What is Placenta Encapsulation?
Placenta encapsulation offers a natural and empowering option for postpartum recovery, providing mothers with a holistic approach to support their physical and emotional well-being. This traditional practice involves carefully processing the placenta into capsules, which are then easily consumed in the weeks following childbirth. These placenta capsules are shown to offer a wealth of benefits for new mothers, including replenishing vital vitamins and minerals lost during childbirth, reducing bleeding, promoting hormonal balance, and supporting lactation. Advocates of placenta encapsulation also suggest that it can help reduce postpartum fatigue, improve mood, and aid in faster recovery from childbirth.
During encapsulation, the placenta is carefully processed, dehydrated, and then ground into a fine powder before being encapsulated into easy-to-swallow pills.
The placenta is thoroughly rinsed off and blood clots, membranes, and cord are removed. The placenta is cut into thin slices and then processed using one of two methods.
The first process is the Raw Start method. This technique aims to retain maximum potency and bioavailability of nutrients, including essential vitamins, minerals, and hormones. True Raw Start never brings the placenta over 118° during dehydration. The cons to this is that it lacks the ability to thoroughly kill bacteria and viruses. However, for food safety, we personally dehydrate starting at 160° for one hour, then drop down to 115° until it is thoroughly dry to reduce the likelihood of any germs surviving.
The second process option is the Traditional Chinese Method. This method first involves steaming the placenta over a water bath infusion of herbs that are often chosen based on their energetic properties to support the balance of Yin and Yang within the body. For example, warming herbs such as ginger, lemon, and cinnamon or cayenne are commonly used during the steaming phase of placenta preparation. These herbs are believed to have Yang properties, helping to counterbalance the cooling and contracting effects of childbirth, and to promote circulation and warmth in the body. After steaming for 30 minutes, the placenta is then sliced thinly and dehydrated at 145° until it is thoroughly dry. The cons to this method is that the cooking process does deplete a good amount of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and hormones. It also causes shrinking during the cooking process, meaning the final amount will be lesser than the Raw Start method.
After dehydration, the placenta is then finely ground up into a powder and then placed into size 0 vegan capsules.
All processing is done following proper food handling safety protocols, blood-borne pathogen protocols, and done with proper sanitization, sterilization, and personal protective equipment.
Booking your Placenta Encapsulation
When you book with us, we will confirm your due date and give you a list of instructions to follow along with a list of supplies to have for safely storing your placenta until pickup. After you give birth, you will text the number provided confirming that your placenta is stored properly and ready for pickup. It will be picked up within 24 hours and usually processed within 3 days. We only process one placenta at a time for safety reasons, so if another placenta is being processed, that could push it back a day.
If you are having a hospital birth, it is extremely important that you communicate your desire of keeping your placenta as it is standard protocol for them to dispose of it and it can get swept up in the hustle and bustle of the moment. We suggest discussing it with them upon admission, writing it really big on your patient board, mentioning it during labor to the different staff that comes in, and having your partner or Doula there during delivery to make sure it is secured and properly stored. The hospital will not store it for you, so you will have to bring a hard shell cooler with you to L&D already packed with ice packs. This information will be included in your instructions.
Add-ons
We offer a complimentary Umbilical Cord Keepsake with your Placenta Encapsulation order in your desired shape.
If you decided to get a Placenta Print done using food grade gel dye, this will also dye and discolor parts of your placenta and cord. It is still safe to process and consume. Your Cord Keepsake will end up whatever colors the dyes were. If you wish to keep it the natural color, we can use your blood for the cord print color and just paint the placenta.
If you are also getting a Placenta Tincture, we will be taking a raw 1/2″ square chunk per 2oz bottle you order. This may mean you get a few less capsules, but Tinctures last pretty much a lifetime if stored properly, are very potent, and they will last you a long time in use.
A Placenta Salve uses several capsules worth of power to create.