Article and Video links of interest:
1) http://placentabenefits.info/medicinal.asp
(“…Placentophagia may also increase a mother’s blood levels of a hormone known as CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone), a known stress-reducer. This hormone is normally secreted by the hypothalamus. According to a study performed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “During the last trimester of pregnancy, the placenta secretes so much CRH that the levels in the bloodstream increase threefold. However, it was also discovered that postpartum women have lower than average levels of CRH, triggering depressive symptoms. They concluded that the placenta secreted so much CRH that the hypothalamus stopped producing it. ” After childbirth, the hypothalamus doesn’t immediately receive the signal to begin producing CRH again, which can lead to postpartum depression. Eating the placenta can raise a mother’s CRH levels, reducing symptoms of postpartum depression.”)
( an article and video that is perhaps mostly meant to be humorous but I also find is very illuminating for partners &/or husbands who might be a little skeptical at first ;)
3) http://badp.squarespace.com/blog/2012/4/1/notes-from-the-salon-all-about-the-placenta.html
( a recent article/blog more about the placenta during and after pregnancy)
SF Placenta Encapsulation 