For thousands of years Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has considered the placenta powerful medicine with various health benefits. It has historically been treated with respect and reverence for it's life-giving properties although interestingly, while most mammals ingest the placenta(s) shortly after birth, this has not been common among humans. Women are now finding that this gift from you baby can be used to ease the transition between pregnancy and postpartum. More women are hearing from others how taking placenta postpartum has helped with the dramatic hormonal changes that occur when transitioning from pregnant to no longer being pregnant. Some of the benefits women have reported:
The Preparation Process
Pills are prepared with either the TCM-style method or the Raw Prep method. The TCM-style method, based loosely on TCM principles, is intended to provide gentle, balancing support. These pills are best for women who have a history of anxiety. In TCM women are traditionally fed cooling (including raw) foods during the first 48 hours postpartum to help slow the blood flow and calm the hormonal rush. After this period mothers are given warming foods to promote healing by bringing the mother's body back into balance, with tonifying purposes of nourishing the blood and restoring energy. The use of warming herbs while steaming the placenta helps with the formation and action of the placenta as medicine.
The TCM-style method involves gently steaming the placenta with warming herbs (the lemon balm, hot peppers, and ginger, are used in the steaming process only and not added to the pills). The placenta is then sliced and dehydrated for 12-18 hours, then powdered, and put it into capsules for you. All preparations are done with dedicated equipment. As much disposable equipment as possible is used and blood-borne pathogen safety protocols are followed for preparation and to thoroughly sanitize any reusable equipment between uses to make sure the process is as safe as possible for all.
Each placenta is unique and varies in size, weighing approximately 1/6 the weight of your baby. One placenta of a full term baby can make anywhere from about 90-140 capsules, when steamed. The actual amount of pills will depend of course on the size of the placenta and whether any other options are being utilized such as smoothie cubes or tincture.
Raw Preparation - Some women prefer an unsteamed preparation. This preparation is a very different "medicine" than the TCM-style method. Women who have taken both report greater energy with a raw preparation and it's thought that it may contain more of the hormones produced by the placenta, B vitamins, and enzymes than found in the the steamed placenta. It's especially important if choosing raw preparation that the placenta be well cared for, refrigerated or on ice shortly after birth, and then processed as soon as possible. It's a better fit for mothers who have do not have issues with anxiety, since it seems to be more stimulating than the steamed preparation and for some moms, this stimulation can increase anxiety. Raw preparation is not suitable if the mother is GBS positive. In that case the steamed method will be utilized.+.
In raw preparation the placenta is rinsed well, drained of excess blood and is then thinly sliced and dehydrated. First for a short time at a high temperature to kill any bacteria that might be present on the surface, then lowered to a medium temperature for the duration of the drying period (approx 18-24 hours) to maximize the potency. Finally it's ground and encapsulated, just like the TCM-style capsules. The raw preparation usually yields about 20-30% more capsules, approximately 120 - 180.
If you're interested in the raw preparation as well as the TCM-style method I would be happy to prepare some of each for you.
Preparation can be done at my home or in your home. There are benefits and trade offs to both and it's up to you to decide what would be the best fit for you. I'm happy to discuss the options and any concerns or questions you might have. Regardless of location only one placenta is processed at any given time and there is no risk of being given the wrong pills.
- lactation support (earlier and increased supply)
- decrease in postpartum blues and depression
- quicker postpartum recovery (such as tears/incisions and bleeding)
- more balanced hormone levels
- increased energy
- support during times of stress
The Preparation Process
Pills are prepared with either the TCM-style method or the Raw Prep method. The TCM-style method, based loosely on TCM principles, is intended to provide gentle, balancing support. These pills are best for women who have a history of anxiety. In TCM women are traditionally fed cooling (including raw) foods during the first 48 hours postpartum to help slow the blood flow and calm the hormonal rush. After this period mothers are given warming foods to promote healing by bringing the mother's body back into balance, with tonifying purposes of nourishing the blood and restoring energy. The use of warming herbs while steaming the placenta helps with the formation and action of the placenta as medicine.
The TCM-style method involves gently steaming the placenta with warming herbs (the lemon balm, hot peppers, and ginger, are used in the steaming process only and not added to the pills). The placenta is then sliced and dehydrated for 12-18 hours, then powdered, and put it into capsules for you. All preparations are done with dedicated equipment. As much disposable equipment as possible is used and blood-borne pathogen safety protocols are followed for preparation and to thoroughly sanitize any reusable equipment between uses to make sure the process is as safe as possible for all.
Each placenta is unique and varies in size, weighing approximately 1/6 the weight of your baby. One placenta of a full term baby can make anywhere from about 90-140 capsules, when steamed. The actual amount of pills will depend of course on the size of the placenta and whether any other options are being utilized such as smoothie cubes or tincture.
Raw Preparation - Some women prefer an unsteamed preparation. This preparation is a very different "medicine" than the TCM-style method. Women who have taken both report greater energy with a raw preparation and it's thought that it may contain more of the hormones produced by the placenta, B vitamins, and enzymes than found in the the steamed placenta. It's especially important if choosing raw preparation that the placenta be well cared for, refrigerated or on ice shortly after birth, and then processed as soon as possible. It's a better fit for mothers who have do not have issues with anxiety, since it seems to be more stimulating than the steamed preparation and for some moms, this stimulation can increase anxiety. Raw preparation is not suitable if the mother is GBS positive. In that case the steamed method will be utilized.+.
In raw preparation the placenta is rinsed well, drained of excess blood and is then thinly sliced and dehydrated. First for a short time at a high temperature to kill any bacteria that might be present on the surface, then lowered to a medium temperature for the duration of the drying period (approx 18-24 hours) to maximize the potency. Finally it's ground and encapsulated, just like the TCM-style capsules. The raw preparation usually yields about 20-30% more capsules, approximately 120 - 180.
If you're interested in the raw preparation as well as the TCM-style method I would be happy to prepare some of each for you.
Preparation can be done at my home or in your home. There are benefits and trade offs to both and it's up to you to decide what would be the best fit for you. I'm happy to discuss the options and any concerns or questions you might have. Regardless of location only one placenta is processed at any given time and there is no risk of being given the wrong pills.
