SO MANY THINGS! Your placenta can be processed and 'encapsulated', meaning it can be turned in to capsules for you to take in the weeks or months after birth. We can also make some other amazing remedies, such as a tincture, an essence, creams for both mother and baby, balms and homeopathic remedies.

Placenta Encapsulation is the process of turning raw placenta into safe, consumable capsules, similar to herbal supplements. Placenta goes through a verified set of processes in a sanitized and controlled setting, over a number of hours. I use the Traditional Chinese Method (TCM) process which dehydrates the placenta at certain temperatures, ground in to fine powder, then manually filled into vegan capsules.

The process takes between 24-72 hours, depending on the services you choose.

If I am not collection your placenta at the time of birth, you can keep it yourself depending on your place of birth. Ensure that your midwife, OBGYN, birthing team and family are aware that you wish to keep your placenta and note this in your birth plan. Discuss your plan to keep your placenta with your midwife during your antenatal appointments. In most cases, unless you are birthing at home, you will need to complete a release form prior to or quickly after giving birth.

Once it is birthed, the placenta needs to be stored within the first couple hours. Ideally, It should be stored in a refrigerator that does not contain any food and buried within 48 to 72 hours. Another alternative is to keep the placenta in its container, on ice and in an cooler, for no more than 48 hours prior to burial or encapuslation. Your placenta needs to be kept cool to ensure it remains safe to consume. Your placenta should be stored in a refrigerator below 8°C after the cord is cut. However, not all hospitals will allow you to use their fridge/freezer. This is why it is important to be prepared with a cool bag or cooler.

I can collect your placenta from your home or the hospital. When you book, I will ask for your due date and contact you before this date to make sure you are prepared. When you go into established labor you should text me immediately, with another text once you are near or have given birth. You (or a family member) can then liaise with us over collection of your placenta depending on what level of collection you have chosen.

This can happen most commonly in the hospital setting. The most usual reason is that your hospital, doctor or midwife are not aware that you want it to keep your placenta. Clear communication is therefore essential! But this can also if you had placenta issue during pregnancy, were carrying multiples, or experience a stillbirth in your last pregnancy. You can still keep it, but you will need to be firm about it! However, if there are significant abnormalities of the placenta your healthcare team may send your placenta for further examination. Other conditions, such as signs of infection during labour, may mean that consuming your placenta is not advisable.

Most women consume 1-2 capsules three (3) times a day during the first couple of weeks postpartum or until they feel their hormones have returned to normal. You can take 1-2 capsules whenever you feel you may need a little more energy or to boost your milk supply when breastfeeding. Placenta capsules can be taken as needed and there is no single correct dose. You may adjust your dose as you feel right. Listen to your body – it will tell you what it needs!

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The suggested dosage is 3-7 drops of placenta tincture into a an 16oz glass of water/liquid for the birthing person to drink after the placenta capsules are gone. The suggested dosage of 1-3 drops can be given to the child who shares the placenta with you as needed, BUT MUST BE DILUTED FIRST. It is important to remember a tincture is extremely potent, 1 drop can equal 1-2 capsules.

Placentas vary in size so the number of capsules also varies! A good measure to guess from is the weight of your baby. The number of capsules made Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) placenta capsules the averages is slightly less than other methods, but can be anywhere from 40-140 capsules.

It is very important that TCM placenta capsules are consumed within 6 months. I strongly advise clients to wash their hands before handling their placenta capsules and avoid leaving the jar open.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) capsules can be stored in a cool dry dark cupboard, but not the fridge, for up to 6 months. You will receive a care and storage guide with your placenta package!

It is not advised to take your TCM capsules if you have an infection, common cold, flu, fever or an infection such as mastitis. Only once your symptoms have subsided should you start taking your placenta capsules again. We advise you to order Placenta Tincture to complement TCM capsules.

Do not take placenta capsules while you are pregnant because of their hormone levels.​

Do not share your placenta pills with your other children or family members! They are unique to YOU AND YOUR BABY ONLY.

