Placenta plans? « Back to Group Discussions

[itsybistyspider]

What are you doing with yours? Anyone going to dry it yourself? I would love some encouragement in this area.....

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

Mine's going under the oak in my nemeton.

[kaismum]

I think my mom is going to encapsulate it for me. I was looking for someone in our area who does it and couldn't find anyone online. But, I did find the DIY. While I am pretty sure that I won't be able to do it myself, I asked my mom and it seems like she is going to do it. If for no other reason that to be able to hold it over my head for the rest of my life. Which I am totally fine with as long as it gets done. ;)

[RosieL]

Freeze in my deep-freezer and decide later. :) If I start to experience any PPD, I'll break it out and put in smoothies or encapsulate. If I don't, probably bury it at my mom's.

[vivica2]

i woudl love to be able to do this. my husband is not so supportive. :(  any good websites on DIY?

[wendybird]

I will be doing half in smoothies the first week and half encapsulated. With Griffon's I stir fryed it, Jubilee's I planted, and Epiphany's I encapsulated. I definintely felt like I got the most benefit from Griffon's. Actually, I still have 3/4 of my pills left from Pippi.It really was not hard to encapsulate. I got the empty capsules from Whole Foods, sliced the placenta into thin strips, dehydrated it in the oven for a few hours, ground it in a coffee grinder(well...I tried doing it with a mortar and pestle at first but that was slow going. Brian thought to use the coffee grinder and we finished in 3 minutes  )and poured it in the pills. I know I added some other herbs but can't for the life of me remember what ones.

[piratemere]

I'm going to have mine encapsulated this time, and I'm so excited.  With my others I had unplanned surgical births, so while I planned on keeping the placenta and doing something to honor them, they both were whisked away while I wasn't thinking of it.  This time it's on my "birth plan" (I don't actually have one, just a list of 5 things I don't want to forget) so even if things don't perfectly, my placenta will be saved.

(FYI, before I decided to encapsulate I planned on burying my placenta out on the farm where I have my horses, next to the placenta's of all the grandchildren of the old cowboy I board with.  He's this rough, tough old man, yet he wanted me to bring my placenta out and bury it in his garden?!  If I didn't want to encapsulate it, I would totally do that!

[Tulafina]

I'll be doing the same as Wendy! I'll be doing smoothies for 1 week so I'll chop up 7 pieces and freeze them. Then I'll be encapsulating the rest. I bought an encapsulator and capsules for a total of $27 at my health food store and my hubby has a dehydrator so I'll use that as well. Just blend and use the encapsulator...voila! Super easy! I used the entire placenta for smoothies with my last babe and I regretted it because I'm not actually a smoothie kinda person so it was hard to slog through one every day.

[saudade]

I'm having mine encapsulated. I found a professional to do it for me and she also offers breastfeeding and postpartum support as well for only $150. Basically prior to the birth, I'd hire her and then she is on-call for me and will do it all in my home after I give birth. I wish I had known fully of the benefits when I had my other children.

[jess in hawaii]

With my first three I was a long time vegetarian so consuming the placenta wasn't really my cup of tea, though I understood the reasoning of it, so I buried them under trees. My last one, I did lotus birth, which negated eating it, so I dried it in salt and lavender. This time I want to eat part and freeze the rest to have as needed, but I have to figure out the logistics with the birth center.

[rubyjune]

...ignoring it

although I think the placenta prints are really neat and beautiful. I don't want the bother of trying to get the darn thing out of the hospital, and my beloved is squeamish about such things and will not be of any help. With my luck and level of chaos around here lately.. the dog would get to  it before I would, and that would be just ick.

[saudade]

FYI: PPD is not the only benefit of placenta encapsulation or other ways of ingestion. Actually, that is the least compelling reason for me to want to do it, although it is a nice benefit...if that were the main reason, I don't know that I'd be that compelled as I've never had PPD too horribly. It also helps with breastmilk health and supply (that is my main reason), increases milk supply as well as replaces the lost iron from childbirth and balance out your system after childbirth. Also, it does contain your own natural hormones, perfectly made for you...which is what helps PPD so that there isn't as significant of a hormone "CRASH" after birth as your body transitions from pregnant to not-pregnant, as it will replace those hormones. I had always thought it was mainly for the purpose of hemorrhage (which I've never experienced in four births) or for PPD (which wasn't significant enough for me to ever think I needed to bother with it). But now after learning the other benefits, it's enough for me to try it and see what the difference is this time around. :)

[Fern5Fern]

I'm planning to plant a tree over mine.  Part of me having a home birth at our "winter house" on the mainland (we rent it weekly during this areas high season in order to be able to afford a house in this town) is in attempts to make me feel at home here, since I love our island house/garden/chickens so much.  I figure symbolically planting a tree here with the placenta would be a nice way to make this house feel more of a home to me.  

