A few weeks ago I met with my new friend Lauren Bullington at the beautiful Northpark Mall in Dallas for coffee to discuss the benefits of placenta encapsulation. As a maternity and newborn photographer topics surrounding birth come up a lot with my clients. Until I met with Lauren I knew next to nothing about placenta encapsulation. Frankly, and I’m now embarrassed to say this, the idea of it grossed me out and I didn’t do it with any of my children.
Placenta encapsulation wasn’t readily available when I had my two oldest and as for my third and fourth kiddos I just didn’t know anything about it. But with more and more information out there about the benefits of this practice, I knew I needed to learn more. I also wanted to share it with my clients and blog followers. After learning more about the practice of placenta encapsulation I think it sounds intriguing and it’s definitely something I would consider if I were still in the business of having babies.
The following are Lauren’s answers to my questions about placenta encapsulation.
Placenta encapsulation is the practice of a mother consuming her placenta afterbirth, most routinely through capsule form. There are several forms of consumption. Some forms involve raw placenta, others do not. Ingesting the placenta can provide several benefits for a postpartum mother.
What is a placenta?
Let’s begin with understanding the anatomical parts and purpose of a placenta during pregnancy. The placenta is an organ. It develops and attaches to a mother’s uterine wall within the first six weeks of gestation. It connects to the fetus through an umbilical cord which develops from the center of the placenta and binds to the fetuses belly button. The umbilical cord contains one vein and two arteries. This vein is used to transport nutrients, oxygen, and blood to the growing fetus. These arteries are used to carry waste away from the fetus. The umbilical cord is the only resource connecting the mother and fetus throughout pregnancy.
What is the function of the placenta?
The primary function of the placenta is to act as a filter and catch basin for all products being transferred between mother and fetus. Throughout pregnancy, the placenta retains and produces several important hormones and nutrients.
Why would you ingest placenta?
If a mother ingests her placenta postpartum, she will be replenishing estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone hormones, all which aid in the development of mammary glands and prepares the breasts for lactation. The placenta also contains prolactin, which is the key hormone used to produce breast milk. Prolactin increases a woman’s milk supply. Other benefits that ingesting placenta provides are decreasing postpartum depression or baby blues, replenishing iron from blood loss during birth which helps prevent postpartum anemia, produces a consistent flow of oxytocin after birth euphoria has dissipated, provides the HPL hormone which helps establish early and healthy milk supply, encourages stabilizing ever-changing hormones post birth, restores B vitamins and energy, can inhibit infection and bleeding, and it can offer natural pain relief from the process of labor and birth of baby.
How do you ingest placenta?
The most common placenta encapsulation process is called Raw Foods Method which involves the placenta to be cut into strips and placed in a food-grade-dehydrator for 18-24 hours, until the strips are crisp. The strips are then placed in a blender which turns them into a powder to be encapsulated. The other common placenta encapsulation method is derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine. This involves steaming the raw placenta in natural herbs before placing the strips into a food-grade-dehydrator and blender to be encapsulated. Another common option for postpartum placenta consumption is in the form of a tincture, an alternative to gain longevity from the placenta. The tincture contains 100 proof of brandy or vodka and a thumb nail size piece of placenta, it is also possible to tincture the entire placenta but is a less used practice. It is necessary for the tincture to ferment for 6 weeks before digesting 7-10 drops under the tongue 3-4 times a day. A gorgeous print of an actual placenta taken by NDDA doula Lauren Bullington
Where do you go in Dallas for placenta encapsulation?
North Dallas Doula Associates in Downtown Dallas offers many different services including placenta encapsulation. Lauren Bullington the talented doula who wrote this guest blog offers placenta encapsulation services at NDDA. Contact NDDA for more information:
So cool! I’ve known several online people who have done placenta encapsulation but I haven’t spoken with anyone in real life who’s claimed they’ve done it. So much good information here!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. It’s amazing the number of things readily available to birthing mothers these days. I’m so glad there are so many choices.
I have to agree with you at first it sounded gross, but the benefits sound pretty neat. Thanks for sharing more about this with us, I never knew this was a thing before reading this post.
This has become more main-stream now-a-days, with the publicity of it from well-known celebrities and others. A very helpful article for those interested in this option.
I have never hrard of placenta encapsulation and I agree it slightly grosses me out. However, its only because I know nothing about. So thank you. I dont think i could do it, but I am more educated now. I appreciate your post.
Thank you so much! I never understood it before speaking with Lauren. I had heard there were benefits but I’m so glad to have the details now. Very cool thing to consider 🙂
What an informative and educative post! I never knew that the consumption of placenta has so much benefits, I always thought it was gross! After reading this, I know better.
Enjoy my read & learnt some new knowledge here, a great one, thanks for this lovely sharing. Now I know more about placenta encapsulation. cheers siennylovesdrawing
Hi, thank you for all the helpful information. Haven’t heard much about “PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION” .
