"It just gets grosser and more weird." Eating your placenta after a second pregnancy.

Charity Cooper is a mother-of-two who has eaten her placenta twice.

It may be an unsettling sentence to read but eating one’s placenta has been a hot topic in parenting groups for years.

The anecdotal benefits of doing so are vast but they lack scientific backing.

Charity joined Hello Bump podcast hosts Monique Bowley and Rebecca Judd to discuss how and why she made the choice.

Listen to Charity explain what it’s like to eat your own placenta on this episode of Hello Bump. 

The podcast began with Charity establishing that she knew just how unusual the practice sounded.

“I’m a bit concerned talking about it because I know it sounds a little woo-woo,” she said.

The mother-of-two went on to explain how she initially refused the idea when it was suggested by her midwife during her first pregnancy.

Charity eventually agreed but only if the placenta was prepared using the ‘encapsulation’ method.

The encapsulation method is when the placenta is dehydrated (usually after being steamed), ground and then placed into pills.

“They dehydrate it, they crush it down, and they bring it back to you in little tablets. It’s really palatable, you don’t really know what you’re doing,” she said.

Many mothers eat their placenta after hearing stories of how it can boost the release of oxytocin and increase iron levels.

Charity said the main benefit that drew her in was the theory it would assist with potential postpartum depression.

"It's sold that it increases your milk supply, it helps with your uterine contractions... but mostly the thing that pushed me over the line is that it's supposed to help with the baby blues," she said.

Charity said that although she chose the capsule route the first time, she wasn't willing to pay for it again.

"Being a second-time mum, it just gets grosser and more weird and I didn't want to pay the $300," she said.

"The other way, the less expensive way, is you just put it in a container, you take it home and you rinse it under water. And then you put it in the freezer, chop it into little bits."

Charity explained how she placed a frozen chunk into a blender alongside regular ingredients such as berries and coconut water.

"I put it in a smoothie, like berry smoothie, coconut water - like a full health thing," she said.

"You can't just ho into the whole thing, you have a piece at a time."

The mother-of-two said that although she experienced higher levels of energy after consuming the smoothies, such an effect could have been the result of other factors.

Did you consume your placenta after giving birth? Share your stories below.

Hungry for more? Listen to the entire episode to learn more about the nitty gritty bits of pregnancy below.

You can buy any book mentioned on our podcasts from iBooks at apple.co/mamamia, where you can also subscribe to all our other shows in one place.