Month: December 2017

A case study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is raising questions about the safety of a postpartum practice in the natural health community.
According to the CDC, a newborn in Oregon became very ill after the mother, who was kept anonymous, began ingesting her placenta in dehydrated, capsule form. The baby had been born healthy, but returned to the hospital shortly after birth with respiratory problems and was eventually diagnosed with group B streptococcus agalactiae bacteremia, or GBS.

The infant was treated with antibiotics and returned home only to contract the infection a second time. This is when the mother brought up the placenta capsules she was consuming, prepared from her own placenta by a company she hired. When she stopped taking the capsules and her child was given a second antibiotic treatment, the baby made a complete recovery.
The doctors involved in the case believe that the mother contracted the infection from the capsules and then passed it on to her child, who she was breastfeeding.

Although only one case, this story is being used by the CDC to educate on the potential risks of ingesting placenta. The difficulty being faced is the fact that very little literature exists on the topic. We did a little digging around, curious if this story was indicative that all placenta ingestion is risky.

“What’s the point?”

For most mothers, ingesting the placenta after birth is done in hopes of easing the symptoms of the postpartum season. Those in favor of the practice believe that ingesting the placenta reduces postpartum bleeding, symptoms of postpartum depression, increases milks supply, and even boosts the mother’s energy.
Placenta encapsulation has become more popular recently, but it’s founded in the idea that mammals have always ingested their placenta after birth.

“Hundreds of thousands of women have encapsulated their placentas,” says Samantha Moore, certified postpartum placenta specialist and owner of My KC Doula. “Although there is no scientific evidence, there is mounds of anecdotal evidence that women have shared through that years that says, ‘Yes! It really does work!’”
It’s the lack of scientific evidence that gives doctors working in obstetrics, like Ira Jaffe, DO, an OB-GYN at Rosh Maternal Fetal Medicine in New York City, pause. Jaffe isn’t convinced of it’s effectiveness, yet chooses not to discourage his patients from taking their placenta home, instead talking with mothers about safety concerns to keep in mind.

“It’s not a subject that’s been very rigorously studied, so a lot of the conversation in the medical community is more about extrapolating from things that are known a little more clearly,” he explains. “What most medical professionals will say is ‘What’s the point?’ because there’s no evidence that says it’s helpful.”

Is placenta encapsulation safe?

While the safety of placenta encapsulation is only recently receiving national attention because of the Oregon case, it isn’t a new conversation. Postpartum doulas have long been having this conversation among themselves, criticizing poor practices and advocating for safer placenta storage and preparation.

“This story has definitely opened a lot of people’s eyes to the scariness that can be placenta encapsulation, but it’s important to realize that it doesn’t have to be this way.”

Opponents of placenta encapsulation have certainly used this single story as a means of questioning the safety of the practice entirely. In the CDC’s case study, mind you, it said that no standards exist for the processing of placenta for consumption.
That is true, but it also isn’t the nail in the coffin for placenta encapsulation. In fact, for placenta specialists who prioritize safety, this story is considered a blessing, finally starting a national conversation on what safe handling and encapsulation of placenta looks like.

“Clearly something is wrong in this industry that needs to be rectified immediately,” says Moore. “This story has definitely opened a lot of people’s eyes to the scariness that can be placenta encapsulation, but it’s important to realize that it doesn’t have to be this way. With proper protocols and safety, it can be a completely safe option for lots of women.”

“Doctors, the CDC, and the [Food and Drug Administration] need to jump on board with some stringent protocol to keep them safe.”

So what does safe placenta encapsulation look like, exactly? For starters, Moore says that the mother should never send her placenta home with someone to encapsulate. Instead, placenta specialists should work in the mother’s home, where the mother is fully aware of the cleanliness of the environment and can observe the entire process.
Additionally, anyone who is working with placenta should be blood-borne pathogen trained, according to Moore, which provides a complete understanding of the right way to care for the placenta being processed.
There are also basic safety and cleanliness practices that should be observed. For Moore, this means gloves, footies, a hair net, mask, and apron. She also meticulously sanitizes the environment and tools used for encapsulation.

When it comes to encapsulating placenta from moms who are group B strep positive, both Moore and Jaffe agree that additional precautions must be taken. Jaffe strongly urges against the use of the placenta in any instance of GBS, while Moore suggests rigorous safety measures before moving forward.
“A person that is GBS positive needs to be very careful that [their encapsulator] is upholding the highest safety standards possible,” Moore explains. “If your encapsulator can’t tell you exactly how they process to ensure that there will be no GBS bacteria left in your placenta, you should not hire them!”
Instead of demonizing the practice, Moore hopes that this case study with encourage the CDC to promote safe preparation of placentas.

