Placenta encapsulation

I know I am absolutely keeping my placenta. When everyone asks me why and what I would do with it, I have told them I'll be burying it (which my mum loves the idea of much to my surprise). But in truth I do want to eat it, not all of it, because I do want to bury it too, but I have read about so many benefits of eating it that I would like to try it. What I know for sure, is I want to treat it with respect and somehow thank it for aiding me in giving my baby nourishment and oxygen for these months.

So, I just thought easy way is to freeze it, cut it up into small pieces and then have the small pieces like tablets. But I've been reading up on it, and there is another method which involves drying it out and grinding it up and making capsules (known as 'encapsulation'). Has anyone done this? I've found heaps of information on the health benefits etc on doing it, and basic steps like, 1 dry it out, 2 grind it up, 3 put it in a capsule, even found kits to buy to help with the capsule making process, but I'm struggling to find specific step by step details on how to actuallly dry it out and grind it etc...

so if anyone has done this would be great to chat. Would also be great to talk to like minded people who dont gag when I tell them what I want to do, because so far I haven't found 1 single person (irl) who also has an interest in keeping their placenta, let alone ever talked to someone who has eaten it.

TIA

I haven't done it yet but will be in a couple of weeks. the benefits are meant to be amazing. I'm actually having someone else do it all for me because I'm way too squeamish! its going to cost $200, but I figure it worth it.

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I really wish I had done it. I needed it, my haemoglobin tanked majorly after I gave birth and took a good few weeks to level out. I was in a bit of a haze tbh, wasn't expecting to be in a hospital. Next time, I'll definitely be encapsulating it. No help on the step by step side of it but I'm interested too.

I have something for you, will find it in the morning x

consuming the placenta has been shown to reduce depression too.

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consuming the placenta has been shown to reduce depression too.

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yep, and that's one of the main reasons for me doing it. after being quite unwell and having severe pnd after the birth of Ds, I'm willing to try anything to prevent it happening again. I'm not sure I could just cut up and freeze so that's why encapsulation really appeals to me. I don't see it as much different than taking a multivitamin.

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Wouldn't drying out the placenta ruin alot of it's qualities??

Genuinly interested in this topic. I've never thought about consuming the placenta.

I'm a HUGE risk for PND, so that is the real benefit i'm hoping to get out of it. It is also to raise your iron levels/hB, said to increase milk supply too.

I don't have any problems freezing and cutting it up, which seems so much easier and simpler than doing the other way...

would anyone think their would be ..issues? with only buring part of it. because i'm thinking I would only need like 1/2 most to eat, and the rest I can bury... or maybe I should just bury the cord and have the whole placenta. see I also havent found anything about how much a day, like 1 "tablet" a day? or 2 or 3 a day? I was thinking when i cut it up it would only be about 1cm cube size.

I suppose it doesnt matter because I did read a recipe for a lasangne with the placenta in it, so that would be like a meal, so if you really wanted you could have the whole thing in one sitting.

Loulabelle, do you mind letting me know how you go after your birth and when you start the capsules and what 'instructions' came with them? please. =) thanks!

My friend had her placenta encapsulated after her second pregnancy because she had PND after her first and wanted to do anything to reduce the risk second time around.

She didn't get PND second time :)

She had a doula at her birth and the doula organised having it all done for her.

Perhaps you could ring a few doulas and see if they can organise it for you or at least give you some contacts?

I've been doing some reading. I'm going to do anything I can to do this!! I'll probably either mince it, or cut it up into little chunks and just swallow it.
It seems to have sooo many benefits.
Thanks for putting me onto this.
:hug:

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I've been doing some reading. I'm going to do anything I can to do this!! I'll probably either mince it, or cut it up into little chunks and just swallow it.
It seems to have sooo many benefits.
Thanks for putting me onto this.
:hug:

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Not a problem. After every birth i am part of I always ask the family if they are interested in looking at their placenta and want to keep it. I haven't had 1 person say yes to keeping it yet =( and it breaks my heart everytime I wrap it up and put it in the clnical waste bin to be incinerated. It is such an amazing organ, that plays such a major role for our babies (basically it is what supports them, we just support it) and they just get tossed aside and no one cares or thinks about them.

I want to show mine respect and thank it for what it is doing and give part of it back to the earth and thank the universe for my baby. I really wish I could spread the word of the amazing things it can do after birth.

I have an acquaintance who was interested in this, but unfortunately didn't know how to raise it with the caregivers at the hospital she delivered at, and didn't know how to go about arranging it, ie storing/transporting it whilst in hospital so she never went through with it.

I have kept all of mine and they have been buried with a native tree planted in the childs name. It is part of DH's culture to return it to mother nature.

I had heard of people eating theirs but to be honest I just thought it was something that tribes etc did I have never heard of having it encapsulated. I think that is a fantastic idea :clap: and would seriously look into it if I was having anymore. I could do a pill I dont think I could do a chunk or lasagne :o

In NZ it is very common for women to take their placentas home, however when I had my DS here my midwife had never heard of it and had to find out what she was to do to let me have it. I had to sign a waiver to say that I was carrying human tissue and that I was not intending to sell it :lol: imagine listing that on ebay

Your right it is such a beautiful organ that it seems so sad and wrong to me to just dispose of it without a second thought.

