“The placenta deserves to go back to the body, or back to the earth.”
— Doula Kim
The Art of Placenta Encapsulation.
It all begins with an idea: to form life within you. This life that stretches you, expands you, and asks you to become an inside out version of yourself is all possible because of the placenta. Without it, there is nothing else. The tree of life, as it’s called, is truly a miraculous organ. Through the art of encapsulation I hold that vision to the highest degree. That this essential and vital part of your body, the first home to your baby, deserves to be honored and cherished, and one of those ways is through consumption. While there is some modern research on the consumption of placenta, there is much more anecdotal information, and written testimony from birth workers, and midwives that has been long passed down to women. Robin Lim’s book, which is mandatory for anyone taking my Placenta and Postpartum Mentorship Course- Placenta: The Forgotten Chakra gives us a deep dive into the ways the placenta has been honored across the globe. What she holds true, is what I also hold true. That the placenta is not waste. It is a mystical, wondrous part of human existence, and not one of us would be here without it.
My Process.
Getting to work with your placenta is a true honor. I mean this wholeheartedly. Every single woman I get to support through placenta medicine holds a deep and special place in my heart. I take seriously the sacredness of birth, of your body, and how worthy you are of experiencing the full spiritual experience of birth and postpartum. In my perspective, this includes honoring the placenta. Whether you want to consume it through encapsulation, bury it in ceremony, use it in food, or in other ways that are practiced in your culture, the placenta closes the full spectrum of the birthing process in the most primal and holistic way possible.
Once I have your placenta in my possession I use a high level of safety and reverence in the preparation process. Over the years I have perfected my process, which always starts with inspecting the placenta, thanking the organ for what it has accomplished, and then taking photos with edible flowers, and often taking a video to show you where your baby first lived. This act is especially helpful for those who never got a chance to see the placenta. Specifically those who had cesareans. Once done, the cleaning process begins, from there we move to steaming, and then the long dehydration process. Once totally dehydrated, it is then ground up and hand encapsulated. It is a simplistic process for me at this point, one that takes me into a flow state.
The amount of capsules will always be dependent upon the size. This can vary from 80-150 on average, although I have seen less and more. When it comes to other ways of support using the placenta, there are no limits. I have been taught by peoples different than me what their history reflects. This is one of my favorite parts of the work. I have boiled the placenta for a Korean family to make in soup. I have helped honor, cover in flowers, and bury a placenta for an African family. I have had a home birth mother consume her’s raw with smoothies. Whatever the choice, my goal and hope is that each women is able to look at what her body has made with gratitude and grace. Placentas do not belong in pathology. They belong to women.
Once complete, normally within 72-96 hours, we will set up a time for me to come do a home visit, where I will sit with you and answer any questions you might have about your birth, postpartum, and your placenta. We will talk bout how many capsules to take, and go over other important factors. Continuity of care is important to me, so I am always happy to work with your other providers to ensure you are being taken care of wholly.
The total charge is $300.00. There is always flexibility if this is cost prohibitive. No one is turned away.
