# DIY Placenta Encapsulation



## EmyDra

Hi! Thought I would start a thread for anyone interested in encapsulating their own placenta, getting a professional to do it can be very expensive (about £150) so I thought youd be pleased to know that the process is pretty easy and straight forward. I have decided to enclose pictures, but they are in spoilers as I know they aren't for everyone. If this is a problem please let me know and I will remove them.

Consumption of the placenta is associated with increased energy levels for the mother, a decrease in PND and increased milk supply. Like most women I cant fathom the idea of actually eating the placenta, and neither could my friend NuKe, whom I performed the encapsulation for.

So what do you need to do? Well, essentially you need to wash the placenta and get it as clean of blood as you can, cook it, dry it then grind it before putting it into capsules. The equipment you have available to you essentially can make these steps somewhere between easy and impossible. We decided we would split the costs of the equipment we thought necessary (a dehydrator, colander, a pill filler, coffee grinder and pill capsules) I donated my steamer to the cause, a glass chopping board and my good knife.

So, ideally you will need:​
*Sharp knife* (I used a James Martin one, bet hed be pleased)
*Chopping board* (ideally glass or a plastic disposable one)
*Colander or sieve *(I used a colander for easy cleaning but sieve would be better if you can spare one)
*Disposable gloves* (I used 9 pairs! I changed between the stages and cleaning etc)
*Spray bleach* (for your kitchen and all the equipment your using that will be coming into contact with blood)
*Stove steamer* (I used a very poor plug-in steamer, it did work but I think these work better in practise)
*A dehydrator *(we got one for £40, I was just a bit worried about using the oven and ruining the precious placenta, but Ive heard of plenty of stories where you dehydrate the placenta on a very low oven setting)
*Coffee grinder or blender*
*Pill filler *(Ours cost £20 from America including shipping, I would say this is pretty much essential)
*Pill capsules*
*Some cloves, fresh ginger or myrrh.*

Stage 1: Washing

This was the hardest stage for me because it took ages. The water was cold and my fingertips got a bit icy! Essentially you start by rinsing the placenta of the blood and blood clots, I found I had to remove the membrane as there were a lot of clots on it and picking them off was ripping it anyway. I was a bit annoyed as Id heard it was easier to steam it with the membrane wrapped around the outside, but it caused no problems that Im aware of.
You have to severe the cord at the base, then youll find it bleeds some more. I found it incredible to look at all the veins that had connected to the cord, they were dark with blood though which I found you have to push out along the vein and towards the middle where you severed the cord. When most of the blood is gone the veins will look pinky-red instead of dark and black. Like this:

Spoiler
https://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy80/emydragon/placenta8.jpg

Stage 2: Steaming

Although I didnt really find the placenta to have any smell (even when it was cooking) I put cloves into the steamer water and a little ginger to help mask the smell. I essentially did it on each side for 15 mins, but found when I cut it open afterwards it was still raw. In the end I ended up having to steam it in strips to make sure it was cooked and change the steamers water several times. This problem may have been cured with a better steamer or a stove steamer.

Spoiler
https://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy80/emydragon/placenta10.jpghttps://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy80/emydragon/placenta11.jpghttps://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy80/emydragon/placenta13.jpg

Stage 3: Cutting

Try and cut the placenta into really thin strips, and quite small so that they dehydrate well. 

Stage 4: Drying

Place them on baking paper either in your oven or dehydrator and cook at about 45 degrees for 8 hours.

Spoiler
https://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy80/emydragon/placenta14.jpghttps://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy80/emydragon/placenta15.jpg

Stage 5: Grinding

Pop a few pieces of crispy placenta in the grinder at a time and grind until its a light powder. I found it useful to tilt the grinder back and forth to make sure there were no lumps, you can tell by the noise it makes when all the large parts have broken down. It's amazing how little powder comes from a whole placenta!

Spoiler
https://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy80/emydragon/placenta16.jpghttps://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy80/emydragon/placenta18.jpg

Stage 6: Filling

Following the instructions on the pill filler (recommend watching a youtube video to check but its pretty straight forward) put the powder into the pill capsules.
https://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy80/emydragon/placenta21.jpg

Thats you done! I bleached the kitchen before I started, bleached the equipment involved after I washed the raw placenta, then again once Id cut up and dealt with the cooked placenta and finally once it was finished and all the equipment bleached and washed. The placenta I encapsulated made 86 size 00 pills.


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## dizzydoll

Interesting read thanks Emma :)


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## c.m.c

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!! how long would you expect to take these- how many tablets per day over how long?

I dont know if I could ever do it myself straight after birth but it defo is fab to have someone do it for you.


