The Challenge 's Abram Boise Cooks 'Placenta Tacos' for Wife Rachel After Birth of First Baby
Abram Boise/Instagram (2)
Abram Boise served up a special plate of tacos for his wife Rachel Missie on Cinco de Mayo.
The pair — who tied the knot in June 2019 and welcomed their first baby, son Atlas Young, on April 22 — shared a glimpse at the meal that The Challenge alum prepared for his wife that incorporated the new mom's placenta. Boise shared before-and-after looks at the recipe, including the placenta (which is an organ that, during a pregnancy, forms in the uterus) pre- and post-cooking.
Boise says making the food was "one of the greatest experiences of my life."
"I felt very much in my body and alive while preparing this meal to return nourishment to her body after giving birth to our son," the new dad writes, adding, "Listening to a little WARDRUNI while watching the Ursa Major point towards a North Star above my dog Romeo's head and listening to the breeze rustling through the trees and the waves running over the rocks on the shore."
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Rachel explains why she wanted to eat her placenta, adding that the tacos her husband made were "delicious."
"My journey to motherhood was earned and definitely the most rewarding experience I'll ever have on this planet. It's also why I found it very important not letting any part of the experience go to waste," she writes on Instagram. "Consuming my placenta was not only delicious when you have a husband who loves to cook but a reminder of how much effort went into it. The 9 months to be exact of it holding the responsibility of life itself. I could not just disregard it's importance without any form of gratitude."
"We often put so many things into our bodies not knowing where or how it came to be," she continues. "This was my way of putting all that nutrition back into my body, the appreciation for the connection shared, and the achievement of becoming a mother."
The Mayo Clinic and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have cautioned against ingesting the placenta (including some dehydrated and served in the form of capsules) for potentially causing group B strep in newborns after the mom then breastfeeds the infant.
"While some claim that placentophagy can prevent postpartum depression; reduce postpartum bleeding; improve mood, energy and milk supply; and provide important micronutrients, such as iron, there's no evidence that eating the placenta provides health benefits," Mary Marnach, M.D., wrote for the Mayo Clinic in August 2019. "Placentophagy can be harmful to you and your baby. If you're looking for ways to promote your health postpartum, talk to your health care provider about proven alternatives."
Boise, who competed on The Challenge intermittently between 2003 and 2016, and his wife announced their happy pregnancy news in October. In the Instagram caption at the time, Rachel explained that she was initially pregnant with twins but experienced what's called a "vanishing twin," meaning one fetus absorbed the other.
"This pregnancy started out as twins however within the first trimester my body decided it could only support one baby," she said. "We experienced what's called 'vanishing twin.' The body sacrifices and reabsorbs the other fetus into the uterine wall, putting all that nourishment towards the strongest baby."
She said they had "gotten so attached to the idea of twins and mourned the loss of what could have been."
"Now we continue to celebrate what is, the beautiful life growing healthy and strong," added Rachel. "Our bodies are so dedicated towards protecting, and making decisions towards the greater good. Remember to be gentle, take care, and love yourself as your body chooses to love you."
