Placenta Encapsulation

Kbchavez23

Has anyone done this before or have done any real research? I just started looking into it. Seems pretty interesting and effective & it's actually not that costly.

tinattt23

The doula group I'll probably end up using offers encapsulation services. Theirs is fairly costly in my opinion, around $600 if I remember correctly. 

We're going to do it. One, FI just thinks it's straight up crazy/gross. From my (limited) research, I just haven't seen enough to convince me that's it's worth the money or the fight with FI. Not to mention in terrible at dealing pills anyways. 

But while im not sure I fully believe the benefits are all they claim to be, I believe it can't hurt. So if it's affordable, why not give it a try? Even if it's just placebo effect, a good outcome is a good outcome. 

Kbchavez23

tinattt23 said:

The doula group I'll probably end up using offers encapsulation services. Theirs is fairly costly in my opinion, around $600 if I remember correctly. 

We're going to do it. One, FI just thinks it's straight up crazy/gross. From my (limited) research, I just haven't seen enough to convince me that's it's worth the money or the fight with FI. Not to mention in terrible at dealing pills anyways. 

But while im not sure I fully believe the benefits are all they claim to be, I believe it can't hurt. So if it's affordable, why not give it a try? Even if it's just placebo effect, a good outcome is a good outcome. 

I think it's gross too lol but a pill shouldn't be that bad. A couple doulas I have found that offer the service are around $200. 

Austenista

I tried to talk to my husband about his opinion on this and he just gagged and begged me to stop. I watched a documentary on YouTube where one woman was cutting off chunks of hers and blending it into a smoothie. The other woman in the documentary didn't cut the cord at all and was carrying it around with baby in a lunch box until it disconnected naturally. She was also seasoning it with spices. I just needed a reason to tell everyone about this.

I'm still waiting on a reason to bring up the birthing video I watched where a woman gave birth naked on the side of a stream. That was a wild ride.  

Toller

I did the encapsulation with DD- was $150 maybe? I didn't believe or not believe in (but DH figured it couldn't hurt).  I most definitely felt better/re-energized/human again after I took one (ended up only needing 1 or 2 a day). I will be for sure doing it again (provided the placentas are healthy)! It doesn't matter to me if it is just placebo

 I had a pretty easy time of it post-pregnancy- no hot flashes/very few strong mood swings, etc. I can't say how much of that was because of the capsules, but it appeared to help a lot. It's worth the small price tag to us.

DiFazette

This is not a science based answer, but after 40 weeks the placenta does start to break down.  I'd imagine too far past that 40 week mark the 'benefits' of placenta encapsulation start to lesson, wouldn't you think? 

leksiL

I'm on the fence about this. My doula offers it for about $250 - I still feel like I need to look into it some more. 

jennbaylor12

caseyewhitaker said:

 I watched a documentary on YouTube where one woman was cutting off chunks of hers and blending it into a smoothie. The other woman in the documentary didn't cut the cord at all and was carrying it around with baby in a lunch box until it disconnected naturally. She was also seasoning it with spices. 

This just made me gag. Hard. 

I will not be doing this. I didn't with DS and was blessed, even with an emergency CS, to recover quickly and easily and had no depression, very few mood swings, etc. Sooo.....no. It's not for me 

slartybartfast

Just to throw this factoid out there - every mammal other than the camel and the modern day human eats their placenta after giving birth. I did last time. Not gonna this time. Feeling a little BTDT and I had zero post partum mood/anxiety/depression issues. I guess if I have them this time I'll wonder if it was because I ate it (some of it). The idea of it sounded insane to me. Still does. But then again the fact that (and the sight of) a human baby emerged from my vagina was insane to me. The fact that it's going to happen again seems just as insane this time. Birth is crazy and primal.

