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Placenta Encapsulation Is Not A Magic Cure All

3/14/2016

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​Inspired by some feedback from a recent client, I wanted to write up my thoughts on placenta capsules as "magic" or as something that will always prevent postpartum depression and anxiety.

This client asked us to fill her capsules only half full because she is sensitive to medications, herbs, etc. Here is what she had to say a couple months after her baby was born:

"As a follow-up, if you remember you filled my capsules 1/2 way and I wanted to fill you in on my experience. I took one capsule a day post birth for about 3 or so weeks and we (hubby and I) could certainly tell the days when I took them vs the days when I forgot to take them. I am no longer taking them now, however I can tell you HUGE improvement with PP vs my first time around with first child. It was pure hell with PP. This time, hands down, way better. I still have PP and PP anxiety, however NOTHING compared to my previous experience. That said, THANK YOU, this changed my entire experience of being a mom and being able to remember what actually happened vs it being a blur and sadness."

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Placenta Encapsulation on the Ova Woman VLOG!

2/8/2016

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Anne Ferguson sat down with Elise Maxwell, founder of Ova Woman this week to talk all about placenta encapsulation.

Watch that interview here.
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Is Placenta Encapsulation Safe? Tips for Consumers

8/17/2015

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by Anne Ferguson
UPDATED 10/26/17


The process of placenta encapsulation has been growing at a rapid rate in the last 5+ years. Across the Twin Cities and beyond, all types of moms are choosing this ancient process to support themselves during the postpartum period in a natural way. We routinely work with moms who choose hospital birth, home birth, birth center birth, unmedicated birth, epidurals and planned cesareans. They all know that new parents need support in the weeks and months after having a baby and that their own placenta can offer some wonderful benefits to them when taken in capsule form. No longer reserved for the "crunchy mommas," this process has been adopted by the mainstream, and fast!

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Placenta Encapsulation Safety Tips

8/2/2015

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by Anne Ferguson

Placenta Encapsulation has grown a lot in popularity in the last few years. Six years ago when I gave birth to my second son it was an idea I heard about from my home birth midwives, but it wasn't a widely offered professional service. Now I estimate there are over 50 providers of this service in the Twin Cities alone! 

Over the 4.5 years that I've been providing this service professionally, I've heard a lot of scary stories about the ways people are handling this process. I've compiled this list of tips for encapsulators to try to educate everyone a bit more on how to do this process safely. 

Over the years I've tweaked and updated my own process as I've learned more and my certification with APPA (www.placentaassociation.com) earlier this year really reinforced that my procedures were sound and that this is a topic that deserves attention because this is a human organ we are talking about!

Here are my tips!

– Sanitizing all equipment is critical. Bleach is the best thing to use. Equipment should be soaked in a 10% bleach solution for 10 minutes. That means, if your sink holds 50 cups of liquid, you should put 45 cups of water in with 5 cups of bleach. 5 cups!!
– There really are no natural products that can be used as a substitute for bleach. Any other chemicals used for this purpose need to be on this approved list. They need to be effective against all blood borne pathogens, hep B, C, HIV, etc. There are wipes (like they use in hospitals) that can be used for wiping counters before and after the process.
– Counter space should be covered with a chux pad. 

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– Encapsulators need to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE). That means gloves, goggles/glasses, an apron, something to cover their arms, and a mask. This protects not only the encapsulator but also the client. Hair should be tied back, rings/jewelry removed, food, drink, children and pets kept away from the work space, etc. (Side note: When you know better you do better. I wasn't wearing a mask in this news story from four years ago and my forearms were exposed!)
– Raw encapsulation has grown in popularity but it is not safe from a food safety perspective to dehydrate at 118 degrees (the temperature above which something is no longer considered raw.) In my practice we do “raw start method” and will encapsulate without steaming the placenta first, but we dehydrate at 160 degrees.
– Bleach solutions deactivate over time. If someone is making a spray bottle of 10% bleach solution for spraying down counters or sinks, that bleach solution is only good for 24 hours.
– Hot water deactivates bleach. Bleach solutions should be made with cool water. After the bleach soak is done, you can rinse the equipment with hot water to deactivate the bleach then and get the equipment ready for the next client.
– The placenta must be 100% dry before it is ground into a powder. That means the pieces snap easily and have NO bend to them. If someone were to grind up pieces before they were fully dry that could easily lead to mold growing in the capsules over time. I dehydrate the traditional method for about 10-12 hours and raw start for up to 24 hours. To this end, it’s important to have a very sharp knife to slice pieces very thinly which allows them to dry properly.
– Placentas should be put on ice within 1-2 hours of the birth, but no longer than 4 hours. If a placenta is not kept cold until it is going to be worked on, it is not safe and cannot be encapsulated. A good cooler with a ton of ice can work just fine for the hours it will take for your specialist to arrive. Placentas are considered OK for up to 4 days after the birth, if kept in a fridge. However if someone knows they won’t be encapsulating right away, it might be best to put the placenta in the freezer. This adds an extra step of thawing though (in the fridge) which takes at least 24 hours.
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– Moms benefit the most from having their capsules back to them as soon as possible, ideally within 48 hours of the birth. This allows them to start taking them before the big hormonal shift that happens around days 2-5. If an encapsulator is not going to be able to process the placenta in a timely fashion the responsible thing to do would be to find another person to provide this service. There are tons of people who are happy to help! Unfortunately I have heard dozens of stories of capsules not being delivered until 4, 5 or even more days at the birth. This is just not acceptable to me. 
– Placenta tinctures should be made with 150 proof alcohol- Everclear works well.

