Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Placenta Encapsulation...
What Are the Steps for Securing Placenta Encapsulation Services?
Step 1: Read and Submit Powerful Mamas® Terms & Conditions for Placenta Encapsulation Services.
Step 2: Purchase Your Chosen Package, Including Any Extra Add-On Options Below.
Step 3: Print the Downloadable Form Emailed with Your Receipt. Take this Form to the Hospital!
Step 4: Have a Baby! :) Email Jacquelyn within 12 Hours of the Birth to Arrange a Mutually Convenient Pick Up Time from Your Birth Location, or within 30 Minutes of Ankeny.
Step 5: Receive Your Finished Products within just a Few Days via USPS Priority Mail. Hooray!
Step 2: Purchase Your Chosen Package, Including Any Extra Add-On Options Below.
Step 3: Print the Downloadable Form Emailed with Your Receipt. Take this Form to the Hospital!
Step 4: Have a Baby! :) Email Jacquelyn within 12 Hours of the Birth to Arrange a Mutually Convenient Pick Up Time from Your Birth Location, or within 30 Minutes of Ankeny.
Step 5: Receive Your Finished Products within just a Few Days via USPS Priority Mail. Hooray!
What Safety Precautions Does Powerful Mamas® Practice While Providing Encapsulation Services to Local Clients?
Safety is my top priority, which is why I am a CERTIFIED placenta encapsulationist with the International Placenta & Postpartum Association, formally known as Full Circle Placenta. I also have OSHA Blood Borne Pathogens training and Food Safety Handler training. Not every person that does encapsulation spends the money or time on professional training, but I take the trust clients put in me very seriously! This is NOT the time to trust someone who learned on YouTube, please, please, please! I am an encapsulationist, but I am also a birth professional - I teach childbirth classes, attend births as a doula, rent birthing tubs, and train new doulas. Your safety is very important to me, but more than anything, I must also practice the best safety precautions possible for the sake of my own family.
Every placenta I handle comes labeled with the client's name and is transported in a bio hazard bag. I NEVER work on more than one placenta at a time in the same work space! This is just one way that I insure there is no cross contamination. I also have a separate studio devoted to encapsulation using stainless steel work surfaces, rather than preparing in your kitchen or my own. This is for the safety of both our families. All of my equipment is fully cleaned and sanitized between each encapsulation.
Every placenta I handle comes labeled with the client's name and is transported in a bio hazard bag. I NEVER work on more than one placenta at a time in the same work space! This is just one way that I insure there is no cross contamination. I also have a separate studio devoted to encapsulation using stainless steel work surfaces, rather than preparing in your kitchen or my own. This is for the safety of both our families. All of my equipment is fully cleaned and sanitized between each encapsulation.
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Full Circle Placenta Certification for Jacquelyn Duke
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What to Do with Your Placenta After Delivery:
If Jacquelyn is encapsulating for you, YOU MUST email JACQUELYN@POWERFULMAMAS.COM WITHIN 12 HOURS OF THE BIRTH TO ARRANGE A MUTUALLY CONVENIENT PICK UP TIME!
If you haven't done so yet, Central Iowa clients must also send both payment and acknowledgement of Powerful Mamas® Terms and Conditions for Placenta Encapsulation Services. Services are NOT guaranteed until payment and the signed contract have both been received by Powerful Mamas. Thank you!
Make sure your provider understands that you want to keep your placenta for consumption! Put this in your birth plan/wish list!
Treat your placenta like you would any raw meat you plan to consume - handle it safely and cool it quickly. Your placenta is good refrigerated for up to 4 days if handled properly, and it is good frozen for roughly 6 months in a deep freezer, though fresh is best for the delicate hormones it contains! After 6 months it may begin to lose many of the fragile hormones critical for increased milk supply and mood balance.
Most hospitals or birthing centers will provide you with a red biomedical hazard plastic bag or container to take your placenta home with you, but it's always a good idea to bring a couple of freezer ziplocs of your own to double bag it. If it's not already labeled, label your container with your name, date of birth, and address prior to transport and make sure it is in a red, biohazard bag or container. If you live outside of Iowa, check your state laws and local hospital policies regarding release and transport of the placenta. You may be asked to sign a release form.
If you haven't done so yet, Central Iowa clients must also send both payment and acknowledgement of Powerful Mamas® Terms and Conditions for Placenta Encapsulation Services. Services are NOT guaranteed until payment and the signed contract have both been received by Powerful Mamas. Thank you!