DiFazette

@slartybartfast it is my understanding that animals do this immediately following birth to prevent danger to their newborns.  More blood and afterbirth = more scent for predators.  Just a thought.  We also don't eat our own shit, which a lot of animals do.  I'm not for or against this, just wanted to add my .02. If I could avoid PPA I'd try anything, though I think much of my PPA was circumstantial.  

zubenescamali

I did it with DD2. And I probably will again, maybe, if I go with the same doula practice (it was over 4 years ago, not sure she still practices nor if she still encapsulates). It was only $100.
I have no idea if taking them made me feel great because they "worked", if it was placebo effect, or if I was just comparing my hellush recovery with DD1 to DD2's normal recovery. But I certainly felt better after taking them, especially the afternoon "dosage" was like a second wind. Almost instant good mood happiness. I didn't have any post partum blues with DD2 like I did DD1, but that could have been a lot of different reasons. If nothing else, it was probably a great source of iron. 
My doula did the freezer method for encapsulation so the hormones wouldn't denature as much. 
Oh and I'm a pharmacist btw. Totally opposed to the false claims of "herbal remedies" that have no scientific backing and I totally endorse PE, as long as you realize that PE can stand for placebo effect as much as placental encapsulation.  Checking your expectations going into it is important.

but the smoothie thing grosses me out. Thats where I draw the line, seems too cannabalistic.

fauxpa-2

Phew... my hypochondriac brain read the title and immediately thought this was about some pregnancy complication I hadn't heard about and would need to add it to my "no google" list

I'm definitely interested in the theory of encapsulating the placenta.  I feel like it's one of those things that probably wouldn't really hurt and if it had some benefits.... awesome! However, the lack of any real scientific studies on the subject makes me kind of nervous, and the major reason that I most likely won't be going this route is that there isn't really any reputable place to get it done.  The only people who do it locally basically just do it out of their kitchens.  I'm sure it's all legit and clean and wonderful, but I'm way too paranoid about everything being properly cleaned and it actually being my placenta to pay $200 and take the pills.

Kbchavez23

Fauxpa said:

Phew... my hypochondriac brain read the title and immediately thought this was about some pregnancy complication I hadn't heard about and would need to add it to my "no google" list

I'm definitely interested in the theory of encapsulating the placenta.  I feel like it's one of those things that probably wouldn't really hurt and if it had some benefits.... awesome! However, the lack of any real scientific studies on the subject makes me kind of nervous, and the major reason that I most likely won't be going this route is that there isn't really any reputable place to get it done.  The only people who do it locally basically just do it out of their kitchens.  I'm sure it's all legit and clean and wonderful, but I'm way too paranoid about everything being properly cleaned and it actually being my placenta to pay $200 and take the pills.

Same here. The "placenta organization" place has people who are certified, but still make me nervous. One lady had only done it 3 times in my area! No thanks... The more experienced are about 3 hrs away and will only meet half ways

slartybartfast

DiFazette said:

@slartybartfast it is my understanding that animals do this immediately following birth to prevent danger to their newborns.  More blood and afterbirth = more scent for predators.  Just a thought.  We also don't eat our own shit, which a lot of animals do.  I'm not for or against this, just wanted to add my .02. If I could avoid PPA I'd try anything, though I think much of my PPA was circumstantial.  

Yea I know this theory. Could be part of the story. Mammals at the top of their habitat's food chain eat it too. Mammals in the wild also spend a huge amount of energy securing food so there's incentive to not waste. There's no conclusive evidence either way. As for the poop eating... there's also, I guess... this... https://thefecaltransplantfoundation.org/what-is-fecal-transplant/

PharmDMom

I do not have personal experience with this and will not be doing it (for multiple reasons), I just wanted to share my friend's experience.

She did the research and decided with her midwife that she wanted to try PE after birthing her second child. She had a normal pregnancy and a home birth. She started the pills after delivery and she chose to stop them because she felt they were affecting her newborn son too much. Not sure if it was the true cause, but his skin went nuts soon after birth. Like super pimply (more than the usual baby acne), bright red, even cracking,etc and he was irritable. She stopped the placenta pills *I think* somewhere around day 8-10 and within a few days he started improving. His skin was back to normal within a week or so. She was nursing so she thought the hormones from the placenta she was consuming were contributing to his issues. Again, I'm not putting it out there to say PE will cause this, just sharing an experience I witnessed first hand. No clue if it is related to her consuming the placenta. But it does make me wonder. 

