Placenta Encapsulation
Placenta has been used to aid postpartum recovery by many different cultures around the world. Placenta is extremely nutritious and contains many of the vitamins, minerals and hormones that a mother's body needs to adequately recover from pregnancy and birth. It is considered rich in vitamin B, iron and protein, all of which are useful for postpartum recovery, and a particular benefit to vegetarian women.
Women who have taken placenta capsules report positive results such as feeling energized and less weepy. The positive effects from using placenta pills are often felt immediately after taking the first dose.
- Your baby’s placenta stored in capsules is believed to:
- Replenish depleted iron
- Restore your energy after childbirth
- Contain your own natural hormones
- Balance your system
- Lessen postnatal bleeding
- Hasten return of uterus to pre-pregnancy state
- Help reduce postnatal hemorrhaging
- Increase milk production
- Facilitate a happier postpartum period
- Diminish the likelihood of baby blues or postpartum depression
- Decrease possibility of insomnia or sleep disorders
- Particularly benefit vegetarian/vegan mothers
If you decide to use your baby’s placenta for postpartum recovery, please email or call me at 415.200.7878 with your due date.
What you need to do to prepare your placenta for use after childbirth
Preparing placenta for use after childbirth:
If you choose to use your baby’s placenta for postpartum recovery, special consideration must be given to its care after the birth. From the time it is born the placenta must be handled as though it were food, because that is what it will soon become. It should go straight into a food-grade container or it can be double-bagged in gallon-sized ziplock bags — anything that can be sealed to protect the placenta from the air. It should be refrigerated or put in a cooler on ice as soon as possible for maximum freshness.
If you decide that you want me to encapsulate your placenta, I ask you to call me as soon as you start labor (contractions), so that I am informed. You will then call me once again after the delivery of the placenta. I will want to pick up the placenta within 24 hours of its delivery, because it is best to prepare it fresh.
You can call me to arrange a pick up after 8:00 am and before 8:00 pm. I will come to pick up your placenta, prepare it and drop it back off to you. Preparing the placenta is a pretty lengthy process, which takes about 24 to 36 hrs.
I am preparing the placenta in a way that conserves the most nutrients possible. Before encapsulation, it is going to be steamed, dehydrated and ground into powder. The dehydration process preserves the placenta, allowing you to benefit from it for weeks. While preparing the placenta, I adhere to the strictest standards of safety as set forth by OSHA and the EPA. I also conform to the local health department guidelines for food preparation and safety protocols.
Additional information on Placenta Encapsulation and benefits can be found in the Resources section.