A woman’s hormonal levels at the time of delivery are much higher than what they normally are in a non-pregnant state. Upon delivery of the baby and placenta, that hormone level declines drastically and quickly, leaving moms at an imbalance. Ingesting your placenta may help by restoring those hormones that are lost thus balancing the endocrine and circulatory systems. It also may help to fight those “baby blues” that are caused by the drastic hormonal change that occurs in labor and directly after, promotes lactation, helps increase milk supply rich in iron and protein, helps uterus return to pre-pregnancy size faster, minimize bleeding and shortens healing time.

There are many ways to consume your placenta, some ancient and some much newer a few of these methods are encapsulation, tincture, in smoothies and even prepared in food! Capsules and tinctures can last indefinitely if stored properly and offer the benefit of balancing your hormones when your menstrual cycle returns, during times of transition i.e. weaning & going back to work, and even can benefit you in your menopausal time.

Although the chemical composition of the placenta is exceedingly complex here are some of the chemicals and hormones that give the placenta its healing properties:

Prolactin: A hormone released from the anterior pituitary gland that stimulates milk production after childbirth.
Oxytocin: A hormone released by the pituitary gland that causes increased contraction of the uterus during labor and stimulates the ejection of milk into the ducts of the breasts
Thyroid-stimulating hormone: TSH causes the thyroid gland to make 2 hormones which helps to control your body’s metabolism.
Cortisone: A hormone produced by the adrenal cortex. One of the glucocorticoids, it can relieve inflammation, pain, and swelling.
Interferon: A protein released by animal cells, usually in response to the entry of a virus, that has the property of inhibiting virus replication.
Prostaglandins: Any of a group of cyclic fatty acids with hormone-like effects, notably the promotion of uterine contractions.
Lysozyme: A hydrolyzing agent and immune system booster capable of destroying bacteria and viruses on contact.
Hemoglobin: The iron-containing substance in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
Phosphorus: The second most profuse mineral in the body. It aids bone formation, digestion, protein formation, hormone balance, cell repair, chemical reactions, and nutrient utilization.
Gonadotrophin: the precursor to estrogen, progesterone and testosterone
Gammaglobulin: immune booster that helps protect against postpartum infections

​(Taken in part from the text, Chinese Herbal Medicine – Materia Medica REVISED EDITION)

The steaming is inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) a method that has been used for centuries. In TCM, our “life-force”, is called Jing, and each time a mother births her baby, she loses Jing and heat. The TCM method of placenta preparation brings back the “Jing and heat” that her body lost during the birthing process. With raw method it is believed that the hormones and enzymes are not compromised by being steamed thus allowing for better absorption, unfortunately there is no studies that have been done thus far, it will have to be up to your personal preference.