If you are a provider of placenta encapsulation services, I hope this list helps you keep this practice safe for yourself and your clients. If you are someone thinking about this service, I hope you learned a lot about how serious this work should be taken. Stay tuned for my next post... "Is Placenta Encapsulation Safe? Tips for Choosing Your Provider."
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Why I Believe In Placenta Encapsulation

11/5/2014

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Everyone once in a while, I let thoughts creep in... Thoughts like "What if Placenta Encapsulation (PE) really isn't all we say it is?" "What if the nay-sayers are right, that it is just a weird trend without true value?" "What if it is just a placebo effect?"

But then, I have an experience like I had a few weeks ago. A prospective client was asking for references. She specifically wanted to talk to some second times moms who did PE with baby #2 but not with baby #1. So, I sent out a quick email to my last 20 clients or so, many of whom I knew fit this description. Within 10 minutes, the responses started coming back, things like this:

"I had a mild case of the baby blues for three days (around days 4-6) and then have been almost completely fine the entire time so if she is looking for it for PPD, I can definitely share my experience. The only times I've had some emotional challenges besides those baby blues have been after very very tough nights with little sleep. I had a great experience and have a ton of capsules left because I only needed them for about 20 days. Things just leveled off so nicely (hormones etc...). "

"Hello! Yes, I fit that description. I did the encapsulation with my 3rd child but not the first two. Feel free to pass my information along to her."

"
Go ahead and forward my info on!  Worked great for me, thanks:)"

Within a couple hours I had four past clients willing to speak with this future client. Then I sent out another message saying "I have enough help, no need to worry about this now!" but continued to get more people willing to share their experience. 



How's that for a testimonial? Besides my personal, positive experience with PE 5.5 years ago, I just love hearing all the feedback from my clients, which number well over 250 now. And maybe it is just a placebo effect, but that's OK with me because it sure seems to be effective!

(Side Note: Placenta Benefits Inc. is currently doing a placenta vs. placebo study with researchers at UNLV. I look forward to hearing those results when their study is complete, don't you?)



-Anne Ferguson
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Clients Comment On Encapsulation

9/28/2014

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Here are what some of our past clients have to say about their experience with placenta encapsulation!

"I had post partum depression and low milk supply with my first 2 babies, so I decided to try placenta encapsulation with my third. My mood was much more even, I had plenty of breastmilk, and lots of energy to play with my older children. I believe in the benefits so much that I started encapsulating for other mamas!" - Natasha

"The best natural euphoria of my life!!!! I could feel it daily send me energy and positivity like no other after returning home from the hospital. I was sad to see my pills end!!! Wish I had it daily." -Jen

"The first few weeks postpartum baby was up every two hours nursing. It was only because of the placenta capsules that I was not a complete zombie during those long days. A must have!" -Cassie

"I noticed a huge difference from my first postpartum experience to my second where I encapsulated my placenta. I had way less blood loss and much faster healing time plus more energy even while figuring out how to juggle two kids!" -Laura

"I had bad baby blues, low supply milk and much anxiety and guilt with my first. With my second I decided to encapsulate my placenta to avoid all that. My PP recovery and experience was so different and so much easier than with my first. I did not experience the baby blues and did not have any supply issues. I was physically stronger and emotionally better. I am expecting my third and I am thinking about doing it again." -Ana