Make sure your provider understands that you want to keep your placenta for consumption! Put this in your birth plan/wish list!
Treat your placenta like you would any raw meat you plan to consume - handle it safely and cool it quickly. Your placenta is good refrigerated for up to 4 days if handled properly, and it is good frozen for roughly 6 months in a deep freezer, though fresh is best for the delicate hormones it contains! After 6 months it may begin to lose many of the fragile hormones critical for increased milk supply and mood balance.
Most hospitals or birthing centers will provide you with a red biomedical hazard plastic bag or container to take your placenta home with you, but it's always a good idea to bring a couple of freezer ziplocs of your own to double bag it. If it's not already labeled, label your container with your name, date of birth, and address prior to transport and make sure it is in a red, biohazard bag or container. If you live outside of Iowa, check your state laws and local hospital policies regarding release and transport of the placenta. You may be asked to sign a release form.
When Might It Be Unsafe to Consume the Placenta?
A placenta that is handled improperly, and/or sent to pathology and put into formalin, formaldehyde, or any other chemical is no longer safe to consume!
If an infection in the mother is suspected during labor or detected in pathology, the placenta is unfortunately no longer safe to consume. Pathology can do a test that will give you a definitive answer regarding if there was actually an infection present during labor. Should the placenta need to be tested by pathology, a small piece could be offered with the rest of the placenta retained for encapsulation purposes.
If your baby passes meconium prior to birth, I recommend only doing basic heated encapsulation as well as rinsing the placenta in an apple vinegar bath prior to steaming it.
The placenta helps to protect the baby from harmful substances. This is why placenta consumption is not recommended for heavy smokers or after particular drug use. Epidurals and most standard narcotics used during labor for pain relief are not an issue for encapsulation, but be sure to check with your healthcare professional if you are concerned regarding the residue of any medications you have taken.
According to my certifying organization, the International Placenta & Postpartum Association, formally known as Full Circle Placenta, "There are NO specific studies regarding residual amounts of medications left in the placenta and HOW exactly it would affect a mom. The guidelines - plasma binding (how much the drug adheres to plasma proteins), the half life (how long the drug stays activated in the body), molecular mass (how large the drug molecule is) and the pregnancy category (the safety of the medication to the fetus) are ALL to HELP determine how MUCH of the drug CROSSES the placental/fetal barrier and could therefore remain active in the placenta. This has nothing to do with ingestion of the placenta. Do we have any idea what happens when a drug excessively crosses the placenta and then possibly survives the preparation process (more of a risk I would say when mother consumes the placenta raw within the first hour of birth) and then is re ingested after the birth? NO. Absolutely not. Could it cause an issue if mother is taking a medication that is dependent on a very specific dosage? Possibly, but we do not know for sure. This is information that ANYONE can find and look up to see how much of a medication crosses the placenta/fetal barrier and concentrates in the placenta. Most drugs have research on this topic readily available to the public via studies."
REMEMBER - Always check with your midwife/health professional to be sure your placenta is safe to consume! Insuring safety of the placenta prior to its release to the placenta encapsulationist is the sole responsibility of the owner of the placenta!!! If you discover you can not consume your placenta, keep in mind that it could still be used for placenta prints, an umbilical cord keepsake, or for a cultural ritual, such as burying it under a newly planted tree or bush. The tree can be a symbol of your baby's birth for years to come! Refer to our refund policy for placentas deemed unsafe to consume by the provider.
If an infection in the mother is suspected during labor or detected in pathology, the placenta is unfortunately no longer safe to consume. Pathology can do a test that will give you a definitive answer regarding if there was actually an infection present during labor. Should the placenta need to be tested by pathology, a small piece could be offered with the rest of the placenta retained for encapsulation purposes.
If your baby passes meconium prior to birth, I recommend only doing basic heated encapsulation as well as rinsing the placenta in an apple vinegar bath prior to steaming it.
The placenta helps to protect the baby from harmful substances. This is why placenta consumption is not recommended for heavy smokers or after particular drug use. Epidurals and most standard narcotics used during labor for pain relief are not an issue for encapsulation, but be sure to check with your healthcare professional if you are concerned regarding the residue of any medications you have taken.
