Who eats the placenta?
In the wild, mammals bite through the umbilical cord and eat the placenta straight after the birth.
In Chinese medicine, the placenta is known as a great life force and is highly respected in terms of its medicinal value. It is not cooked, but usually dried.
However, eating the placenta is considered taboo by many. "It is very very rare in the UK for people to eat their own, or other people's placentas," Ms Friars said.
"A certain taboo does exist around it. Midwives may be surprised by such a request but are aware that this ritual does happen."
In 1998, chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall cooked a placenta on his Channel 4 programme and served it at a dinner party.
He devised the recipe with mother Rosie Clear for a party to celebrate the birth of her daughter Indi-Mo Krebbs. The placenta was fried with shallots and garlic, flambéed, puréed and served as a pate on focaccia bread.
Channel 4 was severely reprimanded by the Broadcasting Standards Commission as a result, although the practice is legal.
Are there any health benefits?
"There was some suggestion that a mother could avoid postnatal depression by eating her placenta but no evidence has backed this up," Ms Friars said.
"Some people also believe that because the placenta provides the baby with the vitamins and minerals it requires the placenta would be full of these when eaten. Again there is no evidence for this."
Is it safe to eat a placenta?
When placenta is eaten it is usually cooked and made into a pate or eaten like a steak or used in a similar way to other meats.
It has been described as similar to liver in flavour and texture when cooked.
However, Ms Friars said: "There have been some concerns raised around eating it raw and may carry the same food infection risks as eating raw meat.
"There have also been concerns raised around blood infections as the placenta will contain the mother's blood."
For more information on pregnancy issues contact Tommys baby charity at www.tommys.org
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