Written by
Charlie Rae Young of
Barefoot Birth offering doula, massage, pregnancy, post-partum and new mother services in Tampa Bay, Florida USA and surrounding areas. Charlie Rae is a mother, doula, natural birth advocate, and student midwife. She believes that women still have an innate ability to give birth without intervention and strives to make a positive difference in the total birth experience for new mothers.
There are two common practices of preparing placenta for consumption in capsules. The most common and widely used is the
Traditional Chinese Medicine method, and the second is the Raw placenta preparation. There are benefits to both, and women may choose either depending on their beliefs and needs. Since beginning to offer the Raw method of encapsulation, clients request it more frequently than the traditional method.
Unlike the Traditional Chinese Medicine preparation of the placenta, when processing a placenta raw we do not steam the placenta with herbs during the process. We forgo the steaming to save the vital nutrients and hormones that may be depleted once the placenta has heated above 118 degrees. This method follows the general “Raw Foods” rule that nothing should be headed beyond 118 degrees or vital enzymes are lost. This is not to say one method is better than the other, just that you have several options for encapsulation and should choose the method that best suits your needs and preferences.
When a placenta is prepared raw, no extra herbs or spices are added to the capsules. This way, if a mother has a sensitivity to any of those ingredients she will not lose her entire batch of placenta medicine. In the raw capsules, there is just her baby's placenta. We may soak the placenta in grain alcohol or vinegar if there has been meconium staining, a cesarean delivery, or any other infection present in the mother or baby. This replaces the disinfecting that is done by steaming in the traditional preparation method without compromising the integrity of the organ.
There are many debates on which method is superior. In our experience of preparing nearly 200 placentas for clients, we find the results of both methods to be quite similar. There are pros and cons with each method depending on a woman's needs, beliefs, and opinions.
Clients are our best source of information on how the capsules are working since there is only a handful of research on placentophagy. The anecdotal evidence of the benefit of placenta consumption is overwhelming. Here is what one of our clients had to say:
"I began to notice a huge difference in how I felt almost immediately. I took my first "dose" the afternoon I received the pills, and by the next day I felt I had more energy, was less tired, and physically less uncomfortable. I've been taking them for 2 weeks now and am so glad I chose to have this done. We are in the process of moving out of state, and in addition to the quick healing and extra energy boost, I've been less stressed out about the upcoming move. The best part is knowing I'm taking something that is completely natural, that my body created. I would definitely recommend this to every pregnant woman out there!"
Here are answers to questions we receive frequently regarding placenta encapsulation:
Why should I consume my placenta?
During birth women lose 1/8-1/10 of their blood supply. The mammal placenta was made to be consumed and make up for this loss by giving the new mother essential fats, amino acids, vast amounts of iron and essential hormones to aid the body in self recovery after birth.
Will placenta capsules help with my breast milk supply?
Dried placenta has been proven to increase a breast-feeding mother’s milk supply. The first and still one of the few ever studies on using placenta as a lactagogon gave incredible results. 181 out of 210 women who were given dried placenta to increase milk supply had positive results and saw an increase in their milk supply.
Placenta as a Lactagogon; Gynaecologia 138: 617-627, 1954
How long does the placenta encapsulation take?
Once we receive your placenta we are usually able to complete the encapsulation process is about 24-48 hours.
How many capsules can I expect from my placenta?
It all depends on the size of your placenta. We have seen anywhere from 100 – 200 capsules from various placentas.
What about sanitation? I’ve been told the placenta is a bio-hazard.
Uninformed people call the placenta a biohazard. We thoroughly disinfect the area where we work before , during, and after the process. All of our equipment is used solely for encapsulation and is disinfected with a hospital quality cleaner that is effective against HBV and HIV (the viruses that cause hepatitis B and AIDS), EPA registered, and meets OSHA requirements for blood spill clean up. We are careful to go beyond OSHA’s rigid requirements to ensure total safety everyone involved.
I delivered some time ago; my placenta is in the freezer. Is it too late to encapsulate?
Absolutely not. Although it is best to process the placenta within six months, all hormones and some nutrients are still viable and beneficial.
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