The first weeks of parenthood can be exhausting and stressful.
Some Ottawa mothers have joined a growing trend that they say has helped them beat the baby blues, and given them more energy.
Several celebrities claim to have done it, and now some women in Ottawa are having their placentas put into capsules they can eat.
It's called Placentophagy, and involves a mother eating her own placenta after the birth of her baby.
The placenta is an organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy. It provides oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby. Some people believe it could be beneficial to moms if they ingest it after their babies are born.
Tatiana Plechenko is a doula in Ottawa who now encapsulates placentas for her clients.
The placenta is kept on ice, in a cooler. Plechenko picks it up from her customers and prepares it in a food dehydrator. It is then ground-up and put into capsules.
Her more adventurous clientele will also have a piece of raw placenta blended into a berry smoothie.
Placentas have been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Most mammals do consume their placentas in the wild. In humans, there is little scientific evidence of whether it has benefits or not.
Some celebrities have claimed to have eaten their placentas and that has likely contributed to the growing popularity the practice.
Plechenko says her business is growing, so far this year she has encapsulated more than 50 placentas.
CTV's Natalie Pierosara will have more on this story tonight at 6:00.
