"Placenta encapsulation is the process of preparing the mother’s placenta after the birth of her baby(ies) and dehydrating it to then be ground and placed into capsules for the mother to ingest as she sees fit. The ingestion of the placenta is known as “placentophagy.”

Barefoot Birth has been honored to provide families in the Tampa Bay area with Placenta Encapsulation for the past 5 years--longer than any other provider in the area! We're so glad to know that not only are happily families spreading the word to their friends about the healing benefits of our placenta encapsulation services, but that your other midwives and care providers are recommending us as well.

So many amazing families braved the heat to rally together to raise awareness about birth options today, and Barefoot Birth was proud to attend! We got to chat with mamas and papas while their kiddos colored our Barefoot Birth themed coloring book pages! 

This birth story comes to us from our dear friend Susan. Susan is an ICAN leader and radical unschooling mother of 2. We are excited to share her story with you as it shows how having the right support, appropriate preparation, and belief in yourself can help you achieve the birth you and your baby deserve. 

"Kai was a planned but surprise pregnancy just like our first son. We had been trying for over a year and had basically given up on having more children. We decide to be happy with our 3 person family. I also decided that if I was going to be a mommy to one, I could also handle a new career and went back to school to become an architect. I had finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up and that was to work on sustainable community development  About 6 weeks into the semester, I found out I was pregnant with our second baby. I was so excited that all of our new plans were now going to have to be re-planned once again.

Unlike the Traditional Chinese Medicine preparation of the placenta (see previous blog about TCM encapsulation), we do not steam the placenta with herbs during this raw encapsulation process. We forgo the steaming to save the vital nutrients and hormones that may be depleted once the placenta has heated to above 118 degrees. This method follows the general “Raw Foods” rule that nothing should be headed beyond 118 degrees or vital enzymes are lost.  This is not to say one method is better than the other, just that you have several options for encapsulation and should choose the method that best suits your needs and preferences.

Women have called these capsules “happy pills” and report phenomenal energy levels while taking them. Raw placenta is extremely high in hormones such as progesterone and oxytocin. Midwives have traditionally used fresh placenta to stop bleeding immediately postpartum by slicing off a piece of the maternal side and having the mother put this between her cheek and gums. The high hormone levels cause the uterus to close down and bleeding is diminished.

The placenta is an amazing organ that is treated with reverence among many cultures around the world. In Chinese medicine, placenta medicine is called Zi He Che. Full of Qi (life force), the placenta aids in the recovery from childbirth, restoring lost hormones, preventing mood jags, and ultimately helping mothers in this vital time of bonding and nurturance. 

    Taking the placenta as a powder is an ancient custom. Remedies of placenta powder have been well-known for centuries. As a source of rich nutrients, the placenta was considered a gift from the baby by many cultures. Across the globe, the placenta has been used medicinally throughout history – from hormone replacement to the treatment of skin conditions.