+ What is Placenta Encapsulation?

"Placenta Encapsulation" is the process by which your placenta is turned into capsules you can consume like a daily multi-vitamin. Doulas of Asheville placenta speicalists follow the Traditional Chinese Medicine method of cleaning, steaming, and then dehydrating your placenta prior to grinding it into a powder and placing in capsules.

+ Why Do People want Placenta capsules?

Many people believe that they can improve their postpartum recovery by consuming their placenta. Capsules make for an easy (and not so "icky") way to do this. The benefits people seek from consuming their placenta include increased energy and milk supply, nutrient and hormone replenishment, and reduced risk of postpartum depression.

+ What are the risks of placenta encapsulation? Is Placenta encapsulation Safe?

While there are many potential benefits of placenta encapsulation, it is not without risk. The main risks are your potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens (from your encapsulator or other encapsulation clients) and exposure to bacteria from an improperly handled or processed placenta.

Doulas of Asheville follows the industry's highest standards for safety to mitigate as many risks as possible. We never transport our clients placentas ourselves, you maintain possession of your placenta at all times. We only process placentas in our clients' own homes, the only way to ensure the capsules you receive are from your own placenta and that you/your placenta never came in contact with another placenta or the byproducts of the encapsulation process. (placenta dust anyone??).

We adhere to World Health Organization guidelines for transport of potentially hazardous substances by providing our clients with their own coolers that meet these guidelines. All our placenta encapsulators hold bloodborne pathogen certification. We also adhere to state food handling and preparation guidelines, which prohit the production of (meat) food products for commercial purposes at an uninspected workspace, unless at the home of the person consuming the product. Each of our encapsulators have completed extensive hands-on training from leaders in the field.

+ Are there reasons why I shouldn't have my placenta encapsulated?

If you developed an infection (Intrauterine Infection, chorioamnionitis) during your birth, it is not advised to consume your placenta. There may be other complications that might prompt your medical care provider to want to keep your placenta for examination. If your placenta is sent to pathology or has chemicals applied to it, we cannot encapsulate it for your consumption. Additionally, if your placenta wasn't stored properly or was taken from you and stored out of your posession we will not be able to encapsulate it for you. You placenta must be placed on ice or in a refrigerator within two hours of its birth and must remain refrigerated. If the encapsulation doesn't begin within 72 hours, the placenta must be frozen. We can encapsulate placentas that have been properly refrigerated within 72 hours or frozen within 6 months. Beyond that, the placenta is not considered safe for consumption according to our training standards. We go over all these details with our clients and you'll have clear, written instructions in your transportation kit. If you hire Doulas of Asheville for placenta encapsulation and you aren't able to keep your placenta, you will simply not be billed for the encapsulation service you booked. If you paid in advnance, you will be refunded less your $35 retainer.

+ How Many Placenta pills will I get? and how long will my placenta pills last?

This varies from person to person. The number of pills you can expect depends on a few factors, including how large your individual placenta is. Other factors include how long the placenta is steamed for prior to dehydrating, and how fine or course the dehydrated placenta is ground. Most clients can expect anywhere from 75-125 capsules from their placenta. How long they last depends on how quickly you consume them. Our Placenta Specialists will go over consumption guidelines with you as we complete your placenta encapsulation. We do recommend taking your capsules in the weeks and months immediately following your birth, rather than saving them for future use. If you are interested in long-term use of your placenta, we recommend having a long-lasting placenta tincture made from some of your prepared capsules. We offer this as an add-on to encapsulation for an additional fee.

+ What questions should I ask my placenta encapsulator?

As placenta encapsulation grows in popularity, there are an increasing number of people providing placenta encapsulation services. We're compiled a list of questions to ask your placenta encapsulator to ensure you're hiring someone providing a safe and reliable service. Basic things to know are: What training and/or certification do they hold? Where do they process the placenta? If not at your home, is their workspace inspected to meet local food handling regulations? What support do they provide for you to safely store and transport your placenta from it's birthed location to home? How do you notify them of your birth and arrange for services? Do they have backup in case they are not available to provide the service as planned? How quickly can you expect your capsules? What is included in the base price for encapsulation?

+ Will the hospital let me keep my placenta?

Unless there's a complication or illness that requires your placenta go to pathology, it should not be a problem for you to keep your placenta. Each birthing facility has their own policies for release of placentas, we're familiar with all the local hospitals and are happy to help you plan for safely getting your placenta home.

