Placenta Encapsulation Services
in the greater Los Angeles, CA area.
Restore Your Body With the Same Vital Nutrients That Created Life.
THE PROCESS FOLLOWING BIRTH
Our service is set up to be as discrete as possible to allow you to enjoy your first hours after birth with baby and family. Simply call or text message us when your labor begins (310) 266-8433 and again when the placenta is birthed. We will return your call or text you immediately and let you know of the approximate time we will be there. The placenta can be retrieved from your home, birth center, or hospital upon discussion. You are responsible to inform of its readiness and provide any documents or forms that are required for its pick up. As quickly as possible after the birth, the placenta should be placed into a container, sealed tightly and refrigerated or placed on ice.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a Placenta?
The placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother’s blood supply. The word placenta comes from the Latin word for cake, in reference to its round, flat appearance. It is extremely rich in nutrients, iron, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
What is Placentophagia?
Placentophagia is the process of a mother consuming her placenta postpartum by either eating the placenta raw, cooked, in capsule form or drinking the juices from the placenta once it is cooked. In other parts of the world, women have been consuming and honoring their placentas for centuries. Many cultures view this uniquely impermanent organ as having sacred or magical properties. When you consider its life giving functions, it is easy to see why. The placenta has been used as a medicine in Eastern and Western healthcare. Different cultures use the placenta to treat a variety of conditions, including burns and other wounds, degenerative diseases, infertility, rare genetic diseases, menopause and metabolic conditions.
What is Placenta Encapsulation?
Placenta encapsulation is the process in which the placenta is steamed, dehydrated and ground into a fine powder before being put into vegetable -kosher & halal certified capsules.The pills are put into a glass jar, labeled with instructions, and ready for you to use! They are easy to take and are odorless and tasteless. Placenta capsules are prepared using a Chinese Traditional Medicine method.
What is the RAW Method?
The RAW food community strongly believe that heating the placenta diminishes its nutritional value, so heating is skipped and the placenta goes straight into the dehydrator maintaining its nutritional value. This method provides an increase in energy immediately and is a wonderful hormone stabilizer. (We offer this method upon request)
What is the Traditional Chinese Medicine Method?
The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) method of preparing the placenta is done by cleaning, gently warming by steaming the placenta with slices of ginger, lemon and jalapeños if desired, then dehydrating and finally putting the placenta into capsules. Using this method of encapsulation is believed to bring healing and warmth back into the woman’s body.
What Are The Benefits Of Placenta Consumption?
It prevents and lessens the risk of postpartum depression or ‘baby blues’, replenishes iron, lends a consistent flow of oxytocin, provides the HPL hormone to help establish early and healthy milk supply, stabilizes ever-changing hormones post birth, replenishes your B vitamins and energy loss during birthing, protects from infection and bleeding due to retained placenta tissue or membranes, and offers natural pain relief. Your placenta is a perfect medicine that your body made especially for you. No doctor could prescribe a prescription, vitamin or herbal supplement more perfect than your own placenta.
What 3 Main Hormones And Chemicals Contained In The Placenta Help The Mother Postpartum?
Oxytocin helps bonding, pain reliever, and helps with milk ejection and supply
HPL (Human Placenta Lactogen) promotes the production of prolactin
POEF (Placenta Opioid Enhancing Factor) is a pain reliever
What is a Tincture?
The tincture can be an option for wellness long into the future. A placenta tincture is a concentrated alcohol solution that contains the powerful nutrients and hormones of your placenta. Having this placenta service can help with hormone stabilization and tiredness during future menstruation and menopause. Your daughter can benefit from the tincture when she begins menses. Stored correctly, tinctures can last indefinitely. Put drops into a beverage or under the tongue.
What Is A Raw Placenta Smoothie And What Are Its Benefits?
A placenta smoothie is a small piece of your raw placenta with your choice of organic fruits and vegetables. When you are ready to make a smoothie, put a piece of the placenta with fruit and vegetables into the blender and BAM!!!….You have a smoothie that provides you with a turbo boost of energy along with all the placenta benefits. (We offer this method upon request)
How Does Waste Filter Out Of The Placenta?
The placenta is not a filter that traps what it can’t pass to the baby, like an air filter. Baby waste and other things that the baby can’t use are sent back to the mother through the placenta and her body disposes of it like any other waste in her body. If the placenta held onto everything it would be a health hazard after nine months. There are substances that the placenta can not dispose, of such as heavy metals. If a mother smokes cigarettes during her pregnancy this causes a build up of heavy metal in the placenta making it unsafe to consume.
What are the “Baby Blues”?
While pregnant, a woman’s body is producing many more hormones than it normally would. As soon as the woman has the baby, the body abruptly stops producing those hormones causing more than two-thirds of mothers experience the “Baby Blues” after giving birth.
The “Baby Blues” typically start on the fourth or fifth day after delivery and can last for several weeks thereafter.
Usually, the body adapts by the second week after delivery when your hormones slowly come back into balance, but it can be a very challenging time nonetheless.
What Does Placenta Encapsulation Help With?
