[derstina]

I'm due with my 3rd baby in 2 weeks and am really thinking about encapsulating my placenta. I had bad PPD after my first 8.5 years ago, but was pretty much OK (no PPD) after my second nearly 4 years ago. This time, for some reason, I feel like I'm more at risk than last time (although still not as at risk as the first). And it was such a horrible experience that I would just about do anything to keep it from happening again.

But I am not quite over the ick factor. I can't handle the idea of just eating a chunk or making a smoothie (no offense to those who do, obviously). So encapsulation seems like a much better option to me. My midwife says if you pay someone to do the whole process it costs ~$250! Or her team will prepare it to the point of putting it in the oven to dry after the birth for $25, and then it needs to dry 12 hours in the oven before we grind it up and put it in capsules.

So...here are my questions. Is $250 a pretty standard charge, or should I try to call around and compare? And the main question is...how bad does it smell while it's drying? Obviously, having the midwives do it makes financial sense, but I'm a little afraid of that part still.

Thanks!

 

[Surfacing]

Have you seen the long Placenta To Prevent PPD thread? You might find answers there. Good luck!

 

[BlessedMommy2006]

I can't speak much to the encapsulation part, as I was too lazy to do that.

I opted to do the smoothies, and honestly there really wasn't an ick factor. I'm even a vegetarian normally (other than gel caps and the like in supplements) and it didn't bother me. My husband and I made up all sorts of cool combinations, my favorite was cran-apple concentrate, bananas, strawberries, goji berries and placenta. They really don't taste like the placenta, as long as you put in plenty of other ingredients.

My MW cut the placenta into 8 pieces and we made a smoothie with the first piece and then saved the rest in the deep freezer and made a daily smoothie until 1 week postpartum.

My first week postpartum was absolutely wonderful compared to the last time.

So however you choose to consume it, I would highly recommend it! It made a world of difference for me and I will definitely do it again should we ever be so blessed as to have a third child.