Placenta Encapsulation « Back to Group Discussions

[eirual]

So, for those of you planning on doing this. Have you gotten everything in order for it (lined up your contact or gotten supplies) ??

I've kind of forgotten about it in the past couple of months, but am planning on doing it myself. I've contacted a local medical supply shop to see if they sell gel-caps, but it looks like gel-caps and the capsule machines are reasonably priced on amazon.com. I think natural food/ health stores will sometimes sell empty caps too.

I think I'll make it my mission today to try to arrange to borrow a food-dehydrator and print-off detailed instructions to keep with my birth supplies. Then hopefully I can find out about capsules and such through the week this week.

[eirual]

I've watched a few videos and done some online searching and come up with this cheat-sheet:

Let me know if you have anything I should add or other input!

SUPPLIES:

• Placenta
• Strainer
• Knife
• Lemon, ginger, Chinese pepper*
• Pot and steamer*
• Dehydrator
• ’00 sized gel-capsules (100-200)
• Encapsulator (“the capsule machine” or “Cap m quik”)

*For TCM only

RAW METHOD (STIMULATING):

1. Rinse to remove any blood clots. Remove membranes and cord.
2. Cut into uniform strips
3. Lay strips on sheet to dehydrate
4. Dehydrate (no higher than 118 degrees) until completely dry with no moisture...should crack when bent (~24 hours)
5. Break chunks into grinder
6. Grind or use mortar and pestle
7. Place into capsules

TRADITIONAL CHINESE METHOD (WARMING)

1. Rinse to remove any blood clots
2. Wrap membrane around placenta
3. Place lemon and ginger in water. Steam placenta 8-15 mins each side (until the juices run clear). Poke to bleed placenta as it steams
4. Cut into thin uniform strips
5. Lay strips onto sheet to dehydrate (~6-12 hours)
6. Break chunks into grinder
7. Grind or use mortar and pestle
8. Place into capsules

Take 3 capsules 3x /day for first week or two, then once a day or two twice a day as needed. Fewer capsules required for raw method.

Edited by eirual - 5/6/12 at 6:44am

[PrincessSputnik]

Mad respect for those doing it themselves.. When I told my midwife I was going to do it, she was thrilled but recommended that I do it myself rather than outsource production to someone else.. Her arguments were sound (it's a part of my body after all and I could get a much better appreciation for it going through the process myself), and made me second guess the decision to employ a doula's services (I had already paid a deposit), but after reading those instructions just now, I just couldn't see myself or DH going through that process so soon after babe's arrival, and really in general, so I'm sticking with the outsourcing strategy :)

[AndtheStars]

I'm hiring my doula to do it.  I agree that it just seems like more than I could handle right after birth.  And DH wouldn't handle it ever.  I have a canning stove in the basement so the doula won't even be in the way or anything if I'm hardcore nesting after the birth.  I won't even know she's in the house.