Placenta Processing Services
The act of ingesting one's own placenta is an age-old practice. Long touted by the Chinese as beneficial for mom by preventing or lessening postpartum depression, boosting milk supply, facilitating bonding with the new baby, protecting against anemia, encouraging healing and shortening postpartum bleeding, and more.
I process your placenta under strict standards observing proper blood borne pathogen safety, food safety and respect for your placenta. Providing that you have prearranged with me encapsulate your placenta, I will typically have it ready for you within 24 hours. Even with 'last minute' arrangements, I should be able to encapsulate your placenta within 48 hours.
It is never too late to do something with your placenta. If you have had your placenta in the freezer since the birth but weren't sure what to do with it, it can still be encapsulated and/or put into a tincture and beneficial for use during menstruation and menopause, or to help with postpartum depression. So long as it was refrigerated shortly after birth and frozen within four days, it will still hold beneficial properties.
TCM capsules remain viable indefinitely when kept in your refrigerator or freezer. Raw and Holistic capsules should be taken within 6 weeks or frozen. Tinctures will keep indefinitely when stored in a cool, dry place. The sooner you begin taking your capsules or tincture after the birth, the sooner you begin reaping the benefits.
I pick up from anywhere within my service area for no additional expense. If you live outside of this area, I will still pick up your placenta, but will request an additional fee to cover fuel expenses.
You CAN keep your placenta with a hospital birth! Your hospital may require you to make arrangements prior to the birth. Be sure to check with your care provider prior to labor for information.
Preparations and Fees
Please note that I require payment prior to processing your placenta unless arrangements are made ahead of time.
Encapsulation
I offer three options for encapsulation preparations.
TCM preparation involves steaming the placenta with ginger, lemon and a chili pepper, then dehydrating it. The foods added to the steaming process are intended to help warm and energize mom. They also help to destroy bacteria and preserve the placenta. TCM is considered best for helping to stabilize emotions and battle postpartum depression.
Raw food proponents argue that the steaming process may destroy enzymes and render hormones less able to absorb. Raw preparation calls for the placenta to be dehydrated at a lower heat, skipping the steam bath. Raw takes longer to prepare, but produces a higher number of capsules. It is thought that the raw prep is best for energizing mom in the postpartum period. I can only offer the raw preparation within 48 hours of birth. Please take note that despite my best efforts for handling and processing your placenta, the raw method does NOT guarantee destruction of bacteria. By choosing the raw preparation, you are accepting responsibility for any possible negative outcome as a result of consuming a placenta not exposed to higher temperatures.
I also offer Holistic preparation. In this process, your placenta skips the steam bath and is dehydrated at approximately 160 degrees. This is per USDA guidelines regarding food safety standards for dehydrating meat (for jerky). I learned this method from an encapsulator in Seattle who did quite a bit of research regarding results reported to her by clients. This process produces more capsules that TCM but less than the raw prep. It has been found to offer a balance between the stabilizing qualities of TCM and the energizing qualities of raw prep. The heat is high enough to destroy bacteria, though it also destroys enzymes, but seems to allow for a higher digestibility of iron and hormones.
Included in my fee:
Total cost: $175
Labor clients pay: $160
Tincture
Making your "Mother Tincture" involves only a small bit of your placenta, so you can bury it, if that is your custom or desire. You can also choose to couple tincturing with placenta encapsulation.
Included in my fee:
Total cost: $60
Labor clients pay: $50
Encapsulation and Tincture
Since only a very small amount of the placenta is used for the tincture, there is basically a full placenta left for encapsulating.
Included in my fee:
Total cost: $200
Labor clients pay: $185
Placenta Salve
An herbal first aid salve infused with your placenta to create a ointment for soothing your postpartum peri area or encouraging healing in cesarean incisions. Other uses include general wound care for bug bites/stings, scrapes, burns, etc.
This ointment is prepared by myself from start to finish. It is only available with encapsulation (or it can be made with placenta capsules you already had made).
