Placenta Encapsulation Process

Lately I’ve been getting more questions about the encapsulation process, and how it is performed in your home. Here is a step-by-step explanation of the process, from hiring me to taking your first capsules!

Since the encapsulation process is performed in your home after delivery, you (with the help of your support team) are responsible for transporting the placenta to your home. After delivery, it should be placed in a cooler with ice, and transferred to your refrigerator as soon as possible. Once you know your expected discharge time, contact me to schedule the encapsulation process. I bring all the tools and supplies I need, so you can relax and enjoy your new baby.

Upon arrival to your home, I will start by clearing a workspace comprised of the sink, some counter space, and the stove top (if choosing the steamed method) in your kitchen. The area is cleaned and disinfected before I set up my supplies. Finally, the placenta is brought out from the fridge, and the fun begins!

• Your placenta is rinsed and examined for any abnormalities.

• If placenta prints are desired, the amniotic membranes are removed, coloring applied, and prints taken. The umbilical cord is removed and shaped to later become a cord keepsake.

• The placenta is thinly sliced and placed into the dehydrator. If choosing the steamed method, the placenta is gently steamed before slicing.

• The dehydrator is plugged up in a safe location, away from children or pets, and left to dry overnight.

• Any reusable equipment is thoroughly washed with antibacterial soap, and prepared for a disinfecting bleach bath.

• The kitchen workspace is cleaned and disinfected again, so no traces of placenta remain.

The next day, at our predetermined time, I will arrive to your home with the supplies needed to complete the encapsulation process. The workspace in your kitchen is cleared, cleaned, and disinfected again before I set up my supplies.

• The dry strips of placenta are removed from the dehydrator, and ground into a fine powder.

• The capsule machine is filled with empty capsules, which are then filled with your placenta powder.

• Completed capsules are checked to ensure a tight seal, and placed into a jar.

• Placenta tinctures, salve, chocolates, or truffles are made from the same powder placed into your capsules.

• Any reusable equipment is thoroughly washed with antibacterial soap, and prepared for a disinfecting bleach bath.

• The kitchen workspace is cleaned and disinfected again, so no traces of placenta remain.

• The finished products are packaged, and presented to you with verbal and written instructions for their use.

That Time I Was In A Viral Story

In early March, I had a client who wanted to consume her placenta, but could not swallow pills. So, we discussed putting all of her placenta powder into chocolate, rather than just an 'extra' to pills like most of my clients who want chocolates.

After receiving the call that she had given birth, we made plans for me to come to their home and start the process that evening. As usual, I arrived and began cleaning, sanitizing, and setting up. My client and her mother wanted to watch the whole process, so they set up camp at the breakfast bar above my work area. As I began working, my client began taking photos, and let me know she was posting them on her SnapChat. I thought it was a fun idea, and figured it might reach 20 or 30 people.

Little did I know, the snaps were also posted to Facebook, and quickly began being shared. The first time I knew this was going to be a crazy ride was when I saw the post had 8,000 shares. I shared this with fellow placenta professionals, and we celebrated and wondered what this would turn in to. Little did I know, in just a few days, the original post would reach 100,000 shares. I began receiving private messages and comments that weren't so great, and had to lock down my personal page and carefully monitor my business page. I have received some great encouragement and support, but have also learned that people can be incredibly hateful when hidden by a screen.

The content was soon picked up by an agency and was posted on the Daily Mail, the Sun, Metro, and the Mirror! I'm not sure exactly how far this little video reached, as it has been re-posted in other formats, on pages, in groups, on websites, and who knows where else! I could not have imagined this happening, in my mind it was just little ol' me doing my job! I look forward to helping mothers consume their placentas however they desire for years to come.

Encapsulation Methods

When I encapsulate placentas, I offer two different preparation methods. Here is a quick summary of where these methods come from, and why one method may be better than the other for some clients.

Raw Preparation

This method is based off raw foods diet, with the belief that heat destroys important enzymes in food. When processing a placenta via the raw method, the placenta is rinsed and drained of excess blood, then sliced thinly and placed in the dehydrator.

Clients using this option report a greater a burst of energy upfront and great hormone stabilization.

This method is not recommended if the client is GBS+ (group beta strep positive) or meconium is present.

Steamed Preparation

This method is inspired by the Traditional Chinese Method. Since I am not a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, I don't use the term. Also, some who practice this method, sometimes steam the placenta with other ingredients such as lemon, ginger, and/or jalapeno. I am not versed in the effects of these ingredients, so I prefer to simply steam the placenta.

This option provides a more steady release of energy, which is why it is recommended for clients with a history of anxiety, depression, or insomnia.

Some believe this method makes iron more bioavailable. There is some evidence that heating the placenta might affect the stem cells, hormones and B vitamins which are sensitive to heat, but we don't know to what degree they are affected.

Why Bleach?