[hazelbranch]

DD's placenta was planted in my parent's backyard under an oak tree. This time around the idea of encapsulation is really appealing, but the one lady I found nearby who provides that service charges like $200! You ladies who have done it all yourselves, or plan to, are inspiring me to consider going that route instead. We would need to buy a dehydrator and encapsulator though, I guess. I have my next midwife appointment today so maybe I'll mention it to her and see if she has any suggestions/thoughts.

[piratemere]

Originally Posted by hazelbranch 

DD's placenta was planted in my parent's backyard under an oak tree. This time around the idea of encapsulation is really appealing, but the one lady I found nearby who provides that service charges like $200! You ladies who have done it all yourselves, or plan to, are inspiring me to consider going that route instead. We would need to buy a dehydrator and encapsulator though, I guess. I have my next midwife appointment today so maybe I'll mention it to her and see if she has any suggestions/thoughts.

Hazelbranch, I wonder if you look around more if you can find someone else. I know that here in Calgary $200 is the average cost, but there are lots of women who do it, and several will do it on a "pay what you can" basis.  Maybe you could find someone willing to do that? Surely there should be more options in the Toronto Area than here?!?

Originally Posted by saudade 

FYI: PPD is not the only benefit of placenta encapsulation or other ways of ingestion. Actually, that is the least compelling reason for me to want to do it, although it is a nice benefit...if that were the main reason, I don't know that I'd be that compelled as I've never had PPD too horribly. It also helps with breastmilk health and supply (that is my main reason), increases milk supply as well as replaces the lost iron from childbirth and balance out your system after childbirth. Also, it does contain your own natural hormones, perfectly made for you...which is what helps PPD so that there isn't as significant of a hormone "CRASH" after birth as your body transitions from pregnant to not-pregnant, as it will replace those hormones. I had always thought it was mainly for the purpose of hemorrhage (which I've never experienced in four births) or for PPD (which wasn't significant enough for me to ever think I needed to bother with it). But now after learning the other benefits, it's enough for me to try it and see what the difference is this time around. :)

I agree with this. When I first really looked into encapsulation I couldn't believe the benefits beyond helping with PPD (which I also have never suffered from.)  I have yet to meet anyone who hasn't seen multiple benefits from it.  I'm excited to see what it does for me.

[AiryFairy]

We're doing a modified lotus birth.  We'll keep the placenta on ice until we feel the time is right to separate (thinking anywhere from 3-24 hours), then we'll do a cord burning ceremony in honor of the placenta.  I'll be making placenta tincture, essence and cream and DH is going to encapsulate the rest for me.  I'm not sure if I would like it steamed or raw.  Maybe go the steamed route and save a smaller amount to cut into small bits and freeze.

[Tulafina]

Airy- cream and tincture...could you let me know how you'll be making them? I'd love to do this too!
We're also burning the cord this time. Probably 2-3hrs after the birth:) I'm excited about it!

[saudade]

ME TOO!
 

Originally Posted by jennyvangy 

I agree with this. When I first really looked into encapsulation I couldn't believe the benefits beyond helping with PPD (which I also have never suffered from.)  I have yet to meet anyone who hasn't seen multiple benefits from it.  I'm excited to see what it does for me.

[lalazap]

This thread inspired me to ask a friend today if she'd be interested in processing mine for me if we decide to go that route. She's into it! Now I just have to figure out what to tell her to do with it ... any helpful links? Thoughts re: steamed or raw? I know I can google and search MDC and I will do that, just wondering what anyone has found helpful, especially for DIYers!

[kaismum]

This was the link I originally sent to my mom: http://www.cafemom.com/journals/read/1577334/Placenta_Encapsulation_Instructions_w_Pictures