Encapsulated Beginnings: A Placenta Journey

"The body must be credited with an immense fund of know how- Deepak Chopra"

Consuming your placenta is not a new fad, it has been a know practice for over 1400 years. The first known mention of placenta consumption dates back to the 16th century medical text the Compendium of the Materia Medica. It stated that when a person has a baby ,the placenta is eaten.

Processing a placenta is not a regulated field in the U.S, But you can find organizations that teach the process safely and certify their learners. When looking for a someone to process your placenta make sure you ask if they are certified , if they have taken a blood borne pathogens course and a food handlers course. This will ensure they are qualified to process your placenta safely for consumption.

There is more than one way to consume your placenta. All processing types offer beneficial results to the postpartum person rather it be in encapsulation form, tincture form or salve.

Hormones present in a pre-processed placenta are hCG,Prolactin, Oxytocin and hPL

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest herbal systems, it dates back 5000 years or more. The traditional method of encapsulation is based on Traditional Chinese method. The method can vary slightly from text to text, but they all include draining the blood followed by steaming the placenta with herbs that the encapsulator chooses (these herbs are not in direct contact with the placenta during the steaming process) . The next step is to dehydrate the placenta at 160 degrees for a minimum of 20 hours, then grind it into a fine powder for encapsulation. This method also provides a additional layer of safety to kill any bacteria growth on the placenta. Only a TCM practitioner should add herbs or oils to the powdered placenta being encapsulated, they are trained to know what will cause an adverse reaction or reduce the effectiveness of the placenta.

In the "Divine Husbandman's Classic of Materia Medica"it states ,"placenta is a medicinal that tonifies dual deficiency of yin and yang"with ability to restore the root and return the Qi(life force)

Placenta consumption can possible improve breastmilk production.

Raw encapsulation method is based on the raw food diet. This diet can be traced back to the late 1800s' when Dr Max Bircher-Benner discovered a cure for jaundice by consuming raw fruit. When a placenta is processed by the raw method it will be dehydrated without being steamed first.There are many variations to process the placenta in the raw method, some bleed the blood from the placenta to maintain the Traditional Chinese Method and others choice to leave the blood in the placenta to allow for more iron intake. Some encapsulators follow the strict raw food diet guidelines by not allowing the placenta to get to a temperature higher than 120 F, and some encapsulators raise the temperature either in the beginning or the end of the dehydrating process. This process takes between 20-30 hours depending on the thickness of the placenta and the amount of blood left in the placenta. Once the placenta is raw dehydrated it will then be ground up into a powder form and encapsulated. Advocates of this method believe it provides more energy and more nutrients.

The drawback of this method is the placenta does not reach a temperature of 160 F which is needed to kill any bacteria that could be on the placenta, it also opens up a window for bacteria growth during the dehydrating process because the temperature does not get out of the bacteria danger zone according to the Food safety agencies guidelines.(the danger zone is describes between 39 to 140 F)

Placenta consumption can possible decrease Postpartum mood disorders.

Placenta tinctures are made from the dehydrated placenta powder. The powder is mixed with a menstruum in a specific ratio, then shaken for 3-5 minutes . The mixture will take 6 weeks to mature, it needs to be stored in a cool , dark space kept untouched for the duration to maturity. Some benefits of tinctures is it provides longevity with no expiration as long as its kept in the proper conditions. A tincture penetrates the mucous membrane, therefore its fast acting. It will also be available close to the time when most postpartum persons have consumed their capsules so the benefits from the placenta can be extended.

Although there have been very few studies conducted in the US on the effectiveness of placenta consumption, there has to be something to it if it has a history of over 1400 years right? I say you decided. Contact a local certified encapsulator for more information and to get pricing.

Happy Birthing , The Push Doulas Team

Pushdoulas.com