your local GP here.
For more from GLAMOUR's Commerce Photo Editor, Néamh Randall, follow her on Instagram @neamhrandall
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