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## EmyDra

I've read several different suggestions for how many pills to take, 1-2 three times a day seems to be about right, but with previous PND I've read sometimes more (2-3 three times a day).

If you can just get someone on board it's totally worth doing! I've heard of people freezing them then encapsulating when they get the chance, but it's not ideal as the nutrience is lost and it's most benefical as soon after birth as possible.

It's really not as gory as you think, a good way to sell it to OH, family and friends :haha:


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## Eleanor ace

Ooh this was really interesting, thanks! It's not something I plan on doing but I'm so interested when I hear about it and always wonder just how its done :)


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## angiepie

Thanks for this. This is the method I'll be following. It'll make a fun, 'romantic' project for OH and I when we have a newborn. :D What size do you recommend you cut the strips?


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## NaturalMomma

You can take 1-3 pills, 1-3 times a day, even with a first baby. No more than 9 a day. You can also make a placenta tincture with a small piece of placenta in case you feel you'll need more after you're donw with your capsules, and once you start getting low you should wean off of them and not just stop. Take capsules with a full glass of water and ideally with food.


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## SackBoy

What dehydrator did you use?


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## T-Bex

Ooooh, brilliant! Thanks! 

Definitely getting my placenta for #2 (in the fact distant future!).


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## My_littlbump

I found this really interesting! Eating my placenta didn't appeal to me at all, think it's because I'm vegetarian and it's a bit too much like eating meat!( even though there's obviously no cruelty and it's from my own body!) but well done to you for doing this, Have you noticed the benefits from taking the capsules? X


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## EmyDra

I used a Wolf Food Dehydrator (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Food-Dehydrator-Adjustable-Temperature/dp/B0074N8JAY)

I recommedn cutting them as thin as they go! It does them no harm to be too small (I had done experiments with other organs before) as all that they lose is the moisture. Generally the little pieces I dehydrated were between 1/2 cm to 5/6 cm long and as thin sa I could get them. Smaller pieces helps the grinding too.



My_littlbump said:


> I found this really interesting! Eating my placenta didn't appeal to me at all, think it's because I'm vegetarian and it's a bit too much like eating meat!( even though there's obviously no cruelty and it's from my own body!) but well done to you for doing this, Have you noticed the benefits from taking the capsules? X

Isn't it weird that even herbivorous mammals eat their placenta? The only exceptions are really the ones that give birth in water and camels for some reason! :wacko:, totally get you though. NuKe just started taking her capsules last night so we will hopfully see what happens! No pressure :haha:


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## MummyinJune

Everyone i know thinks this is disgusting, and some never even heard of it!!!

I would deff do it, but i couldnt do the cutting and all that myself and everyone around me would slag me off. 

Im a vegitarian would be nice for some meat!! haha

I dont even think the hosp here offers it to you..
well done you!!


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## booflebump

^^ Nope, the hospital definately won't offer it, but your placenta is yours, so if you want to take it home from hospital, you can :thumbup:

I'm hoping to encapsulate, but might end up just doing a smoothie and tincture instead

xxx


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## MummyinJune

Its weird, i bet more ppl would do it if they are offered, its an awkward thing to ask!


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## minties

booflebump said:


> ^^ Nope, the hospital definately won't offer it, but your placenta is yours, so if you want to take it home from hospital, you can :thumbup:
> 
> I'm hoping to encapsulate, but might end up just doing a smoothie and tincture instead
> 
> xxx

Mine was offered, and I remember having to sign a release form for them to dispose of it otherwise it was assumed that I would take it home. I remember it being a big deal as it was labeled as being a body part.

Cool thread! Would the placenta not lose a lot of its benefits from all the cooking and drying?


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## booflebump

minties said:


> booflebump said:
> 
> 
> ^^ Nope, the hospital definately won't offer it, but your placenta is yours, so if you want to take it home from hospital, you can :thumbup:
> 
> I'm hoping to encapsulate, but might end up just doing a smoothie and tincture instead
> 
> xxx
> 
> Mine was offered, and I remember having to sign a release form for them to dispose of it otherwise it was assumed that I would take it home. I remember it being a big deal as it was labeled as being a body part.
> 
> Cool thread! Would the placenta not lose a lot of its benefits from all the cooking and drying?Click to expand...

Nope - it's not cooked as such, just steamed, and then dried at a v low temp, so all the hormones and nutrients remain intact :thumbup:

x


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## NuKe

yeah what boofs said! it's basically just removing the water!


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## minties

I'd love to have someone do this for me, I don't think I'm brave enough to attempt it myself.

Thanks for answering my question!


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