Placenta Encapsulation 

In other cultures throughout history, the placenta has been referred to as “the bed of the child”, “the brother or sister of the baby”, “the tree of life”, and “the mother’s bread/cake.”

It has been used in various traditions—such as planting under a tree—to symbolize its importance in nurturing the child’s growth.

 

There has been limited research on placenta encapsulation, but placenta encapsulation is a popular option based on the positive experiences others share after consuming their placenta pills. New mothers love their placenta pills!  And the media has publicized several celebrities encapsulating their placentas. 

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Why would one choose to ingest their placenta?!

 

The widely reported effects of consuming placenta pills include:

• Increased energy

• Uplifted mood

• Feeling "balanced"

• Lessened postpartum bleeding

• Some even feel it boosts their milk supply

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How is it done?

 

The process is simple: you'll take a small cooler (6-pack-sized) and two gallon ziplock bags with you to the hospital. Once you've delivered, have your nurse place the placenta in the ziplock bags, label the bag with your name and the date and time you deliver, and keep it on ice in the cooler until we've arrived to pick it up. Have your support person call or text us when you've delivered, and we'll  make arrangements to pick it up as soon as possible. 

 

The method of encapsulation we practice is based in Traditional Chinese Medicine and involves steaming the placenta prior to dehydration. We believe steaming prior to dehydrating is the safest way to ingest the placenta. A piece of lemon and ginger root are added to the steaming water but do not come directly in contact with your placenta. Please let us know if you wish to omit this.

We start by visually examining each placenta for abnormalities and signs of deterioration, infection, or contamination before beginning the encapsulation process. 

After steaming, we place strips of your placenta into a temperature-controlled dehydrator to protect the integrity of the placenta throughout the dehydrating process.

We then grind the dehydrated placenta into a fine powder and place it into capsules. 

No additives are added to the placenta, and the capsules contain only dehydrated placenta. 

​We only process one placenta at a time, and your placenta is labeled with your name and delivery date during the whole process. ​

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You can expect anywhere from 75-150 capsules, depending on the size of your placenta (which is roughly 1/6 the size of your baby.)

Once your placenta is transformed into capsules, we will deliver them to you in a labeled glass jar, along with suggested consumption guidelines. A complimentary cord keepsake is included. We are normally able to deliver your capsules within 3-5 days. 

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You may also choose to have your placenta made into art!

Blood prints are made by simply pressing the placenta against a piece of clean acid-free paper prior to steaming. 

Watercolor prints are made by adding colors of your choosing to the placenta print, NOT the placenta.

See examples below.