Is Encapsulating the Placenta for Consumption Halal?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz A. Khan

Question: I’m pregnant with my third child. With my previous pregnancies I had terrible post partum hemorrhage as well as severe post partum depression.

I have a midwife who suggests freeze drying and encapsulating the placenta (for consumption) as it has been proven to prevent/help hemorrhage as well as post partum depression.

Is this halal?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health states.

There is scholarly consensus that it is impermissible to consume any part of the human being, due to the special honor granted to humans by Allah Most High, Who states, “And certainly, We have honored the children of Adam” (17:70). [Kuwaiti Fiqh Encyclopedia]

There are other ways of treating hemorrhaging and postpartum depression. Consult your midwife and other experts for alternative ways that are Islamically permissible. There are some homeopathic remedies for each. Also, it is really important for a woman after childbirth to take time out every day to tend to her needs. She should also make an effort to reach out to family and friends for support and to socialize. Exercise, even if only a little every day, is also very beneficial.

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani