Warming the Mother: A Use for Placenta Broth

In China, it is common for a postpartum mother to only eat and drink warm foods and beverages. It is thought that a new mother is cold for the first 40 days postpartum. According to TCM, a postpartum woman is cool because she has lost Qi (the life force) due to loss of blood. In order to return her body to homeostasis, we must warm the mother by only giving her stews, broths, tea, etc. By steaming the placenta, a tonifying or warming food, it helps the mother return to baseline.

I encapsulate placentas using the Traditional Chinese Method.  The steaming process creates a rich broth loaded with the vitamins and minerals that can aide in mom’s recovery.  In an effort to give the mother the benefits of her placenta before her capsules are even completed, I make my clients a cup of tea with the leftover placenta broth.  By doing this mom is able to reap every last drop of the placenta’s benefits and nothing is wasted. By drinking the tea, she is able to warm her body, contributing to her recovery.  Many of my moms have even noticed a difference in their milk supply after consuming the tea.  The placenta broth may also be frozen in ice cube trays and added to soups or other drinks.