According to my certifying organization, the International Placenta & Postpartum Association, formally known as Full Circle Placenta, "There are NO specific studies regarding residual amounts of medications left in the placenta and HOW exactly it would affect a mom. The guidelines - plasma binding (how much the drug adheres to plasma proteins), the half life (how long the drug stays activated in the body), molecular mass (how large the drug molecule is) and the pregnancy category (the safety of the medication to the fetus) are ALL to HELP determine how MUCH of the drug CROSSES the placental/fetal barrier and could therefore remain active in the placenta. This has nothing to do with ingestion of the placenta. Do we have any idea what happens when a drug excessively crosses the placenta and then possibly survives the preparation process (more of a risk I would say when mother consumes the placenta raw within the first hour of birth) and then is re ingested after the birth? NO. Absolutely not. Could it cause an issue if mother is taking a medication that is dependent on a very specific dosage? Possibly, but we do not know for sure. This is information that ANYONE can find and look up to see how much of a medication crosses the placenta/fetal barrier and concentrates in the placenta. Most drugs have research on this topic readily available to the public via studies."
REMEMBER - Always check with your midwife/health professional to be sure your placenta is safe to consume! Insuring safety of the placenta prior to its release to the placenta encapsulationist is the sole responsibility of the owner of the placenta!!! If you discover you can not consume your placenta, keep in mind that it could still be used for placenta prints, an umbilical cord keepsake, or for a cultural ritual, such as burying it under a newly planted tree or bush. The tree can be a symbol of your baby's birth for years to come! Refer to our refund policy for placentas deemed unsafe to consume by the provider.
From Which Local Central Iowa Hospitals Will Jacquelyn Pick Up the Placenta?
You must be present for the placenta to be released. It will only be released to the parents. Generally clients ask for the placenta to be brought to their hospital room in preparation for my arrival. I make my pick ups very quick for the convenience of all involved, so it is helpful if you have the placenta ready in your room a few minutes before our arranged meeting time. You are also welcome to bring it down to the front lobby if you'd prefer to meet me there rather than in your hospital room. I bring a cooler, so you will not need to provide one.
I am happy to pick up the placenta from any of our local Central Iowa hospitals, including:
- Mary Greeley in Ames
- Methodist Downtown
- Methodist West
- Mercy Downtown
- Mercy Westlakes
- Broadlawns
- Lutheran Downtown
* I am also happy to meet at your home or birth center, as long as it is within 30 miles of Ankeny.*
I am happy to pick up the placenta from any of our local Central Iowa hospitals, including:
- Mary Greeley in Ames
- Methodist Downtown
- Methodist West
- Mercy Downtown
- Mercy Westlakes
- Broadlawns
- Lutheran Downtown
* I am also happy to meet at your home or birth center, as long as it is within 30 miles of Ankeny.*
What if You'd Like Placenta Encapsulation Services, But You Live Further Than 30 Miles From Ankeny, IA?
In this case, you have two main options:
1) Have someone meet Jacquelyn with your placenta at an easy to find public location within 30 miles of Ankeny.
2) Prepare the placenta yourself, using Powerful Mamas Placenta Encapsulation Guide! Detailed instructions with pictures are included!!!
1) Have someone meet Jacquelyn with your placenta at an easy to find public location within 30 miles of Ankeny.
2) Prepare the placenta yourself, using Powerful Mamas Placenta Encapsulation Guide! Detailed instructions with pictures are included!!!
What Are the Bonus Items Mentioned - a Placenta Tincture? Placenta Print? Umbilical Cord Keepsake? Can I Receive a Discount if I Don't Want the Bonus Items?
The tincture is a piece of raw placenta placed in a dropper bottle of over 100 proof alcohol. It is often saved for long term use after the placenta pills are gone - some even keep it for menopause! It is a wonderful option for periods of transition or stress, such as PMS, moving, anxiety, etc. I often encourage my clients to use up their placenta pills first and save their tincture for later, since it is shelf stable for years when stored properly. The tincture does need to "rest" prior to first use for at least 6 weeks. This means you should not open the bottle for at least 6 weeks.
The Tree of Life placenta prints are only included if the placenta is given to Jacquelyn in good enough condition for a print. Sometimes the placenta must be manually removed or is dissected in a manner that precludes placenta prints, but most of the time I can make a very beautiful keepsake. I use the blood of the placenta to make the Au Natural prints. It dries into a nice, light red color. If your placenta has been frozen the prints will have more of a water-color quality.
