I’m a new mum and spent £260 turning my placenta into tablets so I could eat it – it would be weird not to
A NEW mum told how she paid almost £300 to get her placenta turned into pills so she could eat it.
Shannon Brown, 24, wanted to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Kim Kardashian and reap supposed health benefits from consuming the organ.
As a vegetarian she decided there was no way she could treat it like a piece of meat and cook it up herself.
So she found a specialist who took it away and transformed it into capsules and a special tincture for £260.
Shannon, from Glasgow, said: “I always thought if I had a baby I would eat the placenta.
“It just seemed normal and natural. It would be more weird to me if I didn’t do it.
“It just didn’t make any sense to get rid of my placenta. But the thought of cooking it myself disgusted me. Meat gives me the heebie jeebies.”
Retail manager Shannon started doing some research into how you consume a placenta.
Celebs including Rochelle Humes, Hilary Duff and Alicia Silverstone have all spoken out about doing it.
Experts are divided but it’s thought there may be some health benefits for new mums.
Shannon found a specialist in Livingston, West Lothian, who she built up a relationship with while she was pregnant.
The new mum had to tell hospital staff about the plan and ensure the placenta was taken away and stored in a fridge. A courier picked it up that same day.
The placenta was then dehydrated and turned into the capsules. A piece of it was soaked in alcohol for six weeks to create the tincture.
Shannon was delighted when the parcel arrived with her 220 pills in jars, topped with a bow.
Inside were also special gifts for her and the baby. But she got a shock when she discovered her dried umbilical chord was also in a gift bag.
Shannon said: “I got a fright because I wasn’t expecting to see that. I thought it was a snake at first.
“I didn’t ask for that because I didn’t fancy it. But it’s sitting on my shelf now. I know some people like it as a keepsake.”
The tablets can be taken several times a day but Shannon is trying to make them last as long as possible.
While the tincture has no expiry date or taste so can be dropped into all sorts of drinks.
Shannon gave birth to her little boy in November last year and has no idea if the placenta is making any difference to her health.
She said: “I’ve got nothing to compare it to.
PLACENTA EATING: THE FACTS
The placenta is an essential organ that feeds and nourishes a baby during pregnancy.
Recently, it’s become trendy for new mums to consume it after they give birth.
It’s claimed that it brings health benefits including warding off post-partum depression, boosting mood and improving milk supply.
But there is no definitive proof that eating the placenta actually does anything.
Some experts warn there is a health risk from eating it raw because it could lead to infection.
A host of companies have sprung up offering to dehydrate the placenta into pills and capsules. Some are backed by celebs. This is thought to be the safest way to eat it.
“I wasn’t scared to give birth but I was really scared of post pregnancy depression.
“I would do anything not to have that. Anything that’s going to reduce the chance is worth a try.”
Shannon said she’s not got much grief over her placenta plans and is surprised by the reception.
She said: “People expected it from me. Some had a wee giggle.
“But nobody has said it’s weird. It’s becoming a lot more common, especially in America.
“Some mums have got in touch to ask me who I used. It’s a different response to what I expected. I would definitely do it again.”