Placenta Services
Does your placenta have a spot in your birth plan?
For hundreds of years all across the world in hundreds of cultures, the placenta has had a place in the birthing process for humans. Whether you’re planning on encapsulating, planting it under a tree, or just want some keepsake art, there are many options for handling your placenta post-birth.
There has been a huge rise in placenta encapsulation in America over the past few decades and I personally see more clients opting to ingest their placenta with each passing year of birth work. I offer multiple package options (with some fun add-ons!) to help folks find what feels right to them.
Basic Package - $300
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As many capsules as possible (most placentas yield between 100-200) with dosing directions
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Formed keepsake with the umbilical cord (either natural or painted)
Premium Package - $350
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As many capsules as possible (most placentas yield between 100-200) with dosing directions
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Formed keepsake with the umbilical cord (either natural or painted)
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Print of your placenta on heavy duty watercolor paper., made with your choice of “ink”: natural blood or food coloring (safe for consumption)
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2oz bottle of placenta tincture to use long-term after your capsules have been consumed. With proper storage, this can last a lifetime and assist with hormonal shifts such as the return of your menstrual period and even menopause.
Deluxe Package - $400
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As many capsules as possible (most placentas yield between 100-200) with dosing directions
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Formed keepsake with the umbilical cord (either natural or painted)
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Print of your placenta on heavy duty watercolor paper, made with your choice of “ink”: natural blood or food coloring (safe for consumption)
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2oz bottle of placenta tincture to use long-term after your capsules have been consumed. With proper storage, this can last a lifetime and assist with hormonal shifts such as the return of your menstrual period and even menopause.
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A healing salve made with your placenta powder, shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax, comfrey leaf, plantain leaf, and calendula petals.
Great for c-section scar healing, perineal tearing discomfort, hemorrhoids, eczema, diaper rash, and other skin irritations.
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Might as well treat yoself while basking in that placenta goodness. Excellent as a treat or if you don’t like taking pills every day.
Choose between bite-size chocolates or no bake cookie dough balls (available in assorted flavors). Each treat is equal to one or two capsules, depending on item. Your items will clearly indicate consumption recommendations.
Chocolates: Handmade chocolates with your finely ground placenta powder as the secret ingredient. Your choice of dark, milk, or white chocolate and add-ins (nuts, coconut, or Rice Krispies).
Cookie dough bites: Delicious bite-size cookie dough bites that are safe to eat raw. Choose between chocolate chip, brownie, or birthday cake.
Add-ons and Alternate Package Options
A great way to switch up your daily intake and receive the same incredible benefits!
Twelve individual chocolates are made with your choice of milk, dark, or white chocolate. Option to include nuts, coconut, or Rice Krispies.
Each chocolate is equal to one to two capsules, depending on the mold used. Eat in place of your daily capsules or in addition to them when you need some extra support. And no, you can’t taste the placenta.
Your hormonal and energy benefits have never tasted so good.
This is available as an add-on to any package. The entire placenta can be made into chocolates for a fee (this is an excellent option for those who struggle with swallowing pills!).
Placenta Chocolates - $30
A great way to switch up your daily intake and receive the same incredible benefits!
Twelve individual no-bake cookie dough balls (safe to eat raw!) are made with your placenta and available in three flavors:
chocolate chip
brownie
birthday cake
And no, you can’t taste the placenta. Your hormonal and energy benefits have never tasted so good.
This is available as an add-on to any package. The entire placenta can be made into cookie dough bites for a fee (this is an excellent option for those who struggle with swallowing pills!).
Placenta Cookie Dough Bites - $30
An ultra long-lasting liquid version of your placenta.
A 2oz glass bottle with dropper contains bits of your placenta, amniotic sac, and umbilical cord fermented in 100+ proof alcohol.
It is said that the placenta, sac, and cord each have their own benefits, so I include a piece of each in your tincture to give you every bit of support possible.
This tincture will last a lifetime—really. Many people keep it on hand to assist with hormonal challenges of menopause many years after giving birth. It can also be given to the biological daughter as she begins menstruation to alleviate cramps and hormonal issues.
This is available as an add-on to any package.
Placenta Tincture - $25
A soothing, all natural salve to ease an array of skin discomforts.
A 4oz tin full of soothing relief. Made with your placenta powder, shea butter, beeswax, coconut oil (can be substituted for jojoba or sweet almond), and several specifically chosen herbs: comfrey, calendula, plantain, and lavender.
This smooth salve can be used to alleviate itching and discomfort associated with: a closed C-section scar, hemorrhoids, perineal tearing, diaper rash, cradle cap, newborn acne, eczema, sunburn, and other minor skin irritations.
This is available as an add-on to any package.
Placenta Salve - $30
For those who are either uninterested in or unable to consume their placenta.
Includes:
two placenta prints on heavy duty watercolor paper
cord keepsake (your choice of natural or painted)
I will return your placenta back to you for your own disposal/burial. If you’d like me to dehydrate it and plant it in a houseplant for you with decorative cache pot (big time plant nerd over here, you’ll get something good), there is an additional fee of $50.
I am also able to use placenta powder in keepsake jewelry for an additional fee.
Keepsake Package - $250
Interested?
Please fill out the form below and let’s get in touch!
Got questions or need more information?
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Yeah, like that. While some people do chose to consume their placenta raw (I’ve seen smoothies, spaghetti sauce, and even lasagna), encapsulation makes for a more palatable way of reaping the placenta’s benefits.
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I love this question! While the placenta does act as a filter to help baby, it does not act as a sponge. The placenta does not absorb the waste products from the baby; instead, it transfers waste back through to be discarded via the mother’s bloodstream. No waste or “toxins” are stored in the placenta!
