What is Placenta Encapsulation?
What is Placenta Encapsulation?
Whether it’s a celebrity trend or a tradition in certain families or cultures, placenta encapsulation has been gaining a lot of popularity lately. If you’re curious about the idea and want to know more, we’ve got you covered!
The placenta is an organ formed to nourish and protect your baby inside the uterus. It delivers oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and growth factors from the birthing person to the baby. Once the baby is delivered, the placenta detaches from the uterus and is expelled outside the body.
What Is Placenta Encapsulation?
Placenta encapsulation is a process through which the entire placenta is converted into ingestible pills so that the nutrients can be easily consumed postpartum. It is done by trained placenta specialists, who conserve the placenta within a certain time window and then convert it into capsules.
Why Do People Do It?
Placenta encapsulation is considered one of the methods of eating placenta. It stems from the idea that since the placenta is the organ of nutrition for the baby, it can have certain health benefits for the birthing parent if consumed postpartum.
Some purported reasons why parents are a fan of consuming placenta are:
Improved milk supply
Decreased anxiety
Decreased chances of postpartum depression
Reduced postpartum bleeding
Provision of important nutrients like iron and certain vitamins
Options For Your Placenta Other Than Encapsulation?
If eating your placenta isn’t your cup of tea, but you don’t want it to go to waste, there are still options to conserve or utilize your placenta.
1. You can donate your placenta
You can donate your placenta and other birth tissue to a registered tissue bank. It's a nutrient-rich organ and is thought to help in reconstructive procedures to promote healing of burns and other large wounds.
2. Have it made into a salve
If you can’t ingest it, you can have your placenta made into a salve. It’s a healing herbal ointment that can help with the healing of c-section scars and other ailments.
3. Convert it into jewelry
If you don’t want to conserve the entire placenta, you can still keep fragments of it in the form of a beautiful pendant, a ring, or even drop earrings.
4. Plant it
Plant the placenta alongside your favorite tree after your baby’s birth. It will serve as a beautiful reminder as it grows alongside your baby.
5. Get it made into a Keepsake
You can preserve your placenta within resin or get it made into a frame. At Brilliant Births, we offer natural and culinary dyes that can convert your placenta into beautiful keepsakes.
Why encapsulate with Brilliant Births?
At Brilliant Births, we have certified placenta specialists on board that are equipped with the knowledge and materials required for proper conservation and encapsulation of the placenta. Our specialists are trained to meet the highest OSHA standards for safe handling and processing of the placenta.
After the baby’s birth, we call our specialists that arrive within 2-3 hours after birth for transportation of the placenta. Once processed and encapsulated, you will receive the capsules via mail.
If you have any other questions regarding placenta encapsulation or natural birth, feel free to contact us.
What size is my baby this week? Is this normal in pregnancy? What symptoms should I have in the first, second, third trimester? We compiled the answers in a comprehensive list! Here’s a week-by-week guide on baby size and common pregnancy symptoms from conception to birth.