FAQ
Care of Placenta
After birth, store the placenta in a clean airtight container and refrigerate as soon as possible. If you are unable to refrigerate within the first few hours, use a cooler with ice until you get home.
- At home you can use a kitchen bowl with a cover.
- At a birthing center the midwives will usually help package it for you. Discuss this with them in advance.
- At hospitals, the staff may package the placenta for you, bring zip lock bags anyway. Make notes in your birth plan and discuss with attending nurses.
Never let your placenta leave your sight! Do not allow it to be taken to pathology where it may be ruined for consumption.
If it will not be possible to start the encapsulation process within the first 72 hours after giving birth, you should plan to freeze the placenta immediately after your child is born. Double bag the placenta in gallon sized zip lock freezer bags. Placenta that is bagged and protected from freezer burn can be encapsulated up to six months after the birth. Please contact me regarding best storage options for your situation and time frame.
Release of Placenta
Birthing at home or in a birthing center allows you the option to keep your placenta and do with it what you like. Texas Hospitals do not routinely offer families the option to take the placenta with them.
Hospital policy for releasing placenta varies; they may require a release of liability waiver to be signed, a court order, or they may hold it for a waiting period before allowing it to be taken. Many Texas Hospitals hold the placenta for a number of days and discard it without notifying you. You will need to make special arrangements with the hospital staff to either release it right away, or have it immediately frozen rather than refrigerated if they insist on keeping it for a while.
Contact the Hospital Risk Manager for information about their policy as early into your pregnancy as possible.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions about the release of your placenta.
Encapsulation Process
I provide all the necessary materials and coordinate with the family to prepare the placenta in capsule form at their home after the birth. The process is completed in two sessions, each lasting about two hours. The capsules are solely for the mother’s use during her postpartum recovery.
Safety
I follow strict OSHA & EPA guidelines during the preparation of your placenta.
The supplies I use during the encapsulation process are all stainless steel, food grade plastic, or disposable. Everything is thoroughly washed with soap and hot water and sanitized in a bleach solution. I follow the same guidelines for cleanliness and sanitation that are used in food service establishments and small laboratories. Your placenta is sacred, and I focus on honoring the work it has done to nourish your baby, while preparing it to continue its work nourishing you.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Method
The TCM method of preparation to create a potent placenta medicine has been used for over 5000 years.
Most placentas are born via the birth canal, exposing it to bacteria. The TCM process of steaming helps to kill bacteria, protecting against any potential illnesses from bacteria being allowed to culture on the placenta before encapsulation. Cooking does not destroy the beneficial hormones, and studies show that it may actually make them more readily available to the mother upon consumption.
Why Hire a Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist
PlacentaBenefits.info is the leading resource for placenta capsules and postpartum services. PBi Placenta Encapsulation Specialists (PES) hold a high standard of practice and ethics.
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