It looks like Kourtney Kardashian is the latest to join the placenta eating bandwagon. In fact, "Yummy" is what she's calling it. She posted a photo of placenta pills to Instagram on Saturday and wrote: "Yummy … PLACENTA pills! No joke … I will be sad when my placenta pills run out." They are life changing! #benefits #lookitup." Before you get an instant urge to gag, let me fill you in on this whole trend. As gross as this may sound, eating your own placenta apparently comes with a ton of health benefits that helps new moms recover. And trust me, it's not the only weird birthing trend out there!
Read more ¿Qué más?: Kim Kardashian wants sister Kourtney to have her next baby
You'd be surprised the kind of things women do post-pregnancy, all for the sake of recovery. Some eat their own placenta whether it's in the form of capsules or in some cases smoothies–don't judge! Others moms burn their newborn's umbilical cords on fire. Sounds weird, I know, but some of these strange practices actually have a bit of logic behind them, while others just make absolutely no sense. Here are 10 after-birth trends you should probably know about!
Images via Thinkstock, Kourtney Kardashian/Instagram
Turning placenta into pills
Apparently there's a ton of benefits that come from eating your own placenta and that includes balancing hormones, replenishing iron and even increasing milk production. The more popular way to ingest is having your own placenta made into pills.
Add placenta into smoothie
Girls star Gaby Hoffman is just one of many women who have blended their own placenta into a smoothie. Supposedly it helps you bounce right back after labor as well as increasing your energy levels.
Cook it
Yes, there are cookbooks that help you prepare actual meals using your own placenta. Anyone else just lost their appetite?
Making placenta into art
Um, so some moms like to collect their placenta and use it to make "art." It'll definitely make for a great conversation starter–there's no question about that!
Turn placenta into a necklace
Some women like to collect their placenta and turn it into a keepsake pendant to wear around their necks. Okay now that's just weird!
Burning off umbilical cords
Some parents these days are participating in a practice called, "sacred severance," which is when one or both parents use a candle to burn off their newborn baby's outstretched umbilical cord. The principle behind it is that it allows the baby to bond with the baby. Sounds a little risky to me!
Leaving umbilical cord attached
There's burning off umbilical cords and then there's "Lotus Birth," which is when parents choose to allow the umbilical cord on the baby until it detaches naturally. The process, which can take up to ten days, has become pretty popular these days. Having a baby literally attached to you for up to 10 days has to be a little challenging. What you do when you need to shower or poop?
Plant placenta
Now here's a super weird one. Some women like to hold on to their placenta just so they can plant it. They keep it in the freezer for about a year and then plant it on their child's first birthday. This makes absolutely NO sense to me!
Drink your own breast milk
Apparently moms there are moms out there that drink their own breast milk. Now why in the world would you want to do that?
Cast your placenta
So you know how some women do belly casts when they're preggos? Well some do placenta casts. Don't ask me how that's done, but if you want your placenta on your mantel as part of your decor, this trend is for you!
