~    Placenta encapsulation is the first step you can take towards proactive self care following childbirth.     ~

~placentophagy~

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Abbey Robinson on NBC DFW talking about placenta encapsulation and placenta art!
Human placentophagy, or consumption of the placenta, is defined as "the ingestion of a human placenta postpartum, at any time, by any person, either in raw or altered form".
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Abbey Robinson on CBS talking about doula work!

Our mission is to provide a safe, convenient and inclusive option
​for placenta encapsulation in north texas and beyond.

Our focus is to wholly support the healing process,
physically, mentally and emotionally.

~How it works!~

Every choice we make is with your safety in mind.

DAY 1

​~ Convenient~~
Once we have your information, We provide a cooler and all the supplies needed. 

You just need to add your placenta and ice to keep it cold.

Call or text for pick up.

We get right to work and deliver your completed order FAST!
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  • Surfaces are prepped according to food handling guidelines before your placenta ever comes out of the bag.
  • Your placenta is carefully placed on disposable absorbent pads for inspection and to make prints if desired.
  • Placentas are prepared according to Traditional Chinese Medicine except for one small change. We use a sous vide instead of steaming. (Sous vide uses even, consistent heat and is a cleaner process. It eliminates the risk of cross-contamination as everything is contained in a bag. Steaming is not a reliable or way to heat the placenta. It's very easy to undercook or overcook the placenta.)
  • After 30 - 60 minutes, the placenta is placed on a disposable cutting board and sliced into thin pieces
  • Along with the umbilical cord, the cut placenta and amniotic sac are evenly laid out on dehydrator trays and left overnight to dry

GETTING STARTED

  • Disposable coolers are mailed out (or dropped off) after we receive your payment.
  • The cooler bag is compact and easy to put in your labor bag.
  • It contains everything you need to pack up you placenta.

(Using a disposable cooler means no cross contamination!)
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Prints are made using only the blood from the placenta. Nothing artificial is ever added.

day 2

Consumption Guidelines ~
Suggested guidelines for consumption are on each bottle. If you feel you need more, you can always take more. If you feel you need less, that's ok too! Listen to your body and adjust accordingly!
  • Once your placenta is fully dehydrated, surfaces are prepped according to food safety guidelines
  • The dried placenta is placed in a sanitized container and ground into a fine powder
  • Capsules are placed lined up, filled with powder and capped
  • Completed capsules are wiped free of any powder and placed inside a clean bottle
  • Everything is cleaned and equipment is placed in sanitizing solution
  • Labels go on bottles/the package is assembled and readied for delivery!
Capsules should be stored in the freezer for best results.

Cost

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Capsules - $345.00
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Placenta Print - $10.00
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Placenta Tincture - $35.00

The science behind placenta encapsulation

Placentophagia (ingestion of the placenta) is not a new concept. More than 4,000 species of mammals are know to consume the placenta and accompanying membranes following birth. 

For many centuries, Chinese medicine has used dried placenta as a remedy consumed by postpartum mothers. The first scientific study of the benefits of humans ingesting dried placenta was in 1917, where an increase in protein and lactose could be seen in breastmilk. The first consistent reports of human placentophagia originated in North America sometime in the 1970's.

When placentophagia is studied in animals, benefits can be noted for mothers and babies including:
  • Better bonding (increased mother-offspring interaction. In rats that underwent cesarean section and were later reintroduced to their clean pups, the bond between mother and pup developed normally)
  • Promote caring behavior towards young (potentiation of the action of brain opioids)
  • PAIN RELIEF! (providing analgesia enhancement for parturient female)
  • Prevent postpartum hemorrhages
  • Decrease postpartum depression
  • Promote milk production (lactogenesis) 
  • Provides nutritional benefits
  • In humans, placentophagia has been considered a puerperal remedy ("puerperal - during or relating to the period of about six weeks after childbirth during which the mother's reproductive organs return to their original nonpregnant conditions" 

