What are the benefits of consuming my placenta?

After the consumption of their placenta, many mothers have reported experiencing:

• a reduction in postpartum blood loss

• a boost in energy levels and faster postpartum recovery

• an increase in milk supply, including boosted levels of protein & lactose in breastmilk

• increased speed of weight gain in breastfed babies

• a feeling of balanced hormones / stable moods

• little to no feeling of “baby blues”

Is placenta encapsulation safe?

Yes it is! Placentophagy as a postpartum remedy can be traced back to traditional practices in both Western and Chinese medicine. Gaining popularity more recently in the 1970s (USA), the consumption of one’s placenta has since become the interest of researchers.

Current research suggests that proper preparation (steaming & dehydrating) of placenta capsules drastically reduces the microbial bacteria count present at the time of birth. Upon testing the prepared capsules, researchers also noted that any toxic elements passed on by the mother during pregnancy came in below safe food levels.

Should you wish to dive further into the research, I would be happy to provide a list of links to all relevant studies via email.

There are however instances that encapsulation may be unsuitable or not recommended. Please see contraindications below.

What are the contraindications for placenta encapsulation?

A contraindication is any symptom or medical condition that is a reason to not proceed because it may be harmful. As per current research, the following conditions / infections are contraindications for placenta encapsulation. In the case that one of these is known prior to or at the time of birth, I cannot proceed with encapsulation services.

• smoking during pregnancy

• