Mother claims blending her placenta into an avocado and cashew nut smoothie helped with postnatal depression - and even her husband said it tasted 'delicious'

A young mother has revealed how she made an avocado and cashew nut smoothie with her placenta – and believes it prevented her from getting postnatal depression.

Christina Simmons, 30, from Seattle, blended part of her afterbirth along with blueberries and other nutrient-packed foods, before having the remainder turned into capsules, which she is still taking.

Mrs Simmons said it tasted ‘delicious’ and even her husband Brandon, 33, tried it and said it was the ‘perfect mix of salty and sweet’.

Christina Simmons, 30, from Seattle, pictured while pregnant with her second child and holding her son Rhyko, blended part of her afterbirth along with blueberries and other nutrient-packed foods, before having the remainder turned into capsules, which she is still taking

Mrs Simmons said her placenta smoothie tasted ‘delicious’ and even her husband Brandon (pictured with Raina), 33, tried it and said it was the ‘perfect mix of salty and sweet’

Christina said that after giving birth to her first child Rhyko, now four, she battled postnatal depression and said she felt ‘disconnected’ from being a mother.

However, with her second-born Raina, who is two months, she hasn’t had any problems.

She said: ‘Rhyko was born prematurely and taken straight to the neonatal intensive care unit.

‘Because I wasn't able to see or hold him right away, I felt quite disconnected from motherhood.’

‘I thought to myself, “Did I really have a baby?” The relationship early on wasn't as strong as it could have been.

‘But things are so different this time round, and I truly believe that's down to drinking my placenta.’

After cutting off three cubes of her frozen placenta, measuring roughly one inch each, Mrs Simmons asked for them to be added to a smoothie batch before getting the rest encapsulated

After giving birth the first time to Rhyko, left, Mrs Simmons said: ‘I thought to myself, “Did I really have a baby?” The relationship early on wasn't as strong as it could have been'

After reading online drinking placenta could potentially reap benefits such as improvement of energy levels and prevention of postnatal depression, she decided to try, and had her placenta smoothie made into capsules

Mrs Simmons, pictured pregnant with Raina, became terrified about having another child

Rhyko remained in neonatal intensive care for a whole month after he arrived seven weeks early, during which time it was difficult for Mrs Simmons to bond with her new son.

As such, she said she struggled with feeling detached from motherhood.

Worried, she tried to seek help from a therapist – but the two-month waiting list was too long for her urgent situation, and so she visited her son's paediatrician.

There, blood tests revealed she had a genetic mutation that made it difficult to process folate – also known as vitamin B9 – which is responsible for cell division and growth.

According to the health experts, folate deficiency anaemia can lead to irritability and depression.

Although working out the root of the problem early meant a course of supplements that improved how she felt, it left Mrs Simmons terrified to have another child.

The family on holiday together with Raina in a sling. Christina says drinking her placenta prevented her from developing postnatal depression

Though there is little in the way of concrete medical evidence of these claims, Mrs Simmons believes she's seen a drastic improvement in her mental wellbeing this time round. Pictured Rhyko and Raina

After delivering her daughter via a homebirth (Brandon pictured with Raina shortly after), Mrs Simmons asked her doula – someone who offers help and support throughout the pregnancy process – to save her placenta

Rhyko remained in neonatal intensive care for a whole month after he arrived seven weeks early, during which time it was difficult for Mrs Simmons to bond with her new son

‘I was scared to get pregnant again as my first experience had been so traumatic,’ she said.

‘So when I fell unexpectedly pregnant after a trip to Hawaii with my husband Brandon, 33, I vowed to do everything I could to prevent going through postnatal depression again – however crazy it sounded.’

After reading online that drinking placenta could potentially reap benefits such as improvement of energy levels and prevention of postnatal depression, she decided to try.

Though there is little in the way of concrete medical evidence of these claims, Mrs Simmons believes she's seen a drastic improvement in her mental wellbeing this time round.

After delivering her daughter via a homebirth, she asked her doula – someone who offers help and support throughout the pregnancy process – to save her placenta.

Then, she cut off three cubes, measuring roughly one inch each, to be added to a smoothie batch before getting the rest encapsulated.

Christina Simmons and her son Rhyko. ‘I'm literally using every part of it,’ she said. ‘Vodka never goes off so I'll be able to keep it indefinitely,' she said

Mrs Simmons also plans to use any leftover to create tincture, a type of herbal oil that's made by soaking the placenta in vodka for six weeks. Pictured Brandon with Raina

Despite its controversial ingredient list, Mrs Simmons, pictured on holiday in Hawaii with her husband, said the placenta smoothie tasted ‘delicious’ – and she's even recommending it to her pregnant friends

Placenta encapsulation – a practice made famous by celebrities including Kim Kardashian and January Jones – sees the afterbirth get steamed, dehydrated, ground and transformed into pill format.

She also plans to use any leftover to create tincture, a type of herbal oil that's made by soaking the placenta in vodka for six weeks.

‘I'm literally using every part of it,’ she said. ‘Vodka never goes off so I'll be able to keep it indefinitely.

‘I've heard placenta can help with the menopause, so maybe I'll even keep some of the tincture for that.’

Despite its controversial ingredient list, Mrs Simmons said the placenta smoothie tasted ‘delicious’ – and she's even recommending it to her pregnant friends.

She told: ‘Because it has so many other ingredients in it, you can't taste the placenta at all.

‘My husband tried it and he said the same thing. It tastes like the perfect mix of salty and sweet, which is great for replenishing electrolytes when you're a tired new mum.

‘I understand why people wouldn't want to do it. It does have that icky blood and guts factor, but it genuinely didn't bother me.

‘But humans are actually one of the few mammals who don't eat their own placenta. I've found it to have so many benefits that I'd recommend it to anybody.

‘Though I don't plan to have any more children, it's restored my faith in how people manage to do it.’