W
hen it comes to placenta encapsulation, many think that there is a special, lab-sterile space where the placenta is taken to be processed. You may envision an entirely stainless steel space. Perhaps a place like a restaurant kitchen. A place where quality control and testing is done to ensure there is no cross-contamination. No exposure to things like pet hair, dander or household dust or mold. Somewhere that the health department has oversight and regulation.
But in reality, what it boils down to for most is a choice of your kitchen or that of the person you hire to process your placenta.
So, your choice really consists of; your kitchen or theirs?
Placenta encapsulation in my home is my preference, and here’s why.
Personally, I have a certain way I like to keep my kitchen. I accept that not everyone has the same standards as I do. I also have a dairy allergy. As a result, I am never confident that any consumable items prepared in someone else’s kitchen are safe for me to eat. Most home kitchens are a hotbed for cross-contamination between foods. When it comes to consuming home-prepared goods, the risk doesn’t outweigh the benefit for me. The same applies to other food sensitivities and allergies like gluten, peanuts, etc.
Unlike store-bought goods, there’s no “This placenta was processed in a facility that also processes . . .” label to warn of possible cross-contamination when prepared in someone else’s kitchen.
When we prepare your placenta in your home, you know what other possible environmental factors exist. If you’re gluten-free, you know how to maintain your space to not cross-contaminate. When you are dairy free, you are confident that you used the right pan for the mac and cheese for your family. If you feed your cat or other pets on your kitchen counter, you know what happens on the surfaces of your own kitchen spaces.
There are other benefits when you choose to have your placenta encapsulated in your home.
The emerging research into the microbiome and colonizing both the mother and baby with beneficial bacteria found in your home is a big one. When the placenta is prepared in your own space, these beneficial bacteria will be present, and there is no risk of exposure to outside bacteria during the process.
During the encapsulation process, the specialist will be in your home for approximately 2 hours on two consecutive days. During this time, she is also available to you to offer guidance with breastfeeding, assesses the baby’s latch, and answers questions about newborn care and sleep. She’s your resource on all things baby and parenting and welcomes any questions you may have. This aspect of encapsulation is what holds immense value for me.
Having someone in my home a few days after birth that can help reassure and instruct me on any areas where I may be having struggles as part of the service is simply awesome. Visitors and family come to see and hold my baby.
I am more confident when I have someone in my home who is attentive to how I’m doing. Someone who is attuned to my physical and emotional needs. Someone who can give me guidance in areas where I might be struggling.
By choosing Tucson Doulas to encapsulate in your home, you can be sure that the placenta being processed is yours. In Tucson & Sierra Vista, the options are to encapsulate in your kitchen or in the home kitchen of the person you hire for encapsulation. There are no commercial kitchens for processing placentas. When you have your placenta encapsulated in your home, it allows for 100% confidence in every step of the process.
You are welcome to observe the entire process. Or, if you’re like me, I prefer to sit in the other room and bond with my new baby while the specialist is doing her thing in my kitchen. The only equipment we will leave in your home overnight is the dehydrator on day one. We need a small horizontal space to leave the dehydrator as it does its thing overnight. The specialist will sanitize the workspace she uses both before and after she begins her work on both days. So the good news is that we leave the kitchen cleaner than we found it!
Unlike others in Tucson that offer encapsulation, Tucson Doulas does not charge more to encapsulate in your home. It takes the same amount of time, travel, and materials, regardless of the location. It’s simply a matter of convenience for the person performing the encapsulation.
At Tucson Doulas, safety is our top priority.
Our professional Postpartum Placenta Specialists are trained and certified to the highest standards of safe placenta encapsulation.
In addition to holding current certificates in blood-borne pathogens and safe food handling. Our Postpartum Placenta Specialists are also labor/postpartum doulas with the knowledge and experience to help guide you on baby care and recovery while in your home for processing.
Your Tucson Doulas deliver safety, reliability, support, professionalism & accountability when it matters most.
Ready to learn more about postpartum doulas and how they can support you?
Take a listen below to our podcast, The Doula Download, and listen to Placenta Encapsulation – Location Matters.
Give me a call today, or use the contact form to discuss the benefits of placenta encapsulation.
3 Responses
Vanessa Diaz
I would like to discuss placenta encapsulation. I will be delivering at Tucson Medical Center. I am due September 30th of this year. What is the process to get this done? Thank you.
Angela Horn
Vanessa, head up to the contact us link above and fill out the form and I can get the ball rolling.
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