"I decided to do Placenta encapsulation for the birth of my second baby and I cannot tell you how beneficial and amazing it was. I had no baby blues, lots of energy, and felt awesome postpartum. I did not do this for the birth of my first child and it there was a significant difference. I would highly recommend this to any mother looking for post-partum support and I would recommend using Anne from Bywater Birth. She did a fabulous job, provided stellar service, and lots of support. Thank you, Anne!!" - Ann

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Placenta Encapsulation in the news

9/16/2014

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by Anne Ferguson

In the last 2.5 years I've been blessed to share my love of placenta encapsulation with two news outlets. The first was a story done by Lindsay Seavert of WCCO here in the Twin Cities. She put together this really positive news story:
I was nervous about what angle they might take on this story, but I was pleased that it was an overall positive portrayal of this outside-the-mainstream practice. I figured if it could help even one mother do more research and learn about this option, then it was worth it. 

More recently, Brianna Long, a reporter from a news station down in Rochester, MN contacted me to do a story. Click HERE to view that story. 


I am thrilled that my clients felt strongly enough about their experience to go on TV (and the Internet!) and share with the world. I sometimes forget that this work I do every week is not typical, or considered normal, but I'm happy more and more woman are doing it! 
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MN Placenta Encapsulator in Duluth!

9/4/2014

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MinnesotaPlacenta.com has listings for providers throughout much of Minnesota. We'd love to include even more names, especially for providers outside the Twin Cities Metro Area, so if you are a placenta preparer and would like your own free listing, please email Anne with your information formatted just like all the other listings. 

Today we "meet" a doula and encapsulator in Duluth, MN!
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My name is Jesse Dykhuis. I am a birth doula, postpartum doula, and placenta encapsulation services provider in Duluth MN.

I started processing placentas for moms in the Northland in 2009. I serve the are surrounding Duluth and in an hour in any direction. I have worked with clients out of my area, but there are additional fees. I offer "raw" or "TCM" styles of encapsulation and my base package also includes placenta prints and a small tincture. Smoothies and premium chocolate truffles are available for an extra fee.

I am currently a licensed food handler in the State of MN and hold a current certification in bloodborne pathogens designed in conjunction with OSHA. I trained with PBi but am currently certifying with APPA.

More information is available on my Facebook page.


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Why I "ate" my placenta

7/18/2014

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In the winter of 2009 I was preparing to give birth to my second son. My home birth midwives told me about placenta encapsulation and I thought "hey, that's weird... I want to do it!" I had a history of depression from years earlier, though thankfully did not suffer postpartum depression with my first son. However, I knew the transition to two children was a big one, and wanted to support myself in any way I could. Plus I just like to do things that are outside the mainstream!

I asked my sister-in-law if she would consider doing this for me. She was going to be at my birth doing photos and video and she is an excellent chef! That combined with the fact that she works with cadavers for her job made her seem like an ideal candidate. My brother said "I'll help" because he's just weird/cool like that. In the end my midwives Clare and Emme (from Trillium Midwifery Care) also helped get this process started in the hours after my birth. (Side note: They offer it as part of their home birth package now. So awesome!) Here are a few pictures they took! I noted in my journal that my SIL said it was fun!
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I stayed upstairs in bed for the first week after giving birth. My family and friends took care of me so well. One of the things I remember most is the elaborate fruit plates my father-in-law would make for me. He'd bring them upstairs for me along with my placenta capsules! (My family has always been awesome in accepting my, um, unusual ways.)
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That postpartum time is all a blur now (it's been over five years!) but I do remember feeling really upset when my placenta capsules ran out, and noticed I was much more emotional when they were gone. At 10 days postpartum I noted in my journal "Just took my placenta medicine. I wish there was some way to figure out how much it is helping, but I've only been a little weepy two or three times, so I figure that isn't too bad." Like I tell my clients, these capsules aren't so magic that you still won't have tough times, but I do really believe they offer so much support and make things easier during a period that is one of the hardest in perhaps your whole life. 
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    Anne Ferguson is a birth junkie who loves all things birth, breastfeeding and babies, especially placentas!!

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This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Bywater Birth LLC/Anne Ferguson/Aileen Larson are not licensed medical providers or formally trained in Chinese Medicine and therefore not able to diagnose, treat or prescribe for any health condition. Families who choose to utilize the services and information on this website take full responsibility for their own health. The benefits of placenta encapsulation have not been proven by research and only anecdotal information is available.  No results or benefits are promised or guaranteed, and results will vary for every individual.  Bywater Birth LLC/Anne Ferguson/Aileen Larson assume no responsibility for any actions of the other birth professionals listed on this site.
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