The Key to a Quick Postpartum Recovery Might Be Hiding in Your Placenta

For first-time moms searching for a way to speed up the postpartum experience, the answer might be hidden in your placenta.

A team of researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas conducted a three-month survey of 189 women, all of whom had eaten their placenta after the birth of their child. Researchers asked women why they had done it, how they had eaten it (steamed, raw, or dehydrated) and whether or not they would do it again.

From the data they collected, the research, published in the journal Ecology of Food and Nutrition showed that 95 percent of the participants reported a positive, if not very positive, experience. Sharon Young, a researcher in the study said, "Things like improved lactation and postpartum bleeding were alleviated and postpartum recovery was either sped up or improved in general."

Though another member of the study, Daneil Benyshek, did note that not all of the participants reported positive experiences. He said, "These primarily had to do with the appeal — the appeal of the placenta itself even in capsules — and things like unpleasant belching."

And while the research done in Nevada does point out the benefits of eating your placenta after birth, researchers say that more studies need to be done to determine just important the benefits are.

Would you eat your placenta?