More and more women are choosing to keep their placenta after birth and have it made into remedies to support their post birth recovery. It is the most common way of consuming your placenta, but by no means the only way.
What is placenta encapsulation?
Encapsulation involves dehydrating your placenta and encapsulating the ground powder for you to be able to take orally, like any other supplement.
Other remedies include placenta smoothie, creams/balms, tincture, essence and homeopathic remedy.
What are the benefits?
Feedback from women tells us that your placenta may help to:
- Reduce post-natal bleeding
- Increase breastmilk
- Restore iron levels and reduce risk of anaemia
- Minimise baby blues and risk of post-natal depression
- Increase energy levels
- Balance hormones
Evidence?
Research into placenta remedies is still in its infancy and the personal benefits placenta remedies will make to you cannot be guaranteed. However, some research has focused on the hormonal and nutritional contents of the placenta prior to and after the encapsulation process, of which physiological benefits are concluded to be likely.
How does it work?
Strict controls must be in place to ensure your placenta is safe to consume. Victoria, After-birth Placenta Remedies Specialist, provides you with all the instructions you need for your healthcare providers to follow at birth.
Victoria will collect your placenta from your place of birth, prepare your remedies and return them to you within 24-48 hours. It is also possible to have your remedies made in your own home should you prefer.
The main nutrients found in your placenta are;
- Iron – Essential for oxygen absorption in the cells
- Vitamin B6 – aids in making antibodies
- Vitamin E – for healing damaged skin cells
- Stem cells – Stem cells are the body’s master cells and can transform into almost any type of tissue
- Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (CRH) – responsible for reducing stress levels
- Oxytocin – Essential for facilitating birth and breastfeeding, bonding and love. Has also been shown to be a pain suppressant
- Cytokins – fibroblasts that trigger cell metabolism healing and replacing damaged cells and tissue
- Gonadotrophin
- Prolactin – Hormone that promotes lactation
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone – boosts energy and helps recovery from stressful events
- Cortisone – Combats stress and unlocks energy stores
- Interferon – Stimulates the immune system to protect against infections
- Prostaglandins – hormones that have anti-inflammatory properties
- Haemoglobin – replenishes iron deficiency and anaemia
- Gammaglobulin – immune booster that helps protect against postpartum infections
- Urokinase inhibiting factor and factor XIII – stops bleeding and enhances wound healing
(reproduced from placentaremediesnetwork.org)
Disclaimer: Bump2baby Reality support all women to make an informed choice and as an area of increasing interest we are supporting ‘After-birth’ in the local service they offer. We understand that they are a reputable provider of placenta remedies and hold the necessary certifications however, we do recommend that all potential clients carry out their own thorough research in this field. We are not accountable for any services that ‘After Birth’ provide.
References:
https://placentaremediesnetwork.org/your-placenta/placenta-benefits/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27324105 (study of hormones in placenta pre and post encapsulation methods)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27809380 (iron status study)
https://experiment.com/u/DKKnUQ (preliminary results from study focusing on contents of placenta pre and post encapsulation methods)
