Placenta Services

I'll admit it: the idea of consuming my placenta sorta grossed me out when I first heard about it. Even now, wrapping my mind around eating (a teeny tiny piece of) raw placenta is still a little difficult. But I'm going to do it with my next placenta! In my opinion, the benefits are just too numerous not to take advantage of.

I'm very excited to officially add this service to my repertoire - please let me know if you have any questions!

:: Benefits :: Placenta Encapsulation :: "Tree of Life" Art ::
:: What I Do :: Fees :: Other Resources ::

Benefits

Mothers of all species can benefit from placenta medicine - why do you think other mammals consume the placenta after birth? There are many things that we can learn from our animal neighbors, and this is just one of them! Although placenta medicine is not huge in the US, other cultures (especially in Chinese medicine) have been benefiting from the placenta for centuries.

Placenta Apothecary is incredibly clear and concise about the benefits of placenta medicine, so the following is taken directly from their site:

"Traditionally placenta capsules are used to help

• balance your hormones,
• enhance your milk supply,
• increase your energy, and
• combat fatigue.

"Placenta capsules may help:

• you to recover more quickly from birth,
• to bring the body back into balance,
• prevent the “baby blues”,
• shorten postpartum bleeding time,
• assist the uterus to return to it’s pre-pregnant size,
• increase postpartum iron levels.

"Studies show that placenta is extremely nutrient rich, high in iron, protein, vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B6 and of course, your own natural hormones, making it perfectly made for you, by you. Experts agree that the placenta retains hormones, and thus reintroducing them to your system may ease hormonal fluctuations."

** The information on this page has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The services I offer are not clinical, pharmaceutical, or intended to diagnose or treat any condition. Families who choose to utilize the services on this page take full responsibility for researching and using the remedies. **

Placenta Encapsulation

I follow the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) method for placenta encapsulation (see below). The number of capsules yielded varies with each placenta, although it's typically between 90 and 150. These capsules can be stored for up to a year in the freezer.

Once again, Placenta Apothecary says it best:

"For thousands of years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has recognized the placenta as powerful medicine. It is used to augment the Qi, (energy), nourish the blood, and augment the kidney essence. Translation? Dried placenta is used to bring the postpartum mother’s body back into balance, replenishing what was lost during childbirth.

"Cooking the placenta is an integral part of the formation and action of the medicine. The placenta is gently steamed with herbs, sliced thin and dehydrated. It is then ground into a powder and put into capsules. Adding heat to the placenta is part of what makes TCM style encapsulation unique. In Chinese medicine raw foods are generally considered cooling. Within the TCM framework, raw placenta is considered cooling and isn’t recommended in as a general rule for the tonifying purposes of nourishing blood and restoring energy.

Dosage guidelines

"The standard dosage is up to 2 capsules, 3 times a day for the first 2 weeks. Some TCM practitioners suggest taking the pills with a little white wine, saying that it helps diffuse the placenta energy throughout the body. After 2 weeks you can start to decrease the dosage down to 1 or 2 pills a day as needed."

"Tree of Life" Art

I create "Tree of Life" art using your placenta! It is created with the placenta's natural blood, and as such should be created as soon as possible after birth (within 3 days). I use acid-free, high quality paper to create multiple prints.

These prints are truly amazing - the first time I saw one, I was shocked by the beauty! It truly looks like a tree - how awesome is it that this "tree of life" is what sustained your baby for 9+ months?!?

Come back soon for images.

What I Do

I do all of my placenta in your home with my own equipment, cleaning & sterilizing everything when I am finished. Placenta encapsulation does require two trips - the first takes about 3 hours (to do prints, steam, and put placenta in the dehydrator) and the second takes about 1-1/2 hours (to grind placenta and put into capsules). After the second trip, you will have all of your capsules ready to use!

Ideally, I will come to your home within 48 hours after your baby's birth - the fresher, the better! If it will be longer than 72 hours before I can arrive to encapsulate, then you should freeze your placenta to retain its medicinal properties.

I am also available to answer any questions you have about the process, of course!

Fees

• Placenta encapsulation & "Tree of Life" Art Package - $250
• "Tree of Life" Art only - $50

Other Resources

Article - "Placentas: What's this gross thing doing in my smoothie?"
www.birthresourcenetwork.org/blog/tag/placenta-encapsulation

Article - "Afterbirth: It's what's for Dinner" - Time Magazine
www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1908194,00.html

Article - "Placenta Pizza? Some new moms try old rituals"
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22087790/from/ET/

Info - Placenta Apothecary
placentalove.blogspot.com

Info - Raeben Nolan of MotherTree Birth Services is a plethora of placenta information!
mothertreebirth.com/services_placenta.html

Find a Placenta Encapsulation Service near you!
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