+ Why do you process in my home?

Short answer: It's safest for our clients and for our encapsulators.

Placenta encapsulation isn't without risk, so we have put in place a process that eliminates as much risk as possible to provide you with the safest placenta encapsulation service in WNC. By maintaining possession of your placenta and having your placenta encapsulated in your home, you don't have to wonder if your placenta was stored properly before being encapsulated. You don't have to wonder if your placenta was processed at the same time or soon after another person's placenta. You don't have to wonder if anything was added to your capsules. You don't have to wonder if anyone other than your encapsulator had access to your placenta (like other family members, children, pets, curious visitors..). You don't have to wonder if your encapsulator's space and process is as clean and safe as they say it is, because the whole process is happening right in your home. You are welcome to observe as much or as little as you desire. We're discreet and efficient but happy to show you every step of the process and answer any questions you have along the way.

+ Ok, so what's the process? Does it Smell? How do I get my home ready for you?

It takes us about two hours on two consecutive days to process your placenta. All we need from you is access to you home, a sink, a few feet of counter space, a stovetop for boiling water, an electrical outlet for plugging in our dehydrator.

You don't need to do ANY prep for us before we arrive. Your Placenta Specialist will do whatever clean up may be necessary to get your kitchen ready for encapsulation. We'll take care of any dishes in the sink or knick-knacks on counter tops and have everything back where you left it before we leave your home.

The most time consuming part of the process is thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing our work space at your home. On the first day, we clean, drain, steam, and place your placenta in thin strips into our professional grade dehydrator. We use fresh lemon and ginger in the steam water, so most clients don't smell anything but the lemon and ginger. Your placenta remains in our dehydrator in your home overnight. Prior to leaving on day one, we'll thouroughly clean and sanitize your kitchen and repeat the cleaning and prep when we return the next day. On the second day we'll test each piece of your placenta to ensure it is dehydrated completely before grinding it to powder and placing it in capsules. We'll thoroughly clean again when we finish your placenta encapsulation and will go over guidelines for consumption with you and answer any questions you have before we leave. Your Placenta Specialist will remain available to you for any questions that come up during your recovery.

+ How much does Placenta Encapsulation cost and what is included?

What you can expect to pay for placenta encapsulation varies a lot from business to business and by geographic location. Our base fee for placenta encapsulation is $395 and includes your personal cooler/transport kit (yours to keep), placenta capsules, and a cord keepsake (if possible and if desired). A long-lasting tincture may be added for an additional fee. Travel is included for clients within 20 miles of their encapsulator's home. We do travel beyond this range and charge a travel fee (of the current IRS mileage reimbursement rate) beyond our included range. Contact us for a personalized quote and travel fee estimate.

+ I already gave birth, is it too late to have my placenta encapsulated?

That depends. The best thing to do is give us a call as soon as possible. We'll need to know when your placenta was birthed, how long it was at room temperature before being refrigerated or frozen, and where it has been stored. We will also need to know if it ever left your possession (stored somewhere away from you at the hospital or taken to pathology). If your placenta has been stored properly we should be able to process it for you. If you aren't sure whether you will want to have your placenta encapsulated, you can bring your own cooler with you to your birthing location so you know you have a safe way to store it for transport home. If you decide to encapsulate we'll make sure it's safe to do so and then schedule a time to begin. If you choose not to encapsulate, we can advise you on safe ways to discard your placenta or find another way to honor it such as burial or creation of art prints.

+ What is your service area?

Doulas of Asheville placenta services are available throughout most of western North Carolina. Our fee for encapsulation includes travel within 20 miles of the encapsulator's address (40 miles round trip). We can often accommodate requests beyond our range of 20 miles by assessing a travel fee of the current IRS reimbursement rate per mile. Contact us If you aren't sure whether you live in our service area, would like an estimate including a possible travel fee, or if you would like to reserve your due date on our calendar.

+ How do I hire Doulas of Asheville for Placenta Encapsulation?

Simply get in touch with us to reserve your due date on our calendar or request our placenta encapsulation services if you've already given birth. If you haven't yet given birth, we'll get a cooler and transportation kit to you after you sign your contract and submit your retainer ($50). (We do all of this online, easy peasy. Your date is held on our calendar once you've completed your contract and paid your $50 retainer. Full payment isn't due until you call to schedule your encapsulation, your retainer credit will be applied to your balance due.)