If you do experience any side effects stop taking the remedies immediately and inform us and seek medical advice.

YES. There are a few situations where we would not be able to process your placenta. These are: 

• If the placenta is sent to pathology
• If there is a uterine infection
• If the placenta is improperly stored
• If the mother smoked tobacco products during pregnancy​

Please let me know if you have any specific questions. If you are on medication during your pregnancy we ask you to seek advice from your consultant before deciding on placenta encapsulation.

Encapsulation is still possible if you give birth with an epidural or if you have a Caesarean section. The placenta acts as a filter, filtering out toxins and sending them back to the mother’s liver to be detoxed from the system. If you are on medication during your pregnancy I ask you to seek advice from a 1:1 consult before deciding on placenta encapsulation so I can guide you on your specific situation.

Yes, but it is important that the placenta is delivered onto a clean surface (such as a chuck pad or towel) and NOT into the birthing pool.​

Unfortunately the temperature and condition of the water makes it the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. It can still be used, but will require extra cleaning and a higher dehydration temperature. The shorter amount of time it is in the water the better!

Chances are once baby is born you will want to be out of the water for proper skin on skin.

Your birthing team will also encourage you to step out of the water shortly after birth. It is very difficult to gauge potential blood loss while you're still in the water.

If meconium is present, you can still encapsulate your placenta. Meconium is sterile, does not contain the fecal bacteria that normal stool does and therefore is perfectly fine to encapsulate. Meconium is only dangerous for the baby to inhale, but is otherwise harmless.

If your placenta is heavily stained, I will wash it thoroughly before encapsulation preparation. I will advise you once I have checked it. If it is thick with meconium you may only be able to have Traditional Chinese Medicine capsules and not the tincture.

Delayed cord clamping (waiting up to 10 minutes after delivery to cut the cord, preferably until it has completely stopped pulsing) has been proven to hold lifelong benefits for babies, and is something I encourage all families to research before giving birth.

Delaying cord clamping will not have any negative effect on your placenta.

Group B Strep is a common bacterium that does not normally pose health risks to the mother. All bacteria in the placenta are killed during the steaming process, and with Group B Strep I only use the Traditional Chinese Medicine method of placenta encapsulation and will do a longer steam and higher dehydration temperature if you test positive for Group Strep B.

Rarely, Group B Strep can lead to uterine infection. If you developed a uterine infection or fever during your labour, your placenta would not be considered useful in healing, and is likely to be taken to the pathology lab for testing. Otherwise Group B Strep is not contra-indicated in placenta remedy preparation.

YES, you can do both!

Placenta encapsulation is not contra-indicated for mothers with pre-eclampsia. Many women who have had pre-eclampsia have very successfully used placenta capsules. No one fully understands pre-eclampsia or exactly how to prevent it, and although the placenta does seem to play a part, it is not usually unfit for consumption.

After the birth, your placenta will be examined for irregularities and problems. Most of the time the placenta is completely fine and you should have no problem encapsulating.

Yes, mama of premature babies need all the help they can get bringing in their milk, healing quickly, and balancing post-natal mood.

As long as your placenta is examined and cleared for any type of abnormality after birth I am happy to encapsulate it!

Absolutely! I have worked with several twin placentas of all types.

Be aware that depending on your practitioner, it can be difficult to get twin/multiples placenta(s) release. This is because twin/multiples placentas are very rare and have a high research value, so you hospital (especially teaching hospitals) will try there best to keep it. Be very clear from the beginning that you intend to keep it/them. Make sure you, your partner, or your doula are ready to advocate. But you have the right to take it!

You cannot have capsules made from your placenta if you have a blood-borne virus such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV.

You can have capsules made from your placenta if you are given medicine or anesthetics during the birth of your baby, including a Syntometrine injection.

If you are taking any prescription medicines other than those used during pregnancy please seek the advice of your doctor before having capsules made from your placenta.