If you would like tie dye prints made of your placenta, please purchase the Add On option available. I use food coloring to make the tie dye prints, but the coloring does not come in contact with the placenta since I use saran wrap to protect the placenta during the printing process. I can also use natural food dyes directly on the placenta if you prefer. Just request this option!
The umbilical cord keepsake is the dehydrated cord wrapped into a design of my choosing, based on the length of the cord. Sometimes the cord is not included with the placenta, or is too short to do a keepsake, but I will try my best to include one if possible!
If you do not want the bonus items you are welcome to tell me not to do them when I pick up the placenta. However, there will be no discount on fees since the encapsulation is what takes the most time and expense. The prints and umbilical cord keepsakes are just bonus items I like to include whenever possible!!! Thank you for understanding. :)
The Tree of Life placenta prints are only included if the placenta is given to Jacquelyn in good enough condition for a print. Sometimes the placenta must be manually removed or is dissected in a manner that precludes placenta prints, but most of the time I can make a very beautiful keepsake. I use the blood of the placenta to make the Au Natural prints. It dries into a nice, light red color. If your placenta has been frozen the prints will have more of a water-color quality.
If you would like tie dye prints made of your placenta, please purchase the Add On option available. I use food coloring to make the tie dye prints, but the coloring does not come in contact with the placenta since I use saran wrap to protect the placenta during the printing process. I can also use natural food dyes directly on the placenta if you prefer. Just request this option!
The umbilical cord keepsake is the dehydrated cord wrapped into a design of my choosing, based on the length of the cord. Sometimes the cord is not included with the placenta, or is too short to do a keepsake, but I will try my best to include one if possible!
If you do not want the bonus items you are welcome to tell me not to do them when I pick up the placenta. However, there will be no discount on fees since the encapsulation is what takes the most time and expense. The prints and umbilical cord keepsakes are just bonus items I like to include whenever possible!!! Thank you for understanding. :)
What Are the Pros and Cons of of the Raw vs. Steamed Method of Preparation?
The Basic Heated Method includes steaming the placenta prior to dehydrating and pulverizing the placenta and putting it into capsules. (*Please note - unless the encapsulationist has a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine, this is the proper name for most placenta preparation methods using steam! Be wary of anyone that is adding things to the placenta! This includes herbs, teas, and food such as lemon, pepper, and ginger (which they should not be handling without a legal catering license and formal training in herbal interactions/preparations!!!)
The Raw Preparation Method does NOT include steaming the placenta prior to dehydrating and pulverizing the placenta and putting it into capsules. Rather, the placenta is sliced and placed raw into the food dehydrator. It is then dehydrated at 160 degrees Fahrenheit (per food safety regulations for meat products). This option is NOT available if meconium was present upon delivery of the baby due to bacterial concerns.
Some people feel that lower dehydration temperatures preserve more of the natural hormones in the placenta. However, in traditional cultures the placenta is typically steamed.
Some also feel that the placenta capsules from the raw preparation method are TOO strong. They are generally not recommended for those with a history of anxiety. Please do your own research and make the decision that feels right for you.
Please indicate upon pick up of the placenta which method you would prefer for preparation keeping in mind options may be limited based on birth circumstances.
The Raw Preparation Method does NOT include steaming the placenta prior to dehydrating and pulverizing the placenta and putting it into capsules. Rather, the placenta is sliced and placed raw into the food dehydrator. It is then dehydrated at 160 degrees Fahrenheit (per food safety regulations for meat products). This option is NOT available if meconium was present upon delivery of the baby due to bacterial concerns.
Some people feel that lower dehydration temperatures preserve more of the natural hormones in the placenta. However, in traditional cultures the placenta is typically steamed.
Some also feel that the placenta capsules from the raw preparation method are TOO strong. They are generally not recommended for those with a history of anxiety. Please do your own research and make the decision that feels right for you.
Please indicate upon pick up of the placenta which method you would prefer for preparation keeping in mind options may be limited based on birth circumstances.
What is Powerful Mamas Refund Policy?
Do to the biological hazards associated, no returns can be accepted for DIY Placenta Encapsulation Kits. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Placenta Encapsulation Services for local clients will be refunded, minus a $25 deposit for consultation time, should the placenta be labeled unsuitable for consumption by the medical provider or hospital. Your failure to notify Powerful Mamas via email within the required 12 hour time frame after birth does NOT qualify for a refund.
