A mum who drank her own placenta after giving birth has quit her job to launch a 'placenta smoothie' business.
Nikki Welling, 34, is encouraging new mums to feel ‘energised’ by collecting their placenta and blending it into a smoothie or capsule.
The former commercial actress suffered with post-natal depression with her first-born Jensen, six, and was desperate to feel good when she discovered she was pregnant for a second time with Hudson, four, in 2014.
She was willing to give anything a go to avoid ‘baby blues’ - even if it meant drinking her own placenta.
Nikki, from Thetford, Norwich, loved the concoction of mixed berries and placenta so much she decided to make a living out of it.
She said: “I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that my birth recovery was unbelievable thanks to consuming my placenta. I had opted for placenta smoothies and capsules.
“After my first smoothie my milk came in within 30-60 minutes and I felt energised.
"A placenta is jam packed with hormones, including the corticotropin-releasing hormone which is linked to stress reduction.
“I felt like it was putting life back into me and it gave me a much-needed boost following a C-section.
“I felt exactly how you should feel after a baby – on cloud nine.
“When you are pregnant, you visualise a happy you with your new born and nobody prepares you or educates you on how you might feel.
“After Jensen, I had post-natal depression and I was desperate to feel good the second time around.
“Placenta encapsulation made complete sense to me and I wasn’t grossed out at all by it.
“I felt on top of the world even though I had a caesarean and a 14-month-old baby to care for, I knew I had to spread the word and offer other mummies the opportunity to feel good after a baby.”
Nikki, formerly a commercial actress, launched ‘Cherished Placentas’ in 2018 and spends her days travelling between East Anglia and London to collect placentas and returning it in a smoothie or capsule form.
She said: “I am absolutely love my job, if you had told me 10 years ago I would be doing this I would have never believed you.
“I am on call 24/7 as the mums ring me as soon as they have given birth and I head over to collect – I’ve had to get up at 2am before.
“But I don’t mind because I know it will help the mum recover.
“Once I have collected it in a chiller container, I go back to the unit to rinse and prepare it before cutting it into slides and leaving it to dehydrate.
“After a few hours, the placenta is either put into a grinder and then made into capsules or a walnut portion is blended with mixed berries, organic banana and spring water to create a delicious smoothie.
“Many women opt for both and their feedback is always incredible.
“The reviews keep me focused and it is so rewarding to know I have helped prevent baby blues, PND and speeded up the recovery for mummies.
“When I return with the product, most mums invite me in for a snuggle with their baby which is a massive perk of the job.
“I have found my calling and I can’t stress enough about the benefits of placenta encapsulation.”
To find out more visit: www.cherishedplacentas.co.uk
