Placenta Encapsulation

The placenta contains your own natural hormones making it completely unique to each mother. Experts agree that the placenta retains hormones. Reintroducing them to your system is believed to balance postpartum and menopausal hormonal fluctuations. It also:

• replenishes depleted iron
• contains all the blood building nutrients (iron, B12, folic acid, B6) proteins, fatty acids, etc.
• replaces the hormones you lost during the birthing process
• gives you more energy
• lessens postpartum bleeding
• has been shown to increase and enrich breastmilk
• decreases baby blues and postpartum depression due to the vitamins and minerals contained within the placenta, such as vitamin B6.
  
  • Dr. Dean Raffelock, D.C., Dipl.Ac./L.Ac, CCN, DIBAK tests women's nutrient levels postpartum (pre- and post-treatment) and is very aware of the link between nutritional deficiencies and mood and anxiety issues. Data shows this link exists in the general population, it is forthcoming in our population.

• hastens return of uterus to pre-pregnancy state

• decreases likelihood of insomnia or sleep disorders

There are many natural therapies that work despite scientific researching saying it doesn't (taking something apart and trying to figure out which part of it makes it work may ignore that it just might take the whole thing to work... ABCDEF won't work if you break it into A, B, C, D, E, and F individually), and lots of medical procedures that we used to believe were wonderful but have since found that they're awful (think about how women used to be knocked out with ether and then their babies would be delivered while they were unconscious, formula was thought to be far superior to breast milk, etc.). Remember also, there is no scientific data suggesting that prayer “works” either, yet many of us have the anecdotal evidence that it does!

That said, there are no scientific studies done to show the effects of a mother ingesting placenta. There are only studies showing that the placenta contains hormones, vitamins, minerals and such that have been scientifically shown to give the benefits listed. So we rely on anecdotal evidence to suggest that consumption of the placenta in a dried, powdered form will reap these benefits.

Today is only my third day taking my encapsulated placenta, but already I have more energy!! That is the main reason I am taking it. I was exhausted, and felt like I couldn't keep up with a pre-schooler, a toddler, and an infant. I was feeling the need for a 3 hour nap every day, was dragging like you wouldn't believe, and even when I did get a nap I still was ready for bed super early.

I'll keep you updated on how things continue to unfold!! My one complaint is that, online in the instructions for how to encapsulate your placenta at home, everyone said that they get around 80-150 capsules out of it. However, my midwife said that 20-40 is average. Gotta say I'm a little disappointed in how capsules I have, especially considering the $165 cost!!

P.S. Because this isn't a blog that's followed by very many, and it's not meant as an informative, informational, educational blog but rather just a journal for myself (and friends and family to read), I totally didn't get permission to use this picture from where I found it online (will replace with an image of my own placenta when I get it from my midwife), and I didn't properly document where my information came from. SORRY!