CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Lucas is Lisa Johnson's fourth baby.  After her third, she battled postpartum depression.  Hoping to avoid that this time around, the Fort Mill, SC mom consumed her placenta.  She says, "I definitely did not deal with any postpartum blues with him."

There are different ways women can consume their placentas but most commonly, they are encapsulated.  First the placenta is steamed, then dehydrated, then ground up into a powder, then put into a pill.  "It's just full of hormones, vitamins, iron, all kinds of good stuff that helps them feel really good postpartum," says Christina Gabbard aka "Carolina Placenta Lady."  She is a certified placenta encapsulation specialist.

When she first started her business two years ago, it was slow going.  "Now I'm easily seeing four or five clients a week," says Gabbard.

She says Charlotte area hospitals will send a new mom home with her placenta if she wishes.  The roughly three pound membrane is stored in the family fridge for two or three days before Gabbard comes over to prepare it.  Gabbard says, "I haven't had one client say that she hasn't benefited from it or felt better after."

Besides helping to stabilize hormone levels, placenta consumption is said to provide new moms with more energy.  Some women do choose to consume it raw, most often blending it into a smoothie.  FOX Charlotte's Morgan Fogarty asked Gabbard,"What do they say it tastes like when they eat it raw?" She says, "A little bit of metallic taste, but if they add enough fruits and sweeteners, they can't really tell it's in there."

Johnson drew the line at eating her placenta raw. She stuck to the pill version.  "You take prenatal vitamins, it's no different than that," she says.

Gabbard charges between $225-$300 to encapsulate.  One placenta can be turned into about six months worth of pills.  Johnson is saving some of hers for when she goes through menopause.