yes, i encapsulated my placenta.

my placenta was encapsulated with love by PushLoveDoula, London King.  pictured above: umbilical cord dried into a heart, placenta "happy pills", placenta print (partially visible underneath other gifts)

so many people were totally weirded out that i decided to eat my placenta(yes, even my husband at first), but when i looked at the possible benefits:

balance your system
replenish depleted iron
give you more energy
lessen bleeding postnatally
been shown to increase milk production
help you have a happier postpartum period
hasten return of uterus to pre-pregnancy state
be helpful during menopause

and weighed them against the risks:

virtually none

...i decided that there was really no reason not to :)  and, the pills really did help with my energy level.  i also noticed - afterward, of course - that on the days when i forgot to take them, i was more of an emotional wreck that normal.  

maybe it's a passing fad ... i've done a lot of research since lua's birth and most science shows that there is no biological "need" to eat your placenta.  they also smell awful.  like a wet dog.  yuck.  heck, how am i even supposed to know - this being my first birth - if they worked?!  

to be honest, i probably decided to do it because the whole cycle of life thing is a cool idea and i was pretty sure it wasn't going to kill me, so, why not?  if you have had a difficult postpartum period, or are nervous that you'll have PPD, i would highly recommend encapsulation, though.  like i said before, the benefits far outweigh the risks :)  you can read more about it here.