Some people are curious why we use bleach during placenta encapsulation. To begin the explanation, we need to define a few words in terms of infection control:

Cleaners remove soil, dirt, dust, organic matter, and some germs. Sanitizers reduce the number of germs on a surface. Disinfectants destroy or inactivate germs and keep them from growing. Sterilizing removes all bacteria and other living microorganisms.

As far as placenta encapsulation, one's supplies and work space must be clean and disinfected. There is no need for sterilization.

In my practice, I start by cleaning my tools and work space with antibacterial dish soap. They are then rinsed thoroughly and dried. Next, a 10% bleach solution is prepared as a disinfecting bath. My tools and supplies are submerged and soak for ten minutes to be disinfected. They are then rinsed well and dried before use or storage. For surfaces, the solution is sprayed on, and kept wet for a full ten minutes before drying.

Bleach does not harm the environment, It naturally and quickly breaks down into water and hypochlorite salt. This is also the reason bleach sprays like described above must be made fresh daily. Bleach also does not contaminate ground water, as it does not survive sewage treatment. Bleach has also been studied and found not to cause cancer. Bleach also does not form dioxins when used in this way. Bleach does not cause sensitization.

So why can't I use essential oils when performing encapsulation? Well, essential oils are often added to homemade cleaning products to boost effectiveness. Essential oils do help clean, and can help sanitize, but they can not disinfect. Additionally, many people are sensitive and even allergic to essential oils. OSHA, the CDC, and Servsafe have a small list of approved cleaners, disinfectants, and sanitizers that are proven to work well; and essential oils are not on those lists. Finally, essential oils are much more expensive than the proven safe and effective products I use.

In summary, bleach is cheap (which keeps the cost of services low) and is proven to be an effective disinfection.

 

Sources:

Biologix Solutions 'Bloodborne Pathogens for Placenta Encapsulation Specialists' Course

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030

https://www.clorox.com/our-story/the-truth-about-bleach/

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/default.html

 

Placenta Pills Infect Baby!!! Probably Not...

Recently, a CDC report was released blaming placenta encapsulation for late-onset GBS infection in an approximately 16 day old baby. Yes, this is a scary thought, but there are some gaps in the research and processing of this placenta I want to break down.

So, we'll start with the issues in the report. First, GBS is a transient bacteria, which means it can come and go throughout a woman's life. So even though the mother was negative at 37 weeks, she could have been positive at birth. On the other hand, how many women are told they test positive, receive treatment, but are not actually colonized at birth?

Second, the capsules did test positive for the same bacteria baby was infected with. The mother's breastmilk, the most likely way the bacteria would have been transmitted, tested negative for the bacteria. The report also notes, "transmission from other colonized household members could not be ruled out".

Three of my colleagues raised excellent points and worded them much better than I can.

"You are also dealing with a severely immunocompromised infant who has just come off of a very rough course of antibiotics and was ill which makes that baby much more susceptible to any infection from any source." -Shannon Mitchell

"A logical conclusion is the initial infection wasn't eradicated and the secondary infection was basically a relapse. There was no gbs in the breast milk. I think that's an important part of the puzzle when assuming the placenta was the cause for reinfection. That said, the placenta doesn't seem to have been processed properly and probably shouldn't have been encapsulated to begin with given the immediate onset of the initial infection." -Deanna Norris, APPAC

"Late-onset GBS has generally been attributed to the presence of GBS in the infant's environment. Did they culture the doorknobs in the family's home? The client's nipples? How about burp rags or swaddling blankets? If the client had it on their hands, then they could have quite easily transferred it to the capsules when they were taking some out of the jar. To suggest that the capsules were the *source* of the organism seems like *quite* a stretch." -Wendy Gordon, Midwife

Now onto the problems with the processing of the placenta by 'Company A'. First, "the company does not ask about intra- or postpartum infections". This is HUGE! I absolutely ask this of my clients. Encapsulators never want you to consume infected tissue! In my practice, I will not encapsulate your placenta if you have chorioamnionitis, a confirmed GBS infection (not colonization- in that case your placenta would be prepared by steaming before encapsulation), or GBS infection of the newborn.

Also concerning is the fact that "according to Company A’s website, the placenta is cleaned, sliced, and dehydrated at 115°F–160°F". Any temperature below 160° is NOT safe for dehydration. Below 160° would keep the tissue in the 'danger zone' where bacteria grow rapidly, easily doubling in 20 minutes. When a placenta is dehydrating for 12+ hours, this is simply unsafe, unsanitary, and unacceptable. This is taught in any food handling course, so it makes me wonder if this encapsulator does not follow safe food handling standards.

In summary, in my practice and experience, GBS is only a concern when the mother or baby has a confirmed infection, or the placenta is prepared improperly.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6625a4.htm?s_cid=mm6625a4_e

http://placentaassociation.com/group-b-strep-placenta-encapsulation-safety/

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/danger-zone-40-f-140-f/CT_Index