All about Placenta Encapsulation!
"The Key to Postpartum Wellness is Inside You…..
It is the placenta.
Women who take placenta capsules report fewer emotional issues, have more energy and
tend to enjoy a faster, more pleasant postpartum recovery.
The placenta can be dried, powdered and encapsulated - to be used in the precious first weeks of your new baby's life. While gaining popularity in Western Society over the last 10-20 years, placenta has been used for thousands of years in Asian cultures.
What is in your placenta?
There are a number of hormones, minerals, and nutrients held within the placenta that are beneficial in the postpartum transition. Important properties of your placenta are (2,3):
Oxytocin: The feel good hormone which creates feelings of bonding, pain-relief, happiness, and elation.
Cortisone: This hormone unlocks energy stored in the body and combats stress.
Interferon: This hormone stimulates the immune system to fight off infections while the mother is healing from birth.
Prostaglandins: Act as an anti-inflammatory
Hemoglobin: Replenishes iron, stimulates iron production in blood
Urokinase inhibiting factor and factor XIII: Lessens bleeding and promotes faster healing
Prolactin/HPL: Stimulates healthy mammary function and milk production
Trace Minerals (Iron, Zinc, selenium, and manganese. Helps increase rate of healing
SO, Is Placenta encapselation right for you?
Each woman bounces back from birth differently.
Some women experience a wide range of emotions and hormonal fluctuations.
For some women this can be a difficult time. For others it is filled with joy.
I believe a new mom has the knowledge within herself to answer this question.
When I first heard about this I was like, “NO WAY.” But since I am very opened minded, I began reading testimony after testimony of how women ingesting their own placentas after birth had enabled them to have a phenomenal recovery. So, with my 3rd baby really wanted to try it out for myself. Before you say ewwww, hear this out. 80% of women experience some level of postpartum blues or depression, because the fatigue, blood loss and and influx of pregnancy + postpartum hormones, and usually turn to synthetic drugs that do more damage. I’ve encapsulated my placenta with my last 3 babies and have loved experiencing the benefits.
Here are some of the benefits when taking encapsulated placenta:
* increase in energy
* assists the uterus in returning to normal size
* increase in mental clarity
* hormone stabilizer
* may help in the prevention of PPD
* increase in breastmilk
* milk often comes in quicker
* shorter postpartum bleed
* can aid in better sleep
HOW IS IT DONE?
I had my placenta encapsulated by a board certified professional. You store in the refrigerator until the specialist can come to our house to encapsulate it the day after or within the first 72 hours. (The specialists we worked came and did it in my home and with did a great job of providing detailed instructions for every phase of the encapsulation process.)
IF I BIRTH AT A HOSPITAL CAN I DO THIS?
Yes, During my stay at the hospital, my doctor and nurses were aware that I wanted to keep my placenta to have it encapsulated and after delivery, my placenta it was stored for me at the hospital in a bag on ice until I was discharged.
HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
Prices for placenta encapsulation range but after getting it done serval times, there seems to be an average. Most encapsulation services I’ve seen seem to cost $250-$300.
WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE?
All things considered, I felt pretty darn good after each one of birth. I had a fairly easy deliveries even with my emergency premature birth. Having said that, I feel all the feels of after birth let me tell you. From exhaustion that comes along with feeding an infant every two hours, changing, baby wearing, ect. I can honestly say I taking the placenta pill helped me feel good in my postpartum journey. Both my emotionally and physically, I just overall felt better. I know it had a positive effect on me physically and mentally after labor and in the weeks following delivery. This does not mean things were blissful – of course I still had some highs moments and low moments – but in a nutshell, I can say discovering placenta pills I’d never do postpartum without them.
Full of life energy, the placenta aids in postpartum wellness by replenishing your system with natural iron & protein and helps reintroduce essential hormones back into your system, and what mama doesn’t need that? It’s like taking a super charged vitamin with your own hormones.