New moms are often bombarded with information about trends that help improve their health and the health of their babies. Eating the placenta after giving birth is a trend that has stuck around for years, and it's believed to have plenty of benefits for a new mamá's body.
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While it sounds pretty gruesome to some, plenty of celebrity moms have opened up about their experiences with it. The practice has not been scientifically or medically proven, but some reports claim that consuming the hormones and nutrients found in the placenta helps ward off postpartum depression, boost milk supply, and help women get to their pre-baby bodies back more quickly.
There are different ways to consume it, whether it's processing the placenta into capsules, mixing it into a healthy smoothie, or even turning it into tacos. So far, stars like Kim Kardashian, Rosie Rivera, Michelle Renaud, and other famous moms have been open about jumping on the placenta bandwagon! Scroll through to find out which other stars are also believers.
–Additional reporting by Karla Rodriguez
Marlene Favela posted a whole video about her placenta process.
The Mexican actress and model posted a whole video about getting her placenta turned into pills on her YouTube channel. In the video, she gets into why she chose to get her placenta encapsulated instead of drinking it as a smoothie.
Claudia Álvarez is planning ahead.
Even before giving birth, Claudia Álvarez told press members that she is 100% sure that she will consume her placenta. She plans on turning her placenta into capsules.
Claudia Lizaldi got grief for her choice.
Claudia Lizaldi said in an interview that people criticized her for taking placenta pills after giving birth. She went on to say that she didn't care what others said about her because it worked for her and she's not telling anyone else what to do.
Anahí wrote about eating her placenta in her book.
After giving birth to her first child, Anahí wrote in her book Valiente about why she made the very personal decision to eat her placenta. She is now pregnant again, and we think it's safe to say that she'll be consuming the placenta again.
Kim Kardashian opened up about taking placenta pills after baby No. 2.
After giving birth to Saint in 2015, Kim posted a photo of her placenta pills on her website and revealed she was doing it again after taking them following the birth of daughter North. She said it helped her avoid getting the baby blues and kept her energized.
Rosie Rivera shared her experience exclusively with MamásLatinas.
When the reality TV star gave birth in 2016, she taped her experience with drinking her own placenta in a smoothie just an hour after her baby arrived! She said it was even pretty tasty.
Jennifer Lopez is said to use placenta on her skin.
There have been publications who have said that J.Lo ate her own placenta after giving birth to twins Max and Emme in 2008, but she hasn't yet confirmed it. She also has reportedly done placenta facials to maintain her flawless complexion. Where do we sign up?
Khloé Kardashian also said she would give it a shot.
When Khloé was pregnant with her first child, she decided she would follow in her older sisters' footsteps and turn her placenta into pills after she gave birth to daughter, True. In an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, she told her sister Kim that even though she was grossed out, she would do it.
Mom of two Tamera Mowry is a true believer.
The Real cohost ate her own placenta and forced sister Tia to do the same. It was all documented for their former reality show Tia & Tamera.
January Jones turned her organ into vitamins.
In 2013, Jones told Glamour that eating her own placenta helped her fight the baby blues. She dehydrated the organ and then had it turned into vitamin capsules. "It’s not gross or witchcrafty. Nor am I putting it in a shake or eating it raw," she said at the time. "It’s a very civilized thing that can help women with depression or fatigue. I was never depressed or sad or down after the baby was born, so I’d highly suggest it to any pregnant woman."
Kourtney Kardashian urged her followers to look up the benefits.
The KUWTK star has three children–Mason, Penelope, and Reign. She loved taking placenta pills and shared a pic of them on Instagram in 2015, shortly after giving birth to her youngest boy. "Yummy…PLACENTA pills! No joke…I will be sad when my placenta pills run out. They are life changing! #benefits #lookitup," she captioned the snap.
Alicia Silverstone referred to them as her "happy pills."
The Clueless actress said she took them after giving birth to her son, Bear Blue, in 2011. "Someone gifted me my placenta in the form of a pill," she said on Live With Kelly and Michael in 2014. "They encapsulate it. I thought that's harmless. I'll try it. And I have to tell you that I really loved it."
"I've got to the point that my husband said 'Did you have your happy pills today?''' she added. "And I was really sad when they were gone. It really helped me."
Michelle Renaud expressed her full support for eating placenta.
The Mexican actress gave some advice for first-time moms and recommended that they eat the placenta as soon as possible and not in pills. She said it helps keep away postpartum depression and helps women get their figures back in tip-top shape.
Blac Chyna said it was a natural thing to do.
Blac Chyna, who shares daughter Dream with Rob Kardashian, told People that she would be eating her own placenta, saying dogs and cats do it, too. "I just recently I found out some new, cool stuff about not cutting the cord and sending your placenta [to a company],” she revealed. "You can get these pills […] to make you and the baby healthy.”
Katherine Heigl took the pills after giving birth to her son, Joshua.
The actress opened up to People about her experience in 2017 when she first heard about it while at the hospital. "They told me that another mother down the hall had a company that freeze dries pills," she said, also revealing that she had gained 40 pounds during the pregnancy. "This guy came, he was a total cowboy: Cowboy hat, cowboy boots … and a bag of placenta! He took it to his wife who freeze-dried it and turned it into pills and I’ve been taking them.”
Nikki Reed was actually sad when she finished her pills.
She shared a photo of herself holding the pill jar in October 2017. "Last day of placenta pills. Not ready to say goodbye!!!!!" she captioned the snap. "Ps sending love to all you mamas out there doing whatever feels right for you! This was recommended to me by my doula but that does not mean it’s for everyone :). Just do you! ❤️."
Gaby Hoffmann added it into a fresh smoothie.
“Placenta, placenta, placenta. Just eat that s**t up, and it does a girl good!” the Girls actress told People in 2015, and said it helped boost her energy and milk supply. “You don’t taste [it],” she added at the time. “I made smoothies out of it for three weeks. I had a home birth, so my midwife and my doula took it and cut it up into 20 pieces and froze it, and every day, I put it in a blender with strawberries and blueberries and guava juice and a banana, and I drank that s**t up.”
Mayim Bialik believes it's a normal thing for mammals to do.
The Big Bang Theory actress wrote a blog post defending fellow actresses Alicia Silverstone and January Jones, who were shamed for eating their placentas. "It's good for mammals to eat the placenta and we evolved for that purpose," she wrote.
Padma Lakshmi had no regrets about eating her placenta.
The Top Chef host told People that she was afraid she wouldn't have enough energy to get back to work after giving birth to her daughter, Krishna, in 2010, and said she "wasn't sorry" for turning her placenta into pills.
Holly Madison was looking for a speedy recovery.
The former Playboy model revealed that she was planning on eating her own placenta after giving birth to daughter Rainbow. "I heard it helps women recover faster and I want to recover as quickly as I can!" she wrote on her blog in 2013.
Chrissy Teigen ate her placenta to combat postpartum depression.
Chrissy Teigen has been very candid about experiencing postpartum depression after the birth of daughter Luna in 2016. When she had second child Miles in 2018, she decided to eat her placenta to help combat postpartum depression. Whether it was the placenta or not, she felt much happier after her second birth than she did after her first.
