Placenta Encapsulation? - Page 2

[jbk21]

I think you can buy a kit that helps, too.  Right?  Did someone already post that?  

Maybe you can find a friend that is willing to help out?  I don't know... I have a friend that is going to do it for me.  She's totally excited about it!  (yuck!)

[meb2]

Fascinating! I really wish I had the stomach to do this... I'm not even a vegetarian, but I can't imagine doing that process - even the pictures grossed me out. Anyways, DP has agreed to pay someone to encapsulate it for me as a birthday gift (my birthday is a month before my due date). What is a reasonable price to pay? So far I have only found one person in my area that will do it and her charge is 200- gosh I wish I could do it at home, it seems SO much cheaper...

[birdhappy85]

Not a lot of things gross me out, not even anything blood and guts related... but I have to say, placentas are the one thing that might be an exception for me, lol. Seeing a placenta in person over the weekend and also seeing the picture of one on this thread... I dunno, it's a different beast. Maybe it's just so foreign to me that it's kind of shocking to see? I really had never even known what one looked like until this past week. For me, the thought of eating it is only slightly bothersome because of all of the blood vessels in it. The blue-ish hue is disturbing and makes me think of eating a raw heart. That's the unnerving part. lol BUT I'll still find a way to ingest this thing one way or another.

[jbk21]

Yeah I think grinding it into dust and putting it into capsules will help me since it will look NOTHING like the real thing.  Ugh.

Originally Posted by birdhappy85 

Not a lot of things gross me out, not even anything blood and guts related... but I have to say, placentas are the one thing that might be an exception for me, lol. Seeing a placenta in person over the weekend and also seeing the picture of one on this thread... I dunno, it's a different beast. Maybe it's just so foreign to me that it's kind of shocking to see? I really had never even known what one looked like until this past week. For me, the thought of eating it is only slightly bothersome because of all of the blood vessels in it. The blue-ish hue is disturbing and makes me think of eating a raw heart. That's the unnerving part. lol BUT I'll still find a way to ingest this thing one way or another.

[IwannaBanRN]

Originally Posted by birdhappy85 

Not a lot of things gross me out, not even anything blood and guts related... but I have to say, placentas are the one thing that might be an exception for me, lol. Seeing a placenta in person over the weekend and also seeing the picture of one on this thread... I dunno, it's a different beast. Maybe it's just so foreign to me that it's kind of shocking to see? I really had never even known what one looked like until this past week. For me, the thought of eating it is only slightly bothersome because of all of the blood vessels in it. The blue-ish hue is disturbing and makes me think of eating a raw heart. That's the unnerving part. lol BUT I'll still find a way to ingest this thing one way or another.

Think of it as your baby's nurturer of nine months. Just like you will hold your baby and feed it, your placenta did that. My whole perception of how gross I had thought it was changed once I thought of it as a 9 month provider.
 

[meb2]

Originally Posted by IwannaBanRN 

Think of it as your baby's nurturer of nine months. Just like you will hold your baby and feed it, your placenta did that. My whole perception of how gross I had thought it was changed once I thought of it as a 9 month provider.
 

Even thinking of it like that still doesn't really comfort me... Is that wrong? 
 

[jbk21]

Me neither.  It's still freaky-looking :-)

Originally Posted by meb2 

Even thinking of it like that still doesn't really comfort me... Is that wrong? 
 

[IwannaBanRN]

Originally Posted by meb2 

Even thinking of it like that still doesn't really comfort me... Is that wrong? 
 

Ha no, it's not wrong at all. Sorry if that made you feel bad.
 

[LunaLady]

I am very interested in consuming the placenta after birth, and I think I'm likely going to go the smoothie route. I love smoothies and I've been able to sneak stuff into them that I needed to get down in the past (greens, powdered vitamins, etc) so I think I might be able to handle that. 

How long does one take the placenta? A couple weeks?

[IwannaBanRN]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 

I am very interested in consuming the placenta after birth, and I think I'm likely going to go the smoothie route. I love smoothies and I've been able to sneak stuff into them that I needed to get down in the past (greens, powdered vitamins, etc) so I think I might be able to handle that. 

How long does one take the placenta? A couple weeks?

The placenta makes from 125- 200 pills, depending on the size and how much you consume right after birth in a smoothie. You can also add herbs to MAKE it stretch to 200 and help supplement what health needs you find that you need(ie, milk supply, helping with mood, etc). But alot of people take 3 pills a day. So, say if you make 150 pills and take 3 a day, that's 50 days.
 

[LunaLady]

Thank you! 
 

Originally Posted by IwannaBanRN 

The placenta makes from 125- 200 pills, depending on the size and how much you consume right after birth in a smoothie. You can also add herbs to MAKE it stretch to 200 and help supplement what health needs you find that you need(ie, milk supply, helping with mood, etc). But alot of people take 3 pills a day. So, say if you make 150 pills and take 3 a day, that's 50 days.
 

[IwannaBanRN]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 

Thank you! 
 

