Some new mothers take capsules made from their own placenta, hoping for better mood, energy or milk supply. Here’s what placenta pills are, what the research has found, the real risks, and the questions to ask before deciding.
Placenta pills are capsules made from your own placenta after birth. The placenta is usually steamed or dried, ground into powder and put into capsules, which you take in the weeks after delivery. Eating the placenta is called placentophagy. Supporters say the pills boost mood, energy, iron and milk supply. So far, small controlled studies haven’t shown clear benefits compared with a placebo, and the pills carry a risk of infection that has harmed at least one newborn. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises against eating placenta capsules.
Placenta pills: the claimed benefits
Women and encapsulation services commonly report:
- Fewer baby blues and a lower risk of postpartum depression
- More energy and less tiredness
- Better iron levels after blood loss at birth
- More breast milk
- Faster recovery and less bleeding
Many women who have tried placenta pills say they felt better. The question research tries to answer is whether that comes from the placenta itself or from other things, such as hope, rest and support, which a placebo-controlled study can separate.
What the research shows
- Mood and fatigue: in a small randomized, double-blind trial of 27 mothers, those taking their own placenta capsules had no clear differences in mood, bonding or fatigue compared with those taking a placebo.
- Iron: a study from the same research group found the capsules didn’t meaningfully improve iron levels after birth. The amount of iron in a typical dose is small.
- Milk supply: the same group found no effect on prolactin, the main milk hormone, or on babies’ weight gain.
- Hormones: processed placenta still contains small amounts of hormones, and the trial found small changes in mothers’ hormone levels. What those changes mean, good or bad, isn’t known.
These studies were small, so they can’t rule out a modest benefit. But no good-quality study has shown that placenta pills help, and there are no safety standards for how they’re made.
Placenta pills: pros and cons
Possible pros
- Some women feel the practice is meaningful or fits their cultural tradition.
- Many report feeling better, even if studies haven’t confirmed why.
Cons and risks
- Infection: in a case reported by the CDC, a newborn had repeated group B strep infections, and the mother’s placenta capsules tested positive for the same bacteria. Drying a placenta doesn’t reliably kill germs.
- No regulation: there are no standards for preparing, heating or storing placenta capsules, so quality and safety vary between services.
- Unproven benefits: relying on the pills could delay real help for depression, anemia or low milk supply.
- Hormones: the effects of the hormones left in the capsules, including on breastfeeding, haven’t been well studied.
- Cost: encapsulation services commonly charge a few hundred dollars.
If you’re still considering placenta pills
- Talk to your obstetric clinician and your baby’s doctor first, especially if you tested positive for group B strep or had an infection during labor.
- Stop taking the capsules and call your clinician if you develop a fever or feel unwell, or if your baby gets sick.
- Don’t use placenta pills in place of treatment for low mood, anemia or feeding problems.
If you’re struggling with low mood or worry, help works and you don’t have to wait; see Postpartum Anxiety. For tiredness after birth, see Postpartum Fatigue, and for what’s normal in the weeks after birth, see Postpartum Recovery: What to Expect.
The traditional Chinese medicine view
Dried human placenta, called zi he che, appears in classical Chinese materia medica as a tonic for depleted qi and blood. Today, concerns about infection and the safety of human tissue products mean it is rarely recommended. The broader Chinese postpartum tradition, known as “sitting the month,” focuses instead on rest, warmth and warm, nourishing food in the weeks after birth. These are traditional descriptions, not proof of benefit.
A no-swallow option
If what appeals to you is a postpartum routine with nothing to swallow, the Postpartum Recovery herbal pouch is a sealed external pouch of dried herbs. It hasn’t been compared with placenta pills, and it isn’t a treatment for mood, iron, milk supply or any medical condition. Confirm the current placement instructions with us, and have your obstetric clinician approve timing and site before starting. Breastfeeding safety studies haven’t been done, so review the ingredients with your clinician and keep pouches away from your baby.
Quick answers
Do placenta pills work?
Small controlled studies haven’t found clear benefits for mood, energy, iron or milk supply compared with a placebo.
Are placenta pills safe?
Not reliably. Capsules can carry bacteria, there are no safety standards, and the CDC advises against eating them.
Do placenta pills help with postpartum depression?
There’s no good evidence that they do. Postpartum depression is common and treatable, so tell your clinician if your mood is low for more than two weeks.
Do placenta pills increase milk supply?
A small trial found no effect on the main milk hormone or on babies’ weight gain. A lactation consultant can help with supply concerns.
Reviewed October 2026. Author: Qingcai Wang, MD, PhD, developer of the Five Essences external herbal-pouch formulations, with a commercial interest in their sale. General education only; continue your medical care.
Sources: CDC, Late-onset infant group B streptococcus infection associated with maternal consumption of capsules containing dehydrated placenta; Young et al., Placentophagy’s effects on mood, bonding, and fatigue: a pilot trial, 2018.