What’s the Deal With Placenta Encapsulation? (And How Does It Work?)
We're running a great celebratory special on our placenta encapsulation services through the rest of the month! On the fence about what it can do for you? Here are some amazing facts about the placenta, and its encapsulation process, to assist you in deciding if placenta encapsulation is right for you:
The Placenta Contains Feel Good Hormones for Regulating Mood and Stabilizing Health
The same hormones that have kept a baby alive for ten months and nourished your body are still at work and contained through the encapsulation process. Gammaglobulin, prolactin & oxytocin help to elevate mood and promote milk production, while also being a great source of B6, which can help ward off symptoms of depression. The placenta is also rich in iron, helpful for women experiencing the, although normal, levels of blood loss that comes with delivery.
Especially for the anemic, this iron produced by the body is much more readily absorbed as it was created from your body itself!
Ingestion Can Help Improve Quality of Life Postpartum
Anecdotally, many clients that encapsulate their placenta report to us that they had a quicker ‘bounce back’ to their normal health after giving birth and an increase in overall energy instead of a feeling of fatigue.
This is especially noticed for second time mothers who did not encapsulate with their first child and remember the feeling of exhaustion that comes from having a new baby and the rigors of birth.
It may increase the production of breast milk and decrease the instances of insomnia and sleeplessness (NOT due to your baby, of course!). For those prone to anxiety and mood disorders, it assists in creating that delicate balance of emotional well being after having a baby and adjusting to life with a newborn.
Studies Are Beginning to Validate Anecdotal Evidence
One of the biggest detractors for those weighing the benefits of encapsulation is the lack of evidence through case study. Recently, the National Institutes of Health created a study looking at the levels of CRH, a stress reducer that is present in three times the normal level during pregnancy due to the placenta. After birth, the levels in the bloodstream are lower than average, increasing symptoms of depression. Introducing the placenta back to the body also introduced CRH, helping to sustain it until the body began to produce it again.
This validates the idea that ‘baby blues’ are related closely to levels of hormones that the body produces and are regulated by the placenta, which is very exciting!
Our Encapsulation Process Follows the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Method
There are several methods that certified placenta encapsulation specialists use to prepare a placenta for a postpartum mother. One such method, which our certified specialists employ, is the Traditional Chinese Medicine method, in which the placenta is prepared by steaming prior to dehydration. The process allows warming qualities to be added to the placenta, to restore the mother’s Qi. This also has the added benefit of eliminating any possible bacteria prior to ingestion.
We Use our Own Sterilized, Sanitized Equipment
All Maryland State Doulas placenta specialists take rigorous training in OSHA sanitation standards and regulations as per the code of restaurants and health regulation in the state of Maryland.
You can be confident that the utmost care is being taken with your placenta within your own home, as we sterilize our workspace in the kitchen before, during and after encapsulating.
We use disposable, single use items such as cutting boards and pokers, and steel instruments that are prepared in a bleach solution and soaked after cooking. All specialists wear protective aprons, hair coverings and gloves to maintain safety standards.
We Come To You, So You Can Have Transparency
While there are many systems of transporting placentas, we believe firmly that you should have access to your placenta and be a part of the process on whatever comfort level you choose. For that reason, we encapsulate only in clients’ homes.
Your specialist will provide you with a transportation kit for collection at your birthing location for safe transport - don’t worry, nurses and physicians are used to seeing our kits and happy to package your placenta for you!
Our presence in your home is meant to be relaxing and around your convenience; the entire encapsulation process takes just 1 1/2 hours the first day and 1 hour the second, leaving you with prepared placenta pills and someone to walk you through dosage information with detailed instructions.
Our goal as trained, certified placenta encapsulation specialists is to help you recover from birth in a manner that feels best to you. Our concierge-style service employs the highest level of care to assist you in regaining your groove after your wonderful baby is born.