Placenta encapsulation, prints, keepsakes, and tinctures
The placenta is an amazing organ! It is the only organ that is grown once we are out of the fetal development period. It weighs 1-2 pounds and secretes many of the hormones necessary for pregnancy, as well as filtering toxins from the pregnant person's blood and delivering the cleansed blood to feed and nourish the developing baby, then removing toxins from the baby which are brought back to the pregnant person's blood supply and further filtered out by their liver. Almost all other mammals consume their placentas directly after giving birth. Additionally people who have consumed their placentas, either encapsulated or raw, have reported better mood postpartum, increased milk supply, and seemingly shorter recovery time.
With your placenta I can:
With your placenta I can:
- Make a "tree of life" print capturing the pattern of your unique and beautiful placenta
- Make a keepsake with the umbilical cord
- Encapsulate your dehydrated placenta using either:
- Steaming- The Traditional Chinese Method (TCM): Involves gently steaming the placenta with warming herbs before dehydrating. Many practitioners steam the placenta with lemon, ginger, and hot pepper, such as jalapeno. I sometimes use this western interpretation, but with the understanding that, while the jalapeno is warming, it is not an actual ingredient in TCM, and lemon is cooling/ sour, not warming, but that might sometimes be an appropriate balance. I like to discuss with my clients their relationship with plants and their body preferences, if they tend to run hot or cold for example, and then choose herbs with those details in mind.
- or The Raw Method of preparation in which the placenta is not steamed but is still dehydrated over a slightly higher temperature (160 rather than 145 for steamed) until completely desiccated.
- Prepare your placenta with homemade compost to be used as fertilizer for a potted or earthbound perennial plant, tree, or shrub
- Make a tincture that can be kept for many years and is often saved for transitions such as weaning baby/ return to menses, or to relieve symptoms associated with menopause. A tincture is an infusion of a substance into alcohol, like vanilla extract. A portion of your dehydrated and powdered placenta will be steeped in high quality, 80 proof alcohol for 6 weeks to create an 8oz high potency placenta extract. With proper storage, tinctures have an indefinite shelf life. Because only a small portion is used, tinctures can still be made even if you are choosing to encapsulate!
- Benefits of using a high concentration tincture in addition to capsules include:
- Increased energy
- more stable mood
- a decrease in baby blues
- a decrease in postpartum depression
- improvement in one's overall sense of well-being.
- Benefits of using a high concentration tincture in addition to capsules include:
Fees:
-Placenta encapsulation/ raw or steamed: $300.00, $ 250.00 for birth doula clients.
-Placenta print- $50
-Umbilical keepsake: $25.00
-Tinctures: $50.00
-Compost ready for planting: $100.00
-Pick-up and delivery- $100.00
-Placenta encapsulation/ raw or steamed: $300.00, $ 250.00 for birth doula clients.
-Placenta print- $50
-Umbilical keepsake: $25.00
-Tinctures: $50.00
-Compost ready for planting: $100.00
-Pick-up and delivery- $100.00
Research on the benefits of consuming your placenta:
Understanding Placentophagy
Effects of Human Maternal Placentophagy on Maternal Postpartum Iron Status: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study
Presence and concentration of 17 hormones in human placenta processed for encapsulation and consumption
Human placenta processed for encapsulation contains modest concentrations of 14 trace minerals and elements