Oh, I wish I'd known about this.
I would have loved to at least look at it, but was never given the option.

I'm pretty sure MadB did this after her recent bub, maybe PM her?

Just broke the news to DH... :shakehead:
Did not go well. He kept gagging and covering his face saying "Please let this be a joke".

His argument is that you wouldn't eat a fetus, why eat a placenta?

I've challenged him to do some googling....

How did your DH react, Tei?

My hubby knows im kepping it. and he does know that eating it is something some ppl do. but i havent specifically told him thats what im doing...
He would gag but wouldnt care as long as i didnt make him eat it. he is pretty open minded and knows how i roll so he probably already suspects =p

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I considered having someone encapsulating my DS's placenta but it was an added expense we couldn't afford at the time (around $300). My m/w cut off a small piece and suspended it in brandy to make a homeopathic tincture. The rest is in the freezer to be planted with a tree when we get around to visiting a nursery to choose one :)

Mine and my younger sister's placentas are planted under trees at
my parents place.

I think to encapsulate it yourself you need a food dehydrator - I saw Aldi have them on special this week?

Ive emailed a homebirth midwife i know to see if she knows any thing about it.

Ive also found a recipe =) it seems pretty easy... My only issue now is ill be at my parents house when ill do it...so will have to tell them what im cooking in their oven =p
Heres tge recipe:
~cut off the cord and membranes
~steam the placenta, add lemon grass, pepper, and ginger to the steaming water(adding stuff to the water appears optional tho). It is done when no blood comes out when you pierce it with a fork.
~cut it into thin slices (like jerky) and bake in oven at about 95-120 c until dry and crumbly (several hrs)
~crush into a powder you can use food processor, blender, coffee grounder, morter and pestle, pitting in a bag and grinding with rocks.
~put powder into empty gel caps. (or you can just add a spoonful to cereal or in a smoothy etc)

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I'd love to consume my next placenta (and the one after that, etc.) but I don't think I'd want to have any part in the process... They're interesting to look at, and have all these wonderful things they do, but I'm not sure I could do that myself. Just leave it all mysterious and I'm good :lol:

Yea it would be handy to give it to someone who does it and all you see afterwards is a pretty jar full of capsules. but i can find anyone in my area...unless i sweet talk my midwife..hmmmm

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that doesn't sound too difficult. you could put powder in a cup of tea ect too.

rofl at your DH comment charlotte!

my DH was grossed out to begin with but when I explained it to him better he was ok. he just said as long as I don't make him take it it was all good.

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Loads of info in our placenta encapsulation article, and we also have placenta encapsulators in the BellyBelly directory too :)

Congratulations for looking into this. I encapsulate placentas as part of my doula service. Honestly Doll, the end result looks like any other herbal capsules, no one would be able to tell the difference. I think when we talk about "eating our placenta" people envision having to sit down to a plate with a knife and fork and chowing down.
Getting DH to research it himself is a great idea! He'll no doubt come back to you trying to talk you into it himself when he reads about the benefits!!
Kelly started a new thread today on this very subject, feel free to visit and chat to me!!

Good luck!

I'd love to do this with my next baby, don't think I'd tell friends in real life though as it would freak them out

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I'd love to do this with my next baby, don't think I'd tell friends in real life though as it would freak them out

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I know. It's a good idea. I'm frequently sent cartoons etc about the shock value of "eating your own placenta". It really is only your business though. I actually know a few people who have had home births that didn't tell anyone, as they didn't want the angst associated with the negativity. Do what's right for you sweetie, just like the rest of your parenting!!!

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I'd love to do this with my next baby, don't think I'd tell friends in real life though as it would freak them out

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I'm doing this now and I completely freaked out a very dear male friend of mine. Was pretty funny to watch him wrestle with the desire to make me stop talking about something that was making him sick, and his weird fascination in hearing all the details. He saw me with pnd after my second child so was very supportive, as were my SsIL who were also grossed out by it.

I think anyone who cares about you will either support you, or just not discuss it. At least, they should ;-)

I am currently consuming the encapsulated placenta of my second child. A friend encapsulated it for me for "mates rates" ($80) - she provides placenta encapsulation services as part of her doula business. She told me that she cleans it, dries it out in a food dehydrator, grounds it, & puts it in the capsules - I think she has a machine that does this? She said that on average you get 120 capsules from each placenta. She also gave me the bits she didn't use (including the cord) which I will bury at some stage.

So far (I'm only 2 weeks post partum) I am feeling great, although my baby is a bit of a sleeper (unlike my first baby!), so I am getting a reasonable amount of sleep too. But I have to say that my energy levels and mood have been much better than after the birth of my first child. I know many things could be contributing to this, but I feel the placenta capsules are assisting.

I decided to consume the placenta for the reduced depression benefits, as well as to assist to increase my breastmilk supply.