Placenta Encapsulation

The placenta is a remarkable organ. It is an organ, just like your liver, kidneys or heart. But it’s the only organ the human body can grow when needed and remove when its job is done. And then your body can grow a new one when needed again. Your bag of waters, growing out of the margins of the placenta, is your baby’s home for many months, with your placenta providing everything your baby needs to grow and thrive. As Williams Obstetrics puts it, “It may not be pretty to look at, but it's the most beautiful organ there is.”

So what happens when your body and your baby no longer need their placenta? It doesn't have to be discarded as medical waste. More and more families are choosing to keep their placenta and celebrate its health and strength.

Some people bury their placenta deep in the earth, perhaps planting a tree or shrub over it that their child can visit in the future. Some use ink and paper to preserve the image of the placenta’s beautiful treelike structure.

Others use their placenta the way it is used by almost all mammals that live and birth on land: to support the mother after the birth by consuming it. It is believed that ingesting placenta can help rebuild a mother’s blood supply, help increase her milk production, help her feel more energy and less discomfort,reduce or eliminate the baby blues, and reduce the risk of postpartum depression.

You can take advantage of what your placenta has to offer without having to deal with it raw or use it all up immediately after the birth. It can be dried and prepared in capsules that you can take as a supplement in the days and weeks after the birth of your baby.

Encapsulation may be done in your home or mine. It should be done soon, though. Best results will be obtained if the placenta is prepared within the first few days after birth. You can bring your placenta home from the hospital in an ice cream tub-sized container or doubled, freezer-strength, large ziplock bags. It should be kept refrigerated, but ideally not frozen. If you have a frozen placenta you'd like to use, please contact me to discuss it - together we can assess whether your placenta will still be a benefit to you. I can also make prints, or help you make your own.

You don’t have to be a doula client to take advantage of Lucina placenta services. Please contact me for more information about preparation methods (TCM, Raw, or...), printmaking or any other thoughts you have about how to honour or make use of your amazing placenta.

Are you outside of Toronto? I can refer you to a network of other Placenta Ladies. Have a look here: Google Map of Independent Placenta Service Providers. If you don't find anyone in your area, drop me a line and I'll see if I can find any resources for you.

Fees

$200 to prepare in your home (requires two visits) or to pick up the placenta from you and drop off the finished capsules at your home
$175 if someone brings your placenta to me and picks up the finished capsules
$150 for doula clients, regardless of place of preparation

Disclaimer:
I am not a licensed medical professional and I am not able to diagnose, treat or prescribe for any health condition. Services and fees are for the preparation and encapsulation of your placenta, not for the sale of the pills. No specific benefits or effects are promised. It is your responsibility to determine whether using placenta preparations may be of benefit to you.