Postpartum depression, increasing milk supply, balancing your hormones, increasing energy, helping to combat fatigue, quicker recovery time, prevents and treats “baby blues”, shortens postnatal bleeding time, increases iron levels after delivery, builds up the baby’s immune system, prevents an emotional roller coaster when weaning from breast feeding and regulates your hormones.
How Far In Advance Can I Book Placenta Encapsulation?
Once you have a due date, you can book!
I’m About To Give Birth! Is It Too Late To Book Placenta Encapsulation?
Please contact Mamaseuse as soon as possible to discuss your options.
I Am Having A Home Birth. What Do We Need To Do To Prepare?
For home birth clients, you will need to let your midwife know you intend to keep your placenta and have either freezer bags or tupperware available for them to store the placenta in after the birth. The placenta should be stored in the refrigerator until the time of pickup.
I Am Having A Hospital Birth. Will The Hospital Release My Placenta?
Most hospitals are good about releasing the placenta. Mamaseuse suggests that you tell your doctor ahead of time that you plan to take your placenta home, and write it in your birth plan. Also be sure to tell the nurse when you go in for delivery that you plan to take your placenta home. The hospital may ask you to sign a liability release form.
What Safety Measures Do You Practice In The Encapsulation Process Of My Placenta?
We strictly adhere to all OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard and Food Safety Handling regulations. Our work space is cleaned, sterilized and disinfected before and after every placenta preparation. The supplies used in the dehydration and encapsulation process are all stainless steel and food-grade plastic or glass. They are thoroughly washed with antibacterial soap and sanitized with boiling hot water and bleach solution.
Can I Have My Placenta Encapsulated If I Had A C-section, Epidural, Or Pitocin(oxytocin) During Labor?
Yes, Yes and Yes! These interventions have no noticeable effect on the placenta capsules. Epidural, anesthesia and pitocin break down very quickly after entering the placenta. Make sure you specify clearly in your birth plan that you will be keeping the placenta, and that it needs to be refrigerated or put on ice as soon as possible after the birth. Especially after the c-section, you will need to be vigilant about making sure your placenta is treated properly.
Can I Encapsulate My Placenta If I Am Group B Strep (GBS) Positive?
Group B Strep is one of the normal inhabitant bacterias of the vaginal and anal areas. Higher levels of growth present on swabs which are taken around 36 weeks of your pregnancy alert caregivers to the potential for this to become a problem in labor. Some women choose to have the IV antibiotics, and some don’t. Either way, the placenta can still be encapsulated in the Traditional Chinese Method (TCM) as the steaming process kills off this surface bacteria.
Is Placenta Encapsulation Safe If There Is Meconium?
Meconium is a baby’s first poo. It does not contain bacteria because your baby has only ingested amniotic fluid. Meconium is sterile. It does not contain fecal bacteria that a normal stool does. It is dangerous for the baby to inhale, but is otherwise harmless. Additionally, your placenta is thoroughly washed before the encapsulation process is begun.
What If My Baby Was Premature Or Of Low Birth Weight?
Depending on the level of prematurity, the placenta may still be used. With smaller babies typically there are smaller placentas, so the amount of capsules will be less than that of an average full term baby. If the hospital does not send the placenta to pathology, encapsulation is recommended! Mothers of premature babies often need a little extra support for their breast milk to come in and to balance their postpartum mood. Even if your doctor wants to culture the placenta, you can often negotiate to have just a piece of the placenta taken to pathology so you can encapsulate the rest.
How Long Should I Take My Placenta Capsules For?
We recommend that a mother takes her capsules for the first few weeks postpartum at least, but it is best to continue taking them until they are gone. Some mothers do set a few capsules aside for future transitions that they feel they would benefit from, taking their capsules during such times as returning to work, future moves, travel away from the baby, start of preschool/kindergarten, major illness, etc.
On Average, How Many Capsules Can I Expect To Receive?
That depends on the size of your placenta. On average you can expect around 125-200 capsules.
What Kind Of Capsules Do You Use?
The capsules are made from 100% vegetable products, free of starch, sugar, corn syrup, wheat, dairy, and other potential irritants and preservatives. They are Kosher and Halal certified. Therefore there shouldn’t be any dietary concern.
When Shouldn’t I Take My Placenta Capsules?
If you develop an infection such as mastitis, flu, or a common cold with fever it is recommended that you discontinue use until the illness/infection clears. Once symptoms subside you can start taking your placenta capsules again.
How Should I Store My Placenta Capsules?
After the encapsulation process is completed placenta capsules will be placed in a sealed glass amber jar and should be kept in a dry cool space. They may be stored with your supplements that you take daily or in the refrigerator if so desired.
How Is The Placenta Collected?
We collect the placenta, as soon as possible after the birth from the hospital or your home. Our customers will be required to provide a small cooler for transportation.
(Disclaimer) Despite a long history of safe use, these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult with your healthcare provider if you experience any unusual symptoms. Placental services are not clinical, pharmaceutical, or intended to diagnose or treat any condition. Women and their families who choose to utilize the services on this page take full responsibility for their health and use these remedies at their own risk.