Those pictures look awesome 🙂 I’m sure she loved to face the camera. Happy blogging 🙂
I remember my mum telling me she wanted to have her placenta byt she had problems with it and wasn’t allowed to keep it. This was still a very new concept 17 years ago but it existed. When I have children, I wont hesitate to have my placenta like this because of the benefits.
I was searching about placenta encapsulation and I found several posts, but this specific post has so much information that I cannot help but share this. Actually this kind of treatment should be more popular in developing countries like India. Thank you for sharing and making awareness about placenta encapsulation.
46 Responses
So cool! I’ve known several online people who have done placenta encapsulation but I haven’t spoken with anyone in real life who’s claimed they’ve done it. So much good information here!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. It’s amazing the number of things readily available to birthing mothers these days. I’m so glad there are so many choices.
I have heard of this but never had this much information about it – that’s really awesome!
I’m so glad it was helpful. I seriously had no idea about how beneficial placenta encapsulation could be.
I have to agree with you at first it sounded gross, but the benefits sound pretty neat. Thanks for sharing more about this with us, I never knew this was a thing before reading this post.
Nice! It’s the first time I read about this. Thank you for the information.
It’s my first time reading this and I am in awe. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
This has become more main-stream now-a-days, with the publicity of it from well-known celebrities and others. A very helpful article for those interested in this option.
Wow, I never heard of this before. I learned something new from this blog that I never really actually thought about before.
This is such a cool service, I love that you feature other businesses to help your clients!
This is completely new to me ! I was in Dallas for 2 years but never came across this.
I have never hrard of placenta encapsulation and I agree it slightly grosses me out. However, its only because I know nothing about. So thank you. I dont think i could do it, but I am more educated now. I appreciate your post.
It’s a new information for me. I haven’t heard similar thing before too. I don’t live in Dallas but it’s Interesting concept for pregnant ladies.
This creeps me out a little bit, but whatever works I’m not gonna yuck on someone’s yum
I’ve never heard about placenta encapsulation before but it looks totally helps to our health nice 🙂
I had not heard about placenta encapsulation. Good to know about its benefits.
Very interesting. I’ve heard so many people TALK about doing this, but no one that actually has done it!
This is quite an informative post, especially for pregnant women. I first time knew about placenta encapsulation in such detail.
I’ve heard about this before but didn’t know much about it. Thanks for the info!
I am an L&D nurse and have always found this an odd practice, so thank you for this post. I will share it with my labor nurse FB group!
Thank you so much! I never understood it before speaking with Lauren. I had heard there were benefits but I’m so glad to have the details now. Very cool thing to consider 🙂
Wow nice post! I learned something new from it. Thanks for sharing.
I knew that it could be used to prevent depression, but didn’t know it had so many other benefits. So amazing!
What an informative and educative post! I never knew that the consumption of placenta has so much benefits, I always thought it was gross! After reading this, I know better.
I didn’t know that, thanks for that information!
So informative! I had a friend that did this and she raved about it. Very cool to read more up on it. Thank you!
I read quite a bit about this during my pregnancy. So many nutrients it provides to the mother!
Enjoy my read & learnt some new knowledge here, a great one, thanks for this lovely sharing. Now I know more about placenta encapsulation. cheers siennylovesdrawing
Now this is a subject I’ve never heard of before! Thank you for providing information on where the services are too.
This was not something that was available when I had my babies. I still dont know that I’d do it if it was but it’s interesting to hear about it
Hi, thank you for all the helpful information. Haven’t heard much about “PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION” .
Those pictures look awesome 🙂 I’m sure she loved to face the camera. Happy blogging 🙂
This is all new information for me, I truly did know about placenta encapsulation. I am going to read more about that matter.
I’ve heard about this but never knew the benefits! Incredibly informative! Thank you for sharing!
My friend got hers encapsulated and i thought it was very interesting
This is all new to me too and wasn’t really talked about back when I had my kids. Love that you are sharing this with your Dallas newborn clients!
Wow this is my first time ever hearing about this! Very informative thanks!
Very interesting and I love the personal branding portraits you took of her! Beautiful!
Love this! I had my placenta encapsulated with my third and LOVED it! This is so informative!
I did know this! Thank you for this well-written article.
I had never heard about placenta before. Always helps to know more.
This is an interesting concept. No wonder there are beauty supplements have placenta.
I remember my mum telling me she wanted to have her placenta byt she had problems with it and wasn’t allowed to keep it. This was still a very new concept 17 years ago but it existed. When I have children, I wont hesitate to have my placenta like this because of the benefits.
I haven’t heard of this kind of therapeutic treatment before. if it works for you then that is just fine.
I was searching about placenta encapsulation and I found several posts, but this specific post has so much information that I cannot help but share this. Actually this kind of treatment should be more popular in developing countries like India. Thank you for sharing and making awareness about placenta encapsulation.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I truly appreciate your efforts and I am waiting for
your next write ups thanks once again.
I really appreciate the information man thank you!