Placenta Encapsulation

This pregnancy, I began to do some research about post-partum depression.  For some reason, I thought I would be more susceptible to it after this pregnancy.  My extreme fatigue during my pregnancy combined with all the other effects of the pregnancy had made me mentally exhausted at times and frustrated with my ability to feel alert and focused.  Thinking about the lack of sleep experienced by breastfeeding moms in the first few months combined with thoughts of the physical recovery from childbirth made a feeling of helplessness begin to set in. 

I wanted to be proactive about my approach. 

One of the potential solutions I discovered was placenta encapsulation so I am planning to give it a try.

The placenta is the organ that surrounds the fetus in the womb and allows for the exchange of nutrients, blood, and waste with the mother.  After childbirth, a woman expels or delivers her placenta.  Placental encapsulation is the consumption of the placenta after it is steamed, dehydrated, ground and placed into pill form. 

First, I had to find someone who would encapsulate my placenta.  The average cost is $250 - $300 for the service.  After I located a specialist, she delivered some basic supplies to me - a cooler and some zip lock bags basically.  I will request the placenta from the hospital and then put it on ice.  The placenta will stay refrigerated until I return home from the hospital at which time the specialist will come and encapsulate it over the course of two days at my home. 

Some of the claimed benefits are hormone balancing, reduction in post-natal bleeding, increased energy, increased iron levels, milk production, CRH levels (stress reducing hormone), increased oxytocin levels and decrease in post-partum depression.

I did take the placenta pills for about 90 days until I ran out. When I was taking them, I had tons of energy and my milk production was amazing! Physically, I felt amazing! I was never tired even though I was up all the time nursing or pumping. After I ran out, then I began to really move slower and did feel some of the physical side effects of having a baby as far as just moving slower than I had since I had the baby. I also felt really positive after having the baby so no PPD. I highly recommend trying this! If you don't experience the same positive things, then you can always stop taking it - but give it a try!