After giving birth, not many mums consider turning their placenta into tablets. However, this is just what singer Rochelle Humes has opted for, after the arrival of her and husband Marvin’s second baby girl - Valentina Raine - on Friday. On Sunday, The Saturdays star posted a photo to Instagram of her umbilical cord shaped into the word "love", next to a jar of pills which have been created from her placenta.
In the caption accompanying the photo Rochelle, who is also mum to 3-year-old Alaia-Mai, said: “After being very curious I took the plunge, so excited to feel the benefits...Thanks so much Danielle @placentaplus.” And, unsurprisingly, the post has seemingly divided her one million followers. Comments ranged from surgical mask and sick face emojis and “that is absolutely disgusting” to “I absolutely love this. So special” and “Simply beautiful, precious and creative.”
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Many mums joined the conversation on the post by sharing their own experiences of having their placenta encapsulated. “It was the best thing I ever did. Made me feel so much better! They work 100%. Congrats you guys @rochellehumes,” one mother commented. Another fan of the treatment said “I had my second daughter two weeks ago and encapsulated my placenta and also had a placenta smoothie an hour after birth which was fab.....i am so glad I decided to utilise this natural organ after birth because I don't feel like I've had a baby and feel fab inside and out. I'm also back into my size 8 jeans ALREADY.....highly recommended.” Danielle Kinney, from Placenta Plus, told InStyle: "We are truly delighted that Rochelle and Marvin chose us as their placenta encapsulation service provider and most importantly that Rochelle will be feeling the benefits of placenta encapsulation."
Though relatively rare in the UK, the controversial practise of ingesting the placenta - after it has been steamed, dehydrated, ground and placed into pills - has been gaining traction in America thanks to the believed benefits of an increase in a stress-reducing hormone, restoration of iron levels and an increase in milk production. However, there hasn’t been much research on the treatment, and it isn’t cheap, as placental encapsulation from UK company Placenta Plus starts at £200. Depending on the size of the placenta, up to 250 pills can be created. While it may not be to everyone’s taste, we wish Rochelle and her family the best of luck.