No problem. I just found all this info last week, and I get really excited about trying all this stuff. I can't believe I just let the hospital throw away my previous 2 placentas. It made me sad, with how I think of the placenta now.
 

[Jaimee]

Just talked with a mw yesterday and I think we're going to hire her!  She does birth photography AND placenta encapsulation!  The photos are free b/c it's her cover since being a hb mw here is illegal and the placenta encapsulation is only $100!!!!   Yay!

[birdhappy85]

That's great, Jaimee!!

I talked to my midwife yesterday about the price of placenta encapsulation and she said she'd help me work out a lower fee with the woman she typically works with who does it. So hopefully I can get it for $175 instead of $250. It's still pretty pricey but will save us some money, and I need to remember not to discount how the benefits will be worth it. I hope we can get it for that price!

[jasmin85]

I am considering consumption via capsules because I had the baby blues last time--and I am willing to try anything to avoid it.  I like the idea of this being much more natural than taking anti-depressants--even though I am a little repulsed by what it looks like and what it actually IS. Normally one wouldn't say, "oh, this is from my body so I should eat this!"  LOL 

Anyway, I recovered pretty well last time, but I can't just sleep all day since I have a 5 year old to look after and be available to so I am hoping it will help with energy levels as well.  Not to mention my relationship with my husband is in such a good place I would hate to put such a damper on it by heading down that downward spiral.  Placenta consumption in Traditional Chinese Medicine is what made me more comfortable with the concept, and the idea that it will be cooked and ground up so not only will it not resemble its original state, but it will be sanitary as well.  I'm no vegetarian but raw meat certainly grosses me out.  It's not that I need the whole world to be sanitized or something, but if we are treating it like food it is essentially raw meat so I feel like it ought to be treated as such.  Then again there is sushi, LOL...

What I am curious about is the credentials of someone who would come to your house and prepare it.  I've seen some of the training sites and literally anyone can do this, so what do you really look for?  Basically, it's just a person who is willing to do it whereas I am not, right?  My husband is just very interested in what we should look for and expect.  I wouldn't send away for it, it makes me too uncomfortable thinking about how you wouldn't really know if it was yours! 

P.S.  Kudos to you if you can look at those pictures and just see the beauty of life! 

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by numbersbyjasmin 

What I am curious about is the credentials of someone who would come to your house and prepare it.  I've seen some of the training sites and literally anyone can do this, so what do you really look for?  Basically, it's just a person who is willing to do it whereas I am not, right?  My husband is just very interested in what we should look for and expect.  I wouldn't send away for it, it makes me too uncomfortable thinking about how you wouldn't really know if it was yours! 

In general I would just look for someone that has done it several times before and usually that means a doula or a midwife.  But I know plenty of people that have had a relative or friend do it as a favor.  Anyone who can steam, slice, and basically follow directions could do it, really, so I'm not too concerned about ability so much as cleanliness.  And again, most that have done it several times have purchased a separate steamer, dehydrator, and grinder for the purpose and I'm sure run them through the dishwasher between batches.
 

[jasmin85]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

In general I would just look for someone that has done it several times before and usually that means a doula or a midwife.  But I know plenty of people that have had a relative or friend do it as a favor.  Anyone who can steam, slice, and basically follow directions could do it, really, so I'm not too concerned about ability so much as cleanliness.  And again, most that have done it several times have purchased a separate steamer, dehydrator, and grinder for the purpose and I'm sure run them through the dishwasher between batches.
 

Agreed, anyone could do it but cleanliness is the main concern.  It's just funny how lax of a thing it really is, not even needing to be an herbalist or something?  Thanks for the response.  =)

[justamama]

A friend was running a special, so I took advantage of it and put my deposit down! I'm getting capsules AND a tincture. :D

[sara-on-the-lake]

I'm doing it.  I'll do a smoothie immediately PP, and then the capsules after.  I'm gonna do it myself, it doesn't look hard, and my husband's on board, said he'd do it himself if I can't.  If a man can gut a deer or clean a fish, he can throw a placenta into a steamer.  :o) 

I don't have a dehydrator though.  Is that a must?  Is there a big difference between using that or just doing it in an oven?  I'll buy one or borrow one if it's truly preferable. 

I have a Nutrimill, so I'm pretty sure it'll be able to handle the grinding part.  :o)

[IwannaBanRN]

Originally Posted by sara-on-the-lake 

I'm doing it.  I'll do a smoothie immediately PP, and then the capsules after.  I'm gonna do it myself, it doesn't look hard, and my husband's on board, said he'd do it himself if I can't.  If a man can gut a deer or clean a fish, he can throw a placenta into a steamer.  :o) 

I don't have a dehydrator though.  Is that a must?  Is there a big difference between using that or just doing it in an oven?  I'll buy one or borrow one if it's truly preferable. 

I have a Nutrimill, so I'm pretty sure it'll be able to handle the grinding part.  :o)

No. You just dry the placenta on a cookie sheet in the oven on low heat for 8-10 hours.