“Eating my what?! That is disgusting!”
This is often one of the thoughts that goes through someone’s mind when they first hear about placenta encapsulation. Eating your placenta is an ancient practice, but it’s definitely not something that makes the front page of the popular news, except maybe when Kourtney and Kim Kardashian did it.
Placenta Encapsulation in Hampton Roads is definitely growing in popularity. Our clients are utilizing it for help with multiple areas. These include, but not limited to, decreasing occurrence or severity of postpartum depression, increasing energy levels after having the baby, increasing iron levels, increasing milk supply…and so much more!!
The process is simple.
You (or someone you designate) will safely transport your placenta to your home in the transport kit provided by Hampton Roads Doulas, in keeping with the World Health Organization requirements for organ transplant.
Your encapsulator will arrange to process your placenta in your own home, so that you have NO doubts as to what is being done with it. You will also know, without a doubt that it is, in fact, YOUR placenta that is being processed.
You are welcome to be as involved or uninvolved in the process as you like. Your encapsulator can even complete your capsules prior to you being discharged from the hospital, if you wish.
If you are present during the process, you are welcome to ask your encapsulator any questions you like. At Hampton Roads Doulas, all of our Postpartum Placenta Specialists are also professionally trained Postpartum Doulas. This means that they are able to answer anything you need to know, from placentas or postpartum recovery, to what is normal for your new baby right now.
Your encapsulator is professionally trained in proper and safe encapsulation as well as bloodborne pathogens. They will clean and sanitize their work space before and after the process each day, and they will even take care of the dishes that were piled up from when you hurriedly left for the hospital a few days before!
The process takes 1.5-2 hours on Day 1 and 12-24 hours later, the finalization of the process takes 1-1.5 hours on Day 2. As soon as Day 2 is complete, your capsules are ready for consumption.
If you are interested in knowing more about the training required of all our Placenta Encapsulators, you can take a look at ProDoula’s Placenta Prep program.
To learn more about this vital postpartum service, fill out our contact form, or call our office at 757-349-6618.