Hi Susie,

One of my reservations about taking placental preparations for days and
weeks after childbirth is the fact that they can contain a lot of
progesterone. It is the large drop in progesterone levels after the
delivery of the placenta that is a trigger for milk production. Retention
of small amounts of placental tissue can be a cause of poor milk
production. So it makes sense to me that for some women, the continued
ingestion of these preparations could cause problems.

Remember that mammals other than humans ingest placenta immediately after
birth, not for weeks and even months later. While I do not doubt that these
preparations may have value for some new mothers, I am not convinced of the
efficacy of their routine use. The preparationof placental pills is not
regulated and I would imagine that their chemical composition show a wide
variation depending on many factors.

Sharon Knorr, IBCLC in Colorado
On Jul 23, 2013 5:29 PM, "Susie McCulloch" <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
> PTP: I have a client who was doing very well with breastfeeding until she
> started taking pills containing her dehydrated placenta on day 8.  Two days
> later, her  baby had lost weight, and continued to lose weight until I saw
> her on day 12.  Even with breastfeeding often, pumping, and taking herbal
> galactogogues, she has not been able to increase her milk supply.  (My
> first time seeing her was on day 12. On day 8 she was seen by another IBCLC
> who  documented appropriate weight gain and  observed a  breastfeeding in
> which baby drank 2 oz. )  She has stopped taking her placenta pills. Has
> anyone else seen this happen?
>
> Thanks for your help!
> Susie McCulloch, retired LLLL,  IBCLC
>
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