Consumption of the placenta during a new mother’s postpartum period has become increasingly popular in the past few years. Some of the reported benefits of placenta ingestion include balancing of hormone levels, improved mood, stress reduction, faster recovery from delivery and increased milk supply. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of confusion and misinformation about how a placenta is prepared for consumption and the benefits that are associated with it. In this blog, we discuss some of the methods for placenta consumption and, specifically, some of the placenta encapsulation benefits.
Methods of consumption
There are a variety of ways that you can use for consumption of your placenta ranging from raw consumption to complete encapsulation. The placenta can be used as an ingredient in many different recipes either cooked or raw as highlighted in this article from Women’s Health. Placenta encapsulation is a sterile process for making your placenta into a powder and placing it inside several capsules for consumption throughout the postpartum period. This method is often chosen over the others because of some specific benefits of placenta encapsulation for the postpartum mother.
Safe for consumption
Consumption of raw or undercooked placenta can result in your exposure to any number of germs and bacteria that could make you sick. In contrast, the process of placenta encapsulation is performed in your own home with sterilized equipment and supplies to eliminate your exposure to foreign bacteria. Additionally, your placenta is steamed to remove any natural bacteria that may be present before the placenta is dehydrated and prepared for encapsulation.
Benefit of a Postpartum Doula
Placenta encapsulation is performed in your home by a postpartum doula who has been trained in the process. They are there to offer education and non-judgmental support to you during your postpartum period, as well as, answer any questions you may have about the encapsulation process. As a trained professional, the postpartum doula that performs your placenta encapsulation will welcome you to be as involved in the process as you are comfortable. The reason for this openness is to provide you with complete peace of mind about what is going into your body. Reach out to Tennessee Family Doulas today to schedule your placenta encapsulation!