We appreciate your business and look forward to assisting you during this special time!
Placenta Encapsulation Services for local clients will be refunded, minus a $25 deposit for consultation time, should the placenta be labeled unsuitable for consumption by the medical provider or hospital. Your failure to notify Powerful Mamas via email within the required 12 hour time frame after birth does NOT qualify for a refund.
We appreciate your business and look forward to assisting you during this special time!
How Did Jacquelyn Become Interested In Placenta Encapsulation?
Years ago when I ran across the idea of placenta encapsulation, I was intrigued... My first thought was related to my farming background. Ever since childhood, I have seen sheep, cattle, goats, and other mammals eat their afterbirth. I never thought much about it...
Ultimately, it was the incredible testimonies of previous clients and friends that convinced me of the benefits of consuming the placenta. A doula friend with a previous history of PPD reported virtually no ‘Baby Blues’ or postpartum depression after trying placenta encapsulation with her second baby, after a severe case of PPD with her first child. Clients who have struggled producing enough milk in the past have later called to say that consuming their placentas exponentially increased their milk production with their next baby. Still others mentioned feeling more energized and "back to themselves" quickly post birth after consuming their placenta via encapsulation.
Nearly every land mammal (other than camels) has been documented eating their afterbirth. Researchers have come up with a variety of reasons for this practice, including hiding the evidence of birth from predators (yet amniotic fluid remains, so this is not an airtight explanation...), boosting iron stores after blood loss, and increased milk production. Research regarding the benefits of consuming the placenta in humans is still in its infancy, but I encourage you to examine the links and information provided to see some of the scientific evidence accumulating regarding placentophagia. I also encourage you to explore how the placenta has been used for thousands of years to help women recover postpartum in Traditional Chinese Medicine. For Central Iowa clients, I am very excited to be partnering with Midwest Acupuncture Clinic to be able to offer true TCM capsules!!! (See Package Options). For DIY encapsulators, I highly encourage that you work directly with a Doctor of Chinese Medicine if you'd like to add herbs to your placenta preparation. TCM doctors spend YEARS studying the science of herbal medicine, so their expertise should be sought out, respected, and valued prior to putting any herbs in your placenta capsules.
There are many ways to consume the placenta, but my personal favorite is encapsulation. Placenta capsules are as discreet and easy to take as any other vitamin or supplement!!! Clients enjoy being able to adjust how many they consume based on how they are feeling.
Ultimately, it was the incredible testimonies of previous clients and friends that convinced me of the benefits of consuming the placenta. A doula friend with a previous history of PPD reported virtually no ‘Baby Blues’ or postpartum depression after trying placenta encapsulation with her second baby, after a severe case of PPD with her first child. Clients who have struggled producing enough milk in the past have later called to say that consuming their placentas exponentially increased their milk production with their next baby. Still others mentioned feeling more energized and "back to themselves" quickly post birth after consuming their placenta via encapsulation.
Nearly every land mammal (other than camels) has been documented eating their afterbirth. Researchers have come up with a variety of reasons for this practice, including hiding the evidence of birth from predators (yet amniotic fluid remains, so this is not an airtight explanation...), boosting iron stores after blood loss, and increased milk production. Research regarding the benefits of consuming the placenta in humans is still in its infancy, but I encourage you to examine the links and information provided to see some of the scientific evidence accumulating regarding placentophagia. I also encourage you to explore how the placenta has been used for thousands of years to help women recover postpartum in Traditional Chinese Medicine. For Central Iowa clients, I am very excited to be partnering with Midwest Acupuncture Clinic to be able to offer true TCM capsules!!! (See Package Options). For DIY encapsulators, I highly encourage that you work directly with a Doctor of Chinese Medicine if you'd like to add herbs to your placenta preparation. TCM doctors spend YEARS studying the science of herbal medicine, so their expertise should be sought out, respected, and valued prior to putting any herbs in your placenta capsules.
There are many ways to consume the placenta, but my personal favorite is encapsulation. Placenta capsules are as discreet and easy to take as any other vitamin or supplement!!! Clients enjoy being able to adjust how many they consume based on how they are feeling.
Follow the recommendation of your physician or other qualified health provider regarding the safety of consuming your placenta.
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