Kbchavez23

PharmDMom said:

I do not have personal experience with this and will not be doing it (for multiple reasons), I just wanted to share my friend's experience.

She did the research and decided with her midwife that she wanted to try PE after birthing her second child. She had a normal pregnancy and a home birth. She started the pills after delivery and she chose to stop them because she felt they were affecting her newborn son too much. Not sure if it was the true cause, but his skin went nuts soon after birth. Like super pimply (more than the usual baby acne), bright red, even cracking,etc and he was irritable. She stopped the placenta pills *I think* somewhere around day 8-10 and within a few days he started improving. His skin was back to normal within a week or so. She was nursing so she thought the hormones from the placenta she was consuming were contributing to his issues. Again, I'm not putting it out there to say PE will cause this, just sharing an experience I witnessed first hand. No clue if it is related to her consuming the placenta. But it does make me wonder. 

I didn't even think about that part of it. I wonder if there are alternate options for helping recover with labor. I've had such a hard time.

jenlynne0624

caseyewhitaker said:

I tried to talk to my husband about his opinion on this and he just gagged and begged me to stop. I watched a documentary on YouTube where one woman was cutting off chunks of hers and blending it into a smoothie. The other woman in the documentary didn't cut the cord at all and was carrying it around with baby in a lunch box until it disconnected naturally. She was also seasoning it with spices. I just needed a reason to tell everyone about this.

I'm still waiting on a reason to bring up the birthing video I watched where a woman gave birth naked on the side of a stream. That was a wild ride.  

Casey, I believe that is called a lotus birth ;-)

SarahF8611

I didn't do this with my first, but am for this pregnancy. The woman that was recommended to me charges $180 and that includes flavored gel caps. I did not have any issues with my first, but feel like I could benefit from the increased energy it's supposed to give you since I will be chasing a toddler around! 

PharmDMom

@Kbchavez23 Not sure if this is helpful or not but I had a horrific recovery after my first delivery. Tearing that didn't heal, pelvic pain for months, major BF problems etc. I was slightly terrified to have another baby. But after my second delivery, recovery was a BREEZE. It helped that my labor was only 12 hours instead of 26 and that after my epidural I refused to push until he was way way down in the birth canal (instead of pushing for 3 hours like I'd done the first time around). But what I'm trying to say is that *generally speaking* in the absence of complications during labor or delivery, your second birth is easier to bounce back from. Bc your body almost just knows what to do and it seems to have an easier time putting things back together so to speak. Now again, I know this isnt true for everyone, but literally all my mom friends (bearing in mind that none of them had major complications with #2) have agreed that baby #2 was much easier to recover from. 

Kbchavez23

PharmDMom said:

@Kbchavez23 Not sure if this is helpful or not but I had a horrific recovery after my first delivery. Tearing that didn't heal, pelvic pain for months, major BF problems etc. I was slightly terrified to have another baby. But after my second delivery, recovery was a BREEZE. It helped that my labor was only 12 hours instead of 26 and that after my epidural I refused to push until he was way way down in the birth canal (instead of pushing for 3 hours like I'd done the first time around). But what I'm trying to say is that *generally speaking* in the absence of complications during labor or delivery, your second birth is easier to bounce back from. Bc your body almost just knows what to do and it seems to have an easier time putting things back together so to speak. Now again, I know this isnt true for everyone, but literally all my mom friends (bearing in mind that none of them had major complications with #2) have agreed that baby #2 was much easier to recover from. 

Thank you for that. This will be baby #3 for me...last baby broke my tailbone on her out and my dr said it's highly likely it'll happen again. I am still recovering 14 months later. Worst pain of my life.