# Eating Placenta

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-placenta/346883>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [March 3, 2006, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-placenta/346883 "2006-03-03T10:16:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@Ling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ling)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-placenta/346883/1 "2006-03-03T10:16:28Z")

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I just came across [this column of Cecil’s on eating placentas](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_104.html) after a Google search, while I was [blogging my own experience about eating my son’s placenta](http://ling.blog-city.com/placenta_stir_fry.htm). (He’s almost 4 now, but I felt the urge to write about the experience today.) I have no idea how old the column is or how extensively it was commented on in these forums, so hope I’m not rehashing.

Anyway, I thought I had something new to add, namely to confirm from my own experience that yes indeed human placentas are on occasion eaten!

–Ling

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**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-placenta/346883/2 "2006-03-03T12:27:41Z")

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When my ex was pregnant with our second child(mid 1980’s), our Dr asked if we knew why, in the movies, that they always ask someone to boil water when a woman is about to deliver.

Thinking he was serious, we said no.  
He said, giggling, “Well, it’s so they can eat the placenta.”

:eek:

After reading the OP’s recipe on Placenta Stir Fry, I now realise he didn’t know how serious he was.