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I've put together a page that walks you through step-by-step what to expect in this process.
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The super quick version: the placenta is cut into strips, dehydrated in a food dehydrator, ground into a fine powder, and poured into empty capsules.
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Yes, when requested by the client and there are no contraindications.
There are two methods of placenta preparation: raw or steamed.
In the raw method, the placenta is drained of excess blood, cut into strips, and immediately dehydrated.
In the steamed method, the placenta is drained of excess blood then gently steamed for 10 minutes. It is then cut into strips and dehydrated. This method may also have warming ingredients added in the steaming phase. Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that the postpartum body needs to be warmed to replenish energy. To achieve this, I can add jalapenos, lemon, and ginger to the steam pot. (These ingredients are removed after steaming and are not included in your capsules.)
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I encapsulate in a dedicated placenta-only workspace in my home, separate from the family kitchen. This ensures no cross-contamination from food, pets, other family members, etc. can occur. I follow a very strict sanitation protocol and all regulations set forth by OSHA and ANSI in regards to bloodborne pathogens and safe food handling. I never process multiple placentas at the same time; if there is one being processed ahead of yours which will cause a delay, I will let you know.
I do not encapsulate in clients’ homes.
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The number of capsules varies from placenta to placenta, but most clients can expect to get roughly 60-120 with the steamed/TCM process and 100-200 with the raw process.
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Yes! I’m happy to offer a 15% discount to my doula clients.
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I am currently only providing services locally in Lexington and the surrounding area.
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There are so many specific scenarios in birth that I am happy to discuss further one on one. Below are some of the most common scenarios I encounter.
…there is meconium? Yes. Meconium is sterile and only considered harmful if baby inhales it. Any placenta with meconium present at the birth will be rinsed with apple cider vinegar and steamed. The raw method of encapsulation is not recommended.
…I have twins/triplets? Yes. I do not charge extra for this and typically keep each placenta (for di-di twins) separate, as you may experience different effects from one over the other, particularly if they are boy/girl twins.
…I test positive for GBS? Most likely. If you test positive for the GBS colony in pregnancy, that does not indicate an active infection. If you opt to use antibiotics in labor, the placenta can be encapsulated with the TCM/steamed method. If you opt to not receive antibiotics, encapsulation is not recommended. If you have a C-section, it can still be encapsulated as there is no risk of transmission.
…I have a C-section? Yes. Be sure to keep your team informed that you wish to keep your placenta. It is best practice to designate your partner, doula, or midwife (if present) to keep an eye on the placenta, as things can get cleaned up and thrown away quickly in the operating room.
…it has to go to the pathology department? Maybe. If there is an indication for your placenta to be examined by pathology, request that a piece of your placenta be removed (while in your birth room) and sent off as opposed to the entire thing. If a placenta has gone to pathology, I cannot use it for anything that is ingested (capsules, tincture, salve, etc.). Only keepsake items would be available at that point.
Benefits
Consuming your placenta can offer a ton of benefits in the postpartum period. The most frequently self-reported benefits are:
Lowered instance of postpartum mood disorders such as depression and anxiety
Smoother ride through the typical “baby blues” during the initial 2 weeks postpartum
Increased production of breastmilk
Decrease in postpartum bleeding/lochia production
A quicker recovery time for your uterus to shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size
Replenished and regulated hormone levels
Less physical pain in recovery immediately after birth
Boost in iron levels and therefore reduction in the risk of postpartum anemia
Increased levels of oxytocin, which helps promote bonding with baby
Increased energy levels, thanks largely to B vitamins
Increased quality of sleep
Research
Science is starting to backup what has long been shared anecdotally about the benefits of placenta consumption. Because most purported benefits are difficult to measure and track in a controlled setting, it can be difficult to find high quality studies on the topic. However, we have some encouraging data emerging that suggests that there may be benefits to consumption.
A 2018 joint study from University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Oregon State University reviewed roughly 23,000 birth records and found that “mothers who consumed their placenta passed on no harm to their newborn babies.” This is the largest study of its kind thus far and very encouraging.
Additionally, a 2018 German systematic review focused on literature published between 1918 and 2018 to determine potential benefits and risks. From this research, they concluded that “the ingestion of raw or dehydrated placenta could influence postpartum convalescence, lactation, mood, and recovery.”
Evidence Based Birth dove into this topic in a 2017 video and again in a 2018 podcast episode. Rebecca Dekker points to one of the small, double-blinded sub-studies that the UNLV/OSU trial included and discusses that while it is a small sample (23 women), it is promising when pointing to iron levels and postpartum anemia rates.
I am a fully certified placenta encapsulation specialist through Women’s Choice Perinatal Services and choose to pursue continuing education in the field. I maintain an active OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Training for Placenta Encapsulation Professionals certificate and follow food safety guidelines. My equipment is all stainless steel, food grade plastic, or disposable where feasible. My equipment and work surfaces are washed in very hot water with antibacterial soap then sanitized in a 10% bleach solution and left to air dry for at least 10 minutes. Antiviral and antibacterial hospital-grade cleansers are used for non-submersible equipment and as part of my workspace preparation and clean-up routine.
This service has not been evaluated by the FDA. I am not a medical professional and my services are not clinical, pharmaceutical, or intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Families who choose to utilize placenta services take full responsibility for researching and using their final products.
Additionally, placenta consumption is not a replacement for any medication or therapy. Postpartum mood disorders are very serious issues that require therapy and/or professional assistance. If you feel you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to Postpartum Support International and your care provider.