In 2013, International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) in Sonoma County, California, USA, began to notice a trend of unexplained low milk supply in mothers they were seeing for lactation consultations.

After research and peer review cases, it had become apparent that the culprit in these cases was the maternal ingestion of placenta after giving birth. Many in our area had assumed this was a normal human activity that had been lost with modern birth practices. The alarming low weight trend prompted members of the Sonoma County Breastfeeding Coalition to perform a review of the literature to evaluate what is known about the practice of human placenta ingestion. This review included traditional cultural practices around the world, mammalian practices, Traditional Chinese Medicine usage, research studies with placenta ingestion and research on lactation physiology. What was learned is very concerning, and has led us to share our findings with families and medical professionals alike. The stories in the popular media consist of non-evidence based information. This site serves as a central point for finding the evidence-based information that can educate families to make informed choices.