Nikki Reed Says She's ''Not Ready to Say Goodbye'' to Her Placenta Pills

Nikki Reed has not shied away from sharing up the ups, downs and realities of being a modern-day mother.

The new mom's recent Instagram post highlighted the actress' unique brand of motherhood, opting to take placenta pills.

The Twilight star, who has 3-month-old daughter Bodhi Soleil Reed Somerhalder with husband Ian Somerhalder, posted a quirky image along with the caption, "Last day of placenta pills. Not ready to say goodbye!!!!!"

The 29-year-old also made sure to give a big shout out to doing what feels right when it comes to parenting when she wrote, "Ps sending love to all you mamas out there doing whatever feels right for you! This was recommended to me by my doula but that does not mean it’s for everyone :). Just do you!"

The custom of consuming one's placenta is controversial tradition that is often practiced in traditional Chinese medicine  and has been gaining popularity in the U.S., most commonly in encapsulation, in recent decades.

Reed joins celebs like Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Blac Chyna, Kim Zolciak Biermann and January Jones, who have taken placenta pills after the birth of a child.

So what's up with swallowing your own placenta in a pill?

The Washington Post says that some believe that taking the placenta pills "reduces pain, improves mood and energy level, increases milk production, and may even have anti-aging properties —a wonder drug produced by a pregnant woman's own body."

However, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention tells mothers to avoid eating their own placentas as placentas can carry salmonella and other bacteria.

"Because placentophagy is potentially harmful with no documented benefit, counseling women should be directive: physicians should discourage this practice. Health care organizations should develop clear clinical guidelines to implement a scientific and professional approach to human placentophagy," a recent study says.


                                      by: Meg Swertlow