Placenta Services

Encapsulation.

Each woman's needs are different after giving birth and placenta encapsulation provides different opportunities and benefits based on the physical needs of the individual mother's body. During and after a normal vaginal delivery, including postpartum bleeding, a woman can lose up to 1/10 of her body’s blood supply. With surgical births or hemorrhage, blood loss can be significantly more.

Losing a large amount of blood so quickly can cause anemia, leaving a new mother feeling tired and faint when she already is going to be exhausted from giving birth and taking care of a newborn. Blood needs high supplies of iron to carry oxygen to the cells for healing and energy. Low supplies of oxygen leave your cells starving and less able to heal after trauma. The placenta can benefit the new mother by supplying incredibly rich meaty iron, amino acids and essential fats which is believed to be the perfect replenishment following the miracle of birth.

BENNIFITS.

Replenish depleted iron levels from birth
Stabilizes hormones
Increase milk production and supply
Replenishes energy and B vitamins
Increased energy and less fatigue
Increase in breast milk production
Decreases postpartum bleeding, encourages healing and recovery
Decrease in ‘baby blues’, postpartum depression, and postpartum anxiety
Can provide natural post-birth pain relief
Improved quality sleep
Increase in a stress-reducing hormone, CRH (Corticotropin Releasing Hormone)
Increased production of oxytocin (the ‘love hormone’) which can promote bonding with your baby

LEARN A LITTLE MORE.

The most important nutrients found in rich supply in the placenta include Stem Cells and Growth Factors such as:

Iron – essential for oxygen absorption in the cells.
Vitamins B6 and B12 – aids in the making of antibodies and provides extra energy.
Vitamin E – for healing damaged skin cells.
Oxytocin hormone – essential for facilitating birth and breastfeeding.
Cytokines – Fibroblasts that trigger cell metabolism healing and replacing damaged cells and tissue.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (Placental CRH) – responsible for reducing stress levels.

During pregnancy a woman's body carries an increased amount of hormones, when the baby is born those hormone levels that sustain a pregnancy dramatically decrease around the first 48 hours after birth.

The postpartum hormone drop is considered the single largest most sudden hormone change in the shortest amount of time for any human being, at any point of their life cycle.

Research suggests that this event is responsible for baby blues and postpartum disorders. The placenta contains all of those hormones that were flowing through the body during pregnancy and can benefit a mother by providing a gentle gradual decrease in hormone levels instead of that dramatic drop off.

Kōkua Birth Doula Services offers both the Raw Method and the Traditional Chinese Method to encapsulate placentas.

The Raw Method

Consists of thoroughly cleaning your placenta, delicately slicing it into thin pieces, dehydrating it, grinding it up, and carefully placing into capsules.
Investment -
Birth Clients - $275
Encapsulation Only Clients - $305
Traditional Chinese Method

Consists of thoroughly cleaning your placenta, steaming it, delicately slicing it into thin pieces, dehydrating it, grinding it up, and carefully placing into capsules.
We do not use any herbs in our steaming process.
Investment -
Birth Clients - $285
Encapsulation Only Clients - $320
Considerations When Selecting Your Method

The Raw Method has been said to be more potent than the Traditional Chinese Method and tends to yield more pills than the TCM.
It is recommended to use the Traditional Chinese Method if you have any of the following: Group B Strep, Meconium present at birth, Herpes, or Anemia.
Depending on the size of the placenta, you can expect to get 80-200 pills that you can take as long as you need during your postpartum time!
Dosage

The first two weeks are the most important and effective time to be taking your placenta capsules. You can taper off after that or continue to take them at the original dosage. We encourage you to follow your body’s cues and adjust the dosage accordingly.
Recommended use: 3 capsules, 3 times a day for the first week. 2 capsules, 2 times a day for the second week. 1 capsule daily from week 3 onward.
Length of use: If capsules still remain after 6 weeks, you can preserve them in the freezer in a Ziplock bag for the best preservation.
capsules are generally good for up to 2 years in a freezer.
Keep capsules in a closed container in a cool dry place to protect from moisture.

Kōkua Birth Doula Services uses only the best quality supplies - made with non GMO Ingredients, Vegetarian and Vegan capsules that are free of additives, gluten, preservatives, BSE/TSE, sodium lauryn, and sulfates.

Placenta Ingestion Risks: These side effects are rare, but have been reported and may be corrected with a change in dosage: Oversupply in milk, Hormonal shift, Anxiety, Sleeplessness

When to not take your placenta capsules: Placenta capsules should not be taken if the body is fighting off a common cold, flu, or infection. If you should get a breast infection (mastitis), the placenta capsules should not be taken until infection is cleared. If symptoms such as chills, fever, sneezing, aches, flushed cheeks, hot palms and feet or night sweats should occur, stop taking the capsules until the body has fought this off. The reason for this is because placenta is extremely tonifying in nature and can cause a pathogen to grow stronger and go deeper into the body.

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