Calvin Harris and Vick Hope welcome baby Micah, face backlash over placenta pills

Scottish DJ and music producer Calvin Harris has stirred mixed reactions online after announcing the birth of his baby boy, Micah, with a series of intimate Instagram photos that included a graphic image of his wife’s placenta.

Harris, who is married to Radio 1 presenter Vick Hope, shared heartfelt photos taken after the home birth in Ibiza, calling his wife a “superhero” for bringing their son into the world on July 20. In the post, he expressed gratitude for the arrival of their baby and admiration for Vick’s strength throughout the birthing process.

However, the part of the post that caught the most attention was an image showing Vick’s placenta — followed by pictures appearing to show the organ being dehydrated and turned into capsules. The photo prompted a flurry of reactions, leading Instagram to apply an age restriction to the post.

While many fans and celebrities congratulated the couple, the graphic nature of the image left some followers stunned. “I was NOT prepared for the placenta pic,” one user wrote. Another joked, “Placenta and placenta pills were not on my bingo card for today but OK.”

Yet, some users welcomed the transparency. Singer Becky Hill praised the post for shedding light on a lesser-discussed part of childbirth, calling the placenta “a whole new organ to provide life” and referring to the encapsulation as “some goddess magic right there.”

Other comments applauded the couple for “normalising” the post-birth experience and for openly embracing natural postpartum practices.

Vick Hope and Calvin Harris, who tied the knot in 2023, have mostly kept their relationship private. This announcement offered a rare glimpse into their personal lives, sparking conversations about parenting choices, postpartum recovery, and the growing trend of placenta consumption.

Though advocates claim placenta consumption can aid recovery and boost postpartum health, medical experts remain cautious. A 2015 review of 10 studies found no clear evidence of health benefits, and public health agencies like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have warned of contamination risks if the placenta is not properly handled and stored.

The placenta is a temporary organ that develops during pregnancy to supply oxygen and nutrients to the growing fetus while filtering out waste. In recent years, some mothers have opted to encapsulate the organ into pill form, a process known as placentophagy, believing it offers hormonal and emotional support during recovery.

Whether seen as empowering or oversharing, Calvin Harris’s post has ignited conversation — not only about celebrity births but also about the evolving ways new parents choose to celebrate and share their journeys with the world.