Kourtney Kardashian recently became a mother of three when her son Reign was born, and she’s using a fairly unconventional method to ingest nutrients and possibly keep post-partum blues at bay: she’s eating her own placenta.
No worries–she’s not frying it in butter and making a dinner out of it; rather, she takes it in pill form. The reality star posted a photo to Instagram over the weekend of the large capsules, saying she’ll be sad when they’re all gone. And while some are grossed out by the thought of eating one’s own organ, many women swear by the benefits it can bring, which also include an increase in milk production for breast-feeding mamas. Actresses Alicia Silverstone and January Jones have reportedly held on to their placentas in order to eat them.
Kourtney has been fairly vocal about her belief in the powers of the placenta, even saying on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, “Why would you not take it? I want to have a third child just to eat the placenta.”
While many women who choose to ingest their placenta have positive experiences, some are skeptical of the practice. Silverstone said in her 2014 book The Kind Mama: A Simple Guide to Supercharged Fertility, a Radiant Pregnancy, a Sweeter Birth, and a Healthier, More Beautiful Beginning that her placenta helped her get through the exhaustion after her son was born.
“I had a smooth and vibrant postbirth because of how well I’d taken care of my body all through pregnancy, but every once in a while, I’d have a mini-meltdown. In my sleep-deprived, emotionally wonky haze, I’d start thinking about things like how my baby was going to grow up one day, and I’d just lose it. Then I’d have my placenta pill and feel better,” she said.