What training have you had?
APPA - The Association of Placenta Preparations Arts
Sara Woods-Kender - Herbalist Certification & Preceptorship
OSHA Safe Placenta Preparation Certification
ServSafe - Safe Food Preparation Certification
How do I store my placenta after birth?
You will want to have the placenta on ice inside a cooler or put in to a refrigerator within three hours of delivery.
How will you get the placenta?
Be sure to take a cooler with you to your place of birth. Reach out to me through text so that we can coordinate a pick up time that works best. I will then come to where you delivered to pick up your placenta.
What should I tell my provider?
At a prenatal appointment you can ask your provider if they have a release form that you will need sign indicating that you are keeping your placenta. It is also helpful to remind them when you arrive to give birth.What if my placenta is sent to pathology?
What if my placenta needs to go to pathology?
If your placenta needs to be tested for any reason, ask your provider to take a piece in front of you to examine while the rest is properly stored in your room for encapsulation.
What if I test positive for Group B Strep (GBS)?
Placenta encapsulation is not contraindicated by a positive Group B Strep (GBS) test. Testing positive prenatally means colonization, it does not equal infection. Most people who test positive prenatally do not become infected. If you or your baby has an infection during labor or within 24 hours postpartum, your placenta is considered infected, therefore it would no longer be safe for encapsulation.
Is my placenta full of toxins?
The placenta is a facilitator organ, not a storage space. It works by transferring nutrients to the baby and quickly transports toxins out of the placenta, away from the baby, to be processed by the mother’s liver and kidneys.
What is a tincture?
A placenta tincture preserves the placenta’s medicinal qualities for lifelong use. It is processed by taking a very small portion of the raw placenta and placing it in a prepared solution of high grade alcohol for a minimum of 6 weeks. It is suitable for consumption through the maternal lineage (grandmother, mother, daughter). Tinctures are less potent than capsules, but are highly beneficial, due to their much longer shelf life.
These situations ARE safe for placenta encapsulation…
Group B Strep (GBS) - Placenta encapsulation is not contraindicated by a positive Group B Strep (GBS) test. Testing positive prenatally means colonization, it does not equal infection. Most people who test positive prenatally do not become infected. If you or your baby has an infection during labor or within 24 hours postpartum, your placenta is considered infected, therefore it would no longer be safe for encapsulation.
Meconium - You can still safely encapsulate if you test positive for Group B Strep (GBS). Testing positive prenatally means colonization, it does not equal infection. Most women who test positive prenatally do not become infected. If you or your baby has an infection during labor or within 24 hours postpartum, your placenta is considered infected, therefore it would no longer be safe for encapsulation.
Gestational Diabetes - Whether diet-controlled or insulin-controlled, this does not affect the ability to encapsulate the placenta.
Placenta Previa - This does not effect the encapsulation process.
Pre-eclampsia - Your placenta will undergo a routine examination for irregularities. If it is not sent to pathology, it is safe for encapsulation.
Water Birth - As long as the placenta is refrigerated within 3 hours of delivery, a water birth will not cause contamination.
When would I be unable to encapsulate my placenta?
-Chorioamnionitis
-Uterine infection
-Sepsis or other serious infection
-Baby with symptomatic GBS infection
-Some variations of Lyme disease (if your symptoms make you unable to process red meat)
-Clostridium difficile (C. Diff)
-COVID 19 infection or known exposure
-Prior disease
-If you are a smoker, encapsulation is not recommended