Our Process

We love working with placentas! Here are the details of our process.
Pick Up and Transport:

• When we receive the call that your baby and placenta are born, we make arrangements to pick up the placenta as soon as possible.
• When we arrive, we ask a few questions about your baby and the birth (gender, weight, complications, and so forth). We use this information to ensure safety, see if we need to use an apple cider vinegar rinse, and to collect data about size and number of capsules. 
• We bring our own cooler and ice packs to transport the placenta safely. 

​"Everything was safe, professional, and done beautifully."
~Tabitha

​"Placenta encapsulation just makes sense.  After having huge hormone swings, it is really a great personalized way to re-balance myself." 
~Rachel

Sanitizing and Preparing the Environment:

• The placenta is kept in the fridge temporarily until the area is ready.
• The counter is cleared and wiped down. A 20% bleach solution is sprayed and sits for ten minutes. After the ten minutes are up, a new sponge is used to wipe the counter off. 
• Prepping tools are pulled out. Cutting boards are placed for pictures and prints; disposable shears are removed from their package; parchment paper liners are put on dehydrator trays; reverse osmosis water and Rescue Remedy are put in the steamer; a steamer liner is placed over the steamer; a colander is placed in the sink; a mixing bowl is put on the scale; print paper is pulled from the pad; a box of gloves is made accessible; plastic press and seal wrap is used to cover the bottom of the scale, dehydrator handle, cord, and temperature knob, steamer cord and controls; we put on a pair of latex-free gloves, a mask, and a disposable apron. 

Preparing the Placenta:

• Membranes are trimmed from the placenta.
• Prints are taken of the fetal side. 
• Pictures are taken of the fetal and maternal sides.
• The cord is removed and the placenta is rinsed to remove clots. It is rinsed in apple cider vinegar if meconium was present.
• The placenta is weighed.
• A small piece of placenta is removed for essence if desired; this is placed in a jar filled 2/3 with filtered water and placed in the sun/moon light for at least 4 hours.
• A small piece of placenta is removed for tincture if desired; this is placed in a dropper bottle filled with at least 80 proof alcohol.
• The placenta is steamed if desired for 20-25 minutes. Start and end times are noted.
• The steamed placenta is rinsed and weighed again.
• The placenta is sliced into very thin strips. 
• The strips of placenta are placed on the parchment sheets in the dehydrator; the cord is arranged and also placed in the dehydrator.
• The dehydrator is turned on at 145F for the first hour if raw then dropped to 115F; 145F is used for the entire time if steamed. Times and temperatures are noted.
• Dishes are rinsed, washed with dish soap, and rinsed. They are set aside for bleaching later.

"​I was so impressed with the smooth communication and process. Honestly I don't even know exactly how it all happened (I was having a baby! I think my doula called for us) but the next day Melissa showed up with the capsules! At a time like that, my family and I were so grateful that you pick up/deliver. I wouldn't have wanted my partner leaving at that time! This was an important reason why we chose this company and they were wonderful!"
​~Elizabeth

"Best thing ever for post partum care, night and day recovery and experience from first baby with no placenta pills and 2nd baby.  Worlds better!!! Milk came in fast and higher production, no post partum depression, anxiety. Felt really emotionally balanced and relaxed, was sad when I was out of pills."
​~C

Packaging:

• After at least 4 hours, the essence mother is brought in. The piece of placenta is removed and discarded. The remainder of the jar is filled with high proof alcohol. A usage bottle is prepped by filling a dropper bottle with half filtered water, half high proof alcohol, and 10 drops of the mother essence. 
• After the placenta is dry (about 10-14 hours for steamed, 22-26 hours for raw), it is weighed one final time. Times and weights are noted.
• We put on a mask and latex-free gloves.
• The strips are ground into a fine powder using a Magic Bullet. 
• Capsules are loaded into a Capsule Machine and filled with the powder. We tap down twice to ensure the capsules are consistently filled. Capsules are filled on plates allowing us to easily and safely collect dust to minimize waste. 
• Capsules are dusted with a paper towel, manually checked to verify they are snapped closed, then put in a jar with a descant packet. The number of capsules is noted.
• All products and instructions are placed in a gift bag.

Clean Up:

• The grommet is removed from the Magic Bullet blade for cleaning. All tools are rinsed,  washed in dish soap, and rinsed again. 
• A 10% bleach solution is prepared in a tub. Tools are added and sit for 10 minutes. 
• Counters are wiped; counters, washing bins, and dish drying racks are sprayed with a 20% bleach solution to sit for 10 minutes. 
• After the 10 minutes, clean gloves are used to remove the sanitized tools from the solution; they are rinsed and dry on the racks. A fresh sponge is used to clean the counter.
• Tools dry before being put into storage bins.

​"You gals are the best, no room for improvement." 
~Jennifer

Drop Off:

• We verify your location and bring you your finished products. 
• We offer you guidelines for use and leave you with printed instructions. 
• We invite you to contact us with any questions.
• We share the images and notes we have taken through the process via Google Drive to your email. 

Learn More About:

The Benefits of Placenta Encapsulation
Product Choices
How to Prepare for Your Encapsulation
Frequently Asked Questions