Hormones contained in the placenta:
  • oxytocin - facilitates uterine contractility (helps the uterus shrink/reducing bleeding)
  • estrogens - relieve symptoms of depression/mood stabilization - development of the mammary gland
  • progesterone - relieve symptoms of depression/mood stabilization 
  • adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)  - hormone that stimulates the production of cortisol which is important for regulating glucose, protein and lipid metabolism and helping maintain blood pressure.
  • Releasing Factor Corticotropin - the main element that drives the body's response to stress.
  • chorionic gonadotropin
  • hypothalamic releasing hormones (GnRH)
  • placental lactogen - stimulator of lactation - increased milk production = increased growth rate in babies!
  • placental opioid enhancing factor (POEF) (Facilitates analgesia and activates the release of endorphins = better pain relief!)
  • relaxin 
  • and inhibin
In studies, All these substances benefit the dam during the transition from pregnancy to the postpartum state and increase milk production.

Nutritional factors contained in placenta 
  • The average placenta (450g) contains an average of
    • 234 calories
    • 4 g fat
    • 899 mg cholesterol
    • 48 g protein
    • 513 g sodium
  • Significant amounts of trace minerals
    • iron
    • selenium
    • calcium
    • copper
    • magnesium
    • phosphoruous
    • potassium
    • zinc
  • Essential and non-essential amino acids
    • alanine
    • aspartic acid
    • arginine
    • histidine
    • leucine
    • lysine
    • phenylalanine
    • proline
    • tyrosine
    • tryptophan
    • valine
    • Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B7, B9, and B12
    • Vitamin A and retinoids

                                                          SOURCE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7765311/

Risks of placenta encapsulation

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While the potential benefits of encapsulation are seemingly endless, there are also some potential risks. Most of those can be ruled out or eliminated before encapsulation is even considered.

We cannot encapsulate when the pregnant person has:
  • HIV
  • Hepatitis A
  • Zika
  • active COVID-19 virus
  • Smoked during pregnancy

Situations during labor/delivery that would make the placenta unsafe are:
  • Chorioamnionitis - referred to as "Chorio" usually after prolonged rupture of membranes
    • Symptoms may include 
      • High temperature and fever.
      • Rapid heartbeat (the fetus might also have a rapid heartbeat)
      • Sweating.
      • A uterus that is tender to the touch.
      • A discharge from the vagina that has an unusual smell.
      • Treatment - Mother and baby are given IV antibiotics and baby is usually admitted to NICU
  • The placenta is treated with Formulin (or Formaldahyde which is irritating, corrosive, and toxic. If your placenta is sent out of your room to pathology for any testing, it's possible that it was treated with formulin and no longer safe to consume. Please advise us if it leaves your delivery room for any reason.)
  • General Anesthesia - in an emergency cesarean, where epidural or spinal anesthesia cannot be used and the pregnant person has to be "put under", general anesthesia passes the placental barrier. The concentration of medication can be magnified through the encapsulation process. Evidence suggests it may be unsafe to consume. 

Please let us know if you have any other unusual situations or any questions or concerns about your placenta.

Other risks can be minimized by safe handling and processing practices.

All of our placentas are processed using safe food handling and OSHA guidelines.
  • Placentas must be cooled on ice or in a fridge or freezer within 3 hours of delivery to prevent bacteria growth
  • Placentas are processed as soon as possible to preserve nutritional value
  • All surfaces are cleaned, prepped and sanitized
  • All placentas are heated to 160 degrees Fahrenheit to kill bacteria
  • Everything used to process placentas is disposed of except:
    • the dehydrator (all components in contact with blood products are completely submersed in a sanitizing solution)
    • the magic bullet used to make the powder (all components in contact with blood products are completely submersed in a sanitizing solution)
    • equipment is inspected after each use and replaced regularly
  • All employees maintain current Food Handlers certification with the city of Fort Worth
    • maintain current OSHA certification including blood borne pathogens

Each placenta is carefully inspected before processing.  We will contact the owner of the placenta with anything unusual to report and encapsulate only if safe to do so.

The benefits of ingesting your placenta have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Your encapsulated placenta is intended for ingestion only by the person that birthed it. There is no guarantee that the ingested placenta will yield the desired result(s). We are not licensed medical professionals, and cannot make any diagnosis or suggest treatment.