“This is a service that women want,” she says. “Doctors, the CDC, and the [Food and Drug Administration] need to jump on board with some stringent protocol to keep them safe. They are doing a disservice to women everywhere by saying ‘don’t do it,’ because women will still do it, and it will continue to be done by pseudo-professionals who are not following safety protocol because they simply don’t know or don’t care.”
Jaffe is one such doctor who has taken the stand that, if a woman has decided this is a good option for her, he prefers she know how to safely proceed. He encourages them to carefully research their specialist, to be familiar with the environment in which the placenta will be prepared, and to be willing to say no to placenta encapsulation if they test positive for GBS.

Are there better options?

Erin Heger, mom of one, had her placenta encapsulated by a trusted doula. She hoped to lower her risk for postpartum depression and to support her body in making milk for her baby.
Heger admits that she’s fairly certain she wouldn’t try placenta encapsulation again if she decided to have another child. In her mind, it isn’t safety that gives her pause: She’s simply not sure about the benefits.
In her case, she felt the benefits were oversold. She felt the natural community she was involved in online had made out placenta encapsulation as the answer for postpartum depression. So, when she began to experience raging anxiety and depression after her son’s birth, she felt ashamed that her placenta capsules didn’t seem to be work, and actually postponed receiving formal treatment for postpartum depression as a result.

According to Jaffe, moms who are worried about postpartum depression should consider engaging in strategies that have been proven to work. Specifically, he recommends exercising one-to-three times a week, doing anything possible to get plenty of rest, and avoiding the isolation that is far too common for new moms.
“People are left on their own so much in nuclear families with small children, [and] it really challenges the woman in an extreme way,” he says. “I counsel patients to not be afraid to call on family members and friends. If you’re left feeling isolated, then it’s going to leave you feeling much more vulnerable to a serious clinical depression.”

Medication is something that some moms should be open to. It isn’t always necessary, especially among moms who are simply experiencing mood changes typical to new motherhood; women with a history of depression, however, should prepare themselves for the possibility of needing extra support in the form of anti-depressants.
It’s important to point out that doulas like Moore are not selling placenta encapsulation as a cure-all for depression. In fact, most take postpartum depression seriously enough to encourage the involvement of an OB-GYN or mental health professional. Moore not only encourages her clients to care for themselves in the postpartum period, she insists they speak with their care provider in the instance that depression or anxiety is becoming an issue.

“As a postpartum placenta specialist, it’s a very important part of our training that we never suggest that placenta [capsules] are a postpartum depression medication,” she explains. “I am more than happy to perform the service and help them through the process as they choose, but my role as a postpartum doula and postpartum placenta specialist is very clear … .I am not a mental health professional.”

Born in 1986, I am a true millennial. And if you came earthside between 1982 and 2004, you are too. We’re a large group: In 2016, we passed that of the Baby Boomers as the largest living generation.
Currently, most millennials are in their twenties and thirties, which means we’re in our typical childbearing years. In fact, about 80 percent of new mothers are millennials. And those millennial parents have a nicknamed subgroup of their own—parennials!
Times have changed since the previous generation entered their parenting years. These days, we have answers at our fingertips. We can track sleep schedules via apps on our phone, and we often turn to social media for emotional support. I know: I’ve done it all over the last eight years.
As a parennial, technology is so much of my everyday: something my own mother never had. When she was in my shoes, she called her mother most days for advice, researched things in books, and logged her children’s milestones in a darling baby book. But just 30 years after her experience, things are very different.

Now, my phone and all the resources and relationships it holds have become my lifeline as a parent. It stands in for communication, research, and documenting. For example, when I was in early labor with my son, I timed my contractions through an app and was able to show my midwife the report when she arrived. I’m active on social media, where I chronicle my children’s art projects, funny sayings, and both big and small milestones.
I use my phone to chart each of my children’s growths and remember what feels like countless appointments and obligations. I use it to keep all my notes, send emails, and even entertain my children with educational apps and movies. Without this technology, I’m not sure my mommy brain could keep up.
My own mother survived parenting without a smart phone. I’ve just never known any different. Sometimes though, I wonder if my kids and I would be better off with a less tech-y life, like my mom’s. Technology aside, parennials are raising their children different than generations before, because we’re living in a new era that requires us to make new accommodations.

Let’s talk about Dr. Google.

Have you ever succumbed to the pitfall of Googling late at night? Perhaps your child has a high fever or an odd rash. Maybe you’re up late wondering if they know enough words for their age or if you’ve introduced the right food at the right time.

Millennials, having been raised in the age of technology, tend towards being used to immediate gratification.

Author Bruce Feiler, who coined the term parennial, wrote an article for the New York Times where he claimed that this generation is full of “high-information parents.”
I couldn’t agree more. Information is everywhere for us around the clock. We don’t have to wait for a doctor to return our call. We don’t have to traipse to the library, and use the Dewey Decimal System to track down the right resource. There is no wondering or waiting.

