Dear Doula,
I heard that I can take my placenta home from the hospital, and you might be able to put it into pills. My friend said the Kardashians eat their placentas, and I’m really not sure if that’s a vote of confidence in it or not, but I’m curious. I mean… I’d do pretty much anything to have more energy than I did after my first baby. I can’t go through that again.
I read that you only do it in our home, and that makes sense to me. I don’t need my placenta going to random parts of Waldorf all the way from our hospital in Silver Spring.
But… do I have to see it? My husband is kind of into the idea (he took pictures of everything last time, including the placenta), but I’m a little squeamish. And most importantly… will placenta encapsulation smell up my kitchen?
Sincerely,
Curious but Cautious
Dear Placenta Curious,
First off, Waldorf isn’t that far- promise! In fact, we have lots of clients in Silver Spring, for labor, placenta encapsulation, and postpartum doula support.
But enough of this DC metro region shade, let’s get to your question.
As you’ve already read, we only encapsulate placentas in your home for your safety. We like to give you peace of mind that you’re in control the whole time.
But being in control doesn’t stop you from delegating. We’ll take care of everything you need for this service, from providing the transport cooler for the placenta, to materials and sanitization. You don’t have to watch.
You might want to tell your husband to get ready for an interesting set of pictures though.
Many people say that placentas look like the tree of life. And there’s certainly truth to that. Our placenta prints especially draw that comparison.
We’ve heard placentas compared to lots of other things though…
A jellyfish (because of the amniotic sac). A portabello mushroom as it is steamed. Beef jerky as it comes off the dehydrator.
Our recent favorite from a new grandmother, “Pot roast with garlic butter. I’ll take 4 placenta pills to go please!”
We’re glad for the number of food comparisons. It seems like a good sign for something that you’re going to ingest. But once the process is complete, the dehydrated placenta is ground pretty finely. It looks like a spice inside a capsule.
Thankfully, you can also rest assured that the house won’t stink of any placenta encapsulation smell.
We don’t encapsulate unless your placenta has been properly cooled, so the smell is minimal.
I associate the smell of lemon and ginger with placenta encapsulation since we use them during steaming.
If I had to describe the placenta encapsulation smell, I’d say that it’s irony- similar to menstrual blood. But we run the exhaust fan so that it’s not a strong scent, and unless you’re in the room watching you might not notice. If anything, your kitchen may smell a bit extra bleachy when we’re done.
Hope that answers your questions. Let us know if you decide that placenta encapsulation is right for you!
Talk soon,
Samantha, Doula and Owner of DC Metro Maternity
Schedule a call with me, let’s chat.
[convertkit form=5250383]
