Absolutely! Your placenta can still be safely encapsulated in these situations.

Yes! I generally recommend speaking with your care provider at a visit prior to 36 weeks.  They will need to know that you plan to keep your placenta after delivery.  (It is also recommended that this is on a written birth plan).

Most mothers receive on average anywhere from 80-130 capsules from their placenta.

While other training organizations may require that their placenta specialists only process your placenta in your own home, the board members of APPA strictly review safety and sanitation protocol of every placenta specialist they certify. These safety and sanitation protocols are followed regardless of where YOU choose to have your placenta encapsulated. I am happy to accommodate your desires whether you prefer that I bring my equipment to your home or if you prefer that I process your placenta in my own workspace.

Benefits of in-home encapsulation:

• You have your placenta in your care and can ask questions and observe the process while I encapsulate.
• Your placenta stays within your home environment.
• Your capsules are ready for you as soon as I finish (if you are already home) or as soon as you get home from the hospital.
• You can have family/friends/photographer capture the process if you desire.
• You return home to a *really* clean kitchen!

Disadvantages of in-home encapsulation:

• You lose access to your kitchen for several hours two days in a row.
• You have to coordinate for someone to bring your placenta home and let me into your home to start the process.
• You may already be coordinating with family/friends caring for your other children in your home.
• You or your family members may not want the “ick factor” of having your placenta in your refrigerator or in your personal kitchen.
• You’ll need to leave your kitchen tidy before leaving for the hospital, or have whoever is in your home do the dishes before I arrive. (Understanding that quick, surprise labors can happen, this is not an absolute necessity for the process.)
• You may have pets who need to be dealt with while the process is happening (crating, staying outdoors, staying in a room). For safety and sanitation, they cannot be in the kitchen during the encapsulation process.

Benefits of Encapsulating in My Workspace

• I arrange hospital pick up and delivery to you when your capsules are finished (whether you are still in the hospital or at home.)
• Your placenta’s temperature is checked and recorded when I pick up from the hospital. If encapsulation is not started immediately, it is stored in a placenta-dedicated refrigerator with a thermometer and food-safe temperatures recorded. It is never stored alongside food.
• You don’t have to arrange anything in your home or with your children or pets.
• I have back up equipment available as needed and the placenta is under the watch-care of a trained professional.
• No blood or placenta smell in your home.
• No chemicals, chlorine bleach and hospital-grade sanitation wipes, in your home kitchen.

You will find a link to APPA’s pros/cons PDF in the Research and Resources tab.

It is always advised to check with your healthcare provider if you have concerns about the suitability of consuming your placenta. I do offer encapsulation for mothers with blood borne pathogens, as the steaming often inactivates pathogens present. Per OSHA BBP safety standards, I use universal precautions with every client.  However, if you do know that you currently have (or are being treated) for a blood borne pathogen, I will require encapsulation to be done in your own home.

Group-B Strep (GBS) is a common bacteria found on/in a large percentage of the population. To be GBS-positive, it means that you are “colonized” with the bacteria and have a high enough count to be considered “colonized.” This is still a normal state for many people, it can change from week to week. Some mothers are not positive when checked at 37 weeks and negative at birth, some women are negative at 37 weeks and are positive at birth. Being GBS-positive does not mean that you or your baby will definitely develop an infection. Most women who are GBS+ receive antibiotics during labor, and as long as you or your baby don’t develop any infections, your placenta can be safely encapsulated. During the encapsulation process, the placenta is gently steamed to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. This effectively kills Group-B Strep and other food-borne illness and minimizes the risk of your capsules containing bacteria. Dehydration at 145 degrees F for at least 12 hours also minimizes this risk.

To see APPA’s information regarding GBS-positive clients, follow this link!

In the case of confirmed intrauterine infection, your placenta can not be consumed. Placenta prints and cord keepsakes can still be provided. However, often times, your provider may want to send your placenta to pathology to check on suspected infection or other concerns. In this situation, you want to ask if they can take a small portion of your placenta to send for testing (this piece will need to be discarded after) and keep the rest on ice in case they clear you to take your placenta home. Keep the placenta on ice while you wait for results from pathology and keep refreshing the ice every few hours until the results are confirmed.

If you choose in-home encapsulation, part of your responsibility will be arranging for a doula/family member/friend to bring your placenta to your home and place it in your refrigerator. If you choose encapsulation in my workspace, I will come to pick up your placenta once you have signed your release papers and only if you have signed your client agreement. In both situations, you will need to keep a cooler in your car after 36 weeks so that the placenta can either be picked up by me or brought to your home for encapsulation. The hospital generally provides plastic containers to place the placenta in, but I always recommend that you have two gallon-sized Ziploc bags in your cooler.

No! If I encapsulate your placenta in your home, they are usually ready to go by the time you get home from the hospital. If you choose not to have them encapsulated in your home, then I deliver your capsules to you (wherever you are…home or hospital) when they are complete! Capsules are generally ready within 24-48 hours.