Wild Birth Services

As of January 2023, I will only be encapsulating for my clients, I'LL be happy to refer you to other SPECIALISTS who can process your placenta quickly!

Why Encapsulate?

Mothers who choose to encapsulate their placentas report increased energy, easier time with hormone related inconveniences post birth, less postpartum depression in moms with a history in past pregnancies, and increased amount of breastmilk with a quicker turnover from colostrum to regular breast milk. The placenta not only holds high amounts of iron to replenish the body post birth it also holds the same hormone balance you had at birth for 4-5 days before starting to break down. This helps moms gently decrease their hormone levels instead of having a hormone “crash” 3-5 days post birth. I practice 2 different forms of placenta encapsulation, chinese and raw. Each have their own risks and benefits which I will be happy to discuss with you.

Raw Encapsulation

This preparation is based on the raw food methodology. Raw foodism teaches that food is most nutritious if not submitted to excessive heat. Because of this bacteria may not be destroyed during preparation but raw foodists believe that this is beneficial because it helps populate the gut with beneficial flora. This also honors the tradition of several cultures that sun dry their meat to preserve it instead of cooking it.

Pros:

• Since the placenta is not steamed, the pill yield is quite a bit higher. You will get more pills out of the same size placenta.

Cons:

• The placenta is not cooked even though it is fully dehydrated. There is no reported evidence that food borne illness has happened from a raw method of preparation it is a possible risk with this method.

  I CURRENTLY ONLY PROCESS PLACENTAS USING THE RAW METHOD

Transport and Encapsulation

Once you have your baby just give me a call! I will transport the placenta to my home after your birth and prepare it as soon as possible for dehydration. Once the placenta is fully dehydrated I will pulverize the strips using a disinfected blender. Using sterile techniques I will then take the powdered placenta and fill size 00 gelatin capsules with the powder, deposit them into an opaque glass jar and affix dosing instructions to the jar. The encapsulated placenta pills are usually finished by your postpartum time within the first week after birth. I will also include placenta prints and a umbilical cord keepsake as long as the placenta is wholly intact and there is enough cord to sculpt.

Tinctures are available for $10 more and are cured in 100 proof alcohol to preserve the benefits of encapsulation long term and insure an immediate sublingual delivery method. 

Keep in mind:

If there is an infection during your pregnancy or birth, your baby was born prematurely, or a handful of other reasons your OB/Midwife may wish to send the entire placenta in for examination. You may not be able to get your placenta back for encapsulation if this needs to be done, but may receive vital information as to why things happened during your pregnancy the way they did, which may affect future pregnancies. You can request that only part of the placenta be sent for biopsy, but likely the entirety will need to go. If this happens, request the cord for a complimentary keepsake.

Independent studies have proved that GBS positive mothers will not transmit this to their baby through placenta pills if encapsulated correctly. I currently hold a certification that requires me to encapsulate at 160 degrees fahrenheit for at least 24 hours. When this is done it kills all the bacteria, including GBS, on the surface and within the placenta itself.

You can not encapsulate your placenta if you choose a lotus birth.

I currently do NOT have a fast turn around for placentas! I’m a homebirth midwife with my own birth clients and appointments that can delay processing. I will get your pills to you as soon as I can, but can NOT promise any specific time frame if I have clients in dates!

Still on the fence?

If you're unsure whether you want to have your placenta encapsulated go ahead and save it! A placenta can still be encapsulated if double ziplock bagged and frozen within 24 hours post birth, and gives you the option to process it if needed during your postpartum period. The placenta is good for up to 4 weeks in the freezer, but keep in mind the longer it is there the less potent it will be once encapsulated. If it is not needed, you can use it as a nutrient base for a rose bush or tree in your yard, in honor of your child.

For more information on the latest published research on mother's experiences with placentophagy, please view this paper online at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03670244.2012.719356#.VMEwVy6Ibcs

**Firefly Birth Services is not a pharmacy, pharmaceutical representative, holistic practitioner, herbalist, or medical doctor. Benefits of placentophagy are supported by ongoing research but have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Placentophagy is for natural nutritional supplementation and is intended solely for the ingestion by the mother who has birthed the placenta(s) and not for her family members, friends, or other individuals. It is a natural nutritional supplement and cannot be guaranteed to produce specific results. It should be used in such manner.