Included in my fee:
Total cost: $25
It is never too late to do something with your placenta. If you have had your placenta in the freezer since the birth but weren't sure what to do with it, it can still be encapsulated and/or put into a tincture and beneficial for use during menstruation and menopause, or to help with postpartum depression. So long as it was refrigerated shortly after birth and frozen within four days, it will still hold beneficial properties.
TCM capsules remain viable indefinitely when kept in your refrigerator or freezer. Raw and Holistic capsules should be taken within 6 weeks or frozen. Tinctures will keep indefinitely when stored in a cool, dry place. The sooner you begin taking your capsules or tincture after the birth, the sooner you begin reaping the benefits.
I pick up from anywhere within my service area for no additional expense. If you live outside of this area, I will still pick up your placenta, but will request an additional fee to cover fuel expenses.
You CAN keep your placenta with a hospital birth! Your hospital may require you to make arrangements prior to the birth. Be sure to check with your care provider prior to labor for information.
Preparations and Fees
Please note that I require payment prior to processing your placenta unless arrangements are made ahead of time.
Encapsulation
I offer three options for encapsulation preparations.
TCM preparation involves steaming the placenta with ginger, lemon and a chili pepper, then dehydrating it. The foods added to the steaming process are intended to help warm and energize mom. They also help to destroy bacteria and preserve the placenta. TCM is considered best for helping to stabilize emotions and battle postpartum depression.
Raw food proponents argue that the steaming process may destroy enzymes and render hormones less able to absorb. Raw preparation calls for the placenta to be dehydrated at a lower heat, skipping the steam bath. Raw takes longer to prepare, but produces a higher number of capsules. It is thought that the raw prep is best for energizing mom in the postpartum period. I can only offer the raw preparation within 48 hours of birth. Please take note that despite my best efforts for handling and processing your placenta, the raw method does NOT guarantee destruction of bacteria. By choosing the raw preparation, you are accepting responsibility for any possible negative outcome as a result of consuming a placenta not exposed to higher temperatures.
I also offer Holistic preparation. In this process, your placenta skips the steam bath and is dehydrated at approximately 160 degrees. This is per USDA guidelines regarding food safety standards for dehydrating meat (for jerky). I learned this method from an encapsulator in Seattle who did quite a bit of research regarding results reported to her by clients. This process produces more capsules that TCM but less than the raw prep. It has been found to offer a balance between the stabilizing qualities of TCM and the energizing qualities of raw prep. The heat is high enough to destroy bacteria, though it also destroys enzymes, but seems to allow for a higher digestibility of iron and hormones.
Included in my fee:
- Placenta prints on acid free paper
- Umbilical heart keepsake
- Entire placenta prepared raw OR TCM, powdered and encapsulated (Add $5 for vegetarian capsules)
- I can do any two methods for an additional $25. The additional cost is due to more time and supplies involved in the preparation.
Total cost: $175
Labor clients pay: $160
Tincture
Making your "Mother Tincture" involves only a small bit of your placenta, so you can bury it, if that is your custom or desire. You can also choose to couple tincturing with placenta encapsulation.
Included in my fee:
- Placenta prints
- Placenta tincture in glass dropper bottle
Total cost: $60
Labor clients pay: $50
Encapsulation and Tincture
Since only a very small amount of the placenta is used for the tincture, there is basically a full placenta left for encapsulating.
Included in my fee:
- Placenta prints on acid free paper
- Umbilical heart keepsake
- Placenta prepared raw OR TCM, powdered and encapsulated (Add $5 for vegetarian capsules)
- I can do any two methods for an additional $25. The additional cost is due to more time and supplies involved in the preparation.
- Placenta tincture in glass dropper bottle
Total cost: $200
Labor clients pay: $185
Placenta Salve
An herbal first aid salve infused with your placenta to create a ointment for soothing your postpartum peri area or encouraging healing in cesarean incisions. Other uses include general wound care for bug bites/stings, scrapes, burns, etc.
This ointment is prepared by myself from start to finish. It is only available with encapsulation (or it can be made with placenta capsules you already had made).
Included in my fee:
- One four ounce container of placenta salve
- Additional four ounce containers $10 each
Total cost: $25