Donna Volipitta, a doctor of education who studies neurology, psychology, and education in relation to parenting, comments on the speed parennials have become accustomed to: “I believe that the difference in parenting [between generations], though exemplified by the change in information source, is more based on time frame.”
“Millennials, having been raised in the age of technology, tend towards being used to immediate gratification. They want immediate solutions. If they don’t know an answer, they google it,” she explains. “If they need to get somewhere, they Uber. If they need food, they Grubhub. If they want a picture, they Snap it.” And, although we’re living in the age of fast answers, parenting itself is a slow and steady journey.

We get the answer right away, even if that answer isn’t always correct or the best.

The immediate, never-ending knowledge base that technology brings ushers in other things, too. Like anxiety. And worry. And misconceptions. Because, after all, Dr. Google doesn’t always properly diagnose, and the internet doesn’t always offer accurate advice.
“Many parents, especially new parents, reach out for information because they are in a panic, moment of frustration, or just overall curious about something,” Maria Sanders, a licensed social worker and parent coach, says. “We get the answer right away, even if that answer isn’t always correct or the best.”
Fast information is a Catch-22 for sure, because, on the flip side, the internet is also full of mountains of research, parenting insight, and truth that can lead moms and dads to become better parents.

“I turn many times to the internet, reading parenting blogs for information and advice,” Carey, a millennial mom of four, shares. “I feel like parenting in this age of information is both a blessing and a curse, and it is sometimes challenging to remain in the present moment with my kids.”

When Social Media Comes Into Play

Like Carey said, quick access to information brings about a slew of challenges. And it’s not just Google. It’s the draw of social media. Posting, tweeting, pinning, and sharing photos gives us immediate access to friends, family, strangers…and all of their opinions, too. Talk about overwhelming!
Then again, having people who care so quick at hand is a blessing too. “My go-to place for parenting advice is a group [online],” Samantha, a millennial mom of one, says. “They are a science-based group and are always on top of new studies and information. They have become almost like sisters to me.”
Strangers have become like family, all because of technology. Now, that’s something only a parennial can claim as part of their parenting experience.

The Virtual Tribe

It is in these social media groups that community thrives. Through them, the village that raises the child is born.

“There are groups for parents of toddlers, children with special needs, babywearing groups, nursing mama groups, as well as just general parenting groups,” Sanders says. “We don’t live in small villages, so parenting groups create a village mentality … we’ve all been there, so let’s lean on each other for advice and ideas!”
So many of my dearest relationships thrive because of technology. The women I converse with offer daily offer support and camaraderie in my parenting journey. Motherhood would be isolating and scary without them.

At the click of a button, I can vent, pose a concern, and quickly receive responses. In turn, I can respond to the other parents who are doing the same. Together, we’re juggling parenting in a new age, and it’s comforting to know we are not going at it alone.

What Parennials Are Missing

Past generations may have done things differently, but sometimes I wonder if they did it better. Slower? More intentionally? Like Carey, I fear I’m not always as present as I could be with my children. Having endless information available to my every thought, from emails pinging in to “friends” tagging me—it’s enough to make a mother go batty or grow addicted.

I suspect that’s why we often hear about millennials taking a break from social media. They want to return to the ways of their parents and grandparents and just do life—without the need to search, respond, or post every detail.
“We miss out on real human connection and a full dialogue,” Sanders says.
Computers and phones can never replace real life advice and support. That’s something previous generations know, and something many perennials are seeking.

“If I go to the internet, I can read a blurb about how to deal with my colicky baby, and then I can click onto something else,” Sanders says. “If my mom or aunt comes over, she can physically show me how to bathe the baby or cook that healthy meal for my toddler. We don’t get all that from Google!”
When millennials eliminate their exposure to older mentors they, and by consequence, their children, miss out.

Is balance possible?

Sanders believes balance is most definitely possible.

At some point, all of us need support.

“Sometimes, it’s nice to have the anonymity of an online group or be able to crowdsource the answer to our question,” she shares. “But we have to balance that with real human connection, whether that is with a call to the doctor or the hug from a friend or family member.”

“At some point, all of us need support. Having the courage to identify the need and ask for that support, [for] the sake of our children, is what can make a great parent.”
And that’s the beauty of parenting now. We have the best of both worlds: online support and real life resources.
Information overload can easily exhaust a new parent, though. So perhaps it’s time to create some boundaries. Rather than endlessly surfing for answers, find a circle of reliable sources and stop there; close the laptop, and set down the phone. With the space that provides, turn to parents and grandparents for their tips and tricks when a problem arises. Tried-and-true advice, plus a hug, sounds much better than 4,000 website links with possible help, doesn’t it?

In the end, trust your gut, know who you can rely on (whether online or off), and commit to being your child’s best parent. Regardless of your generation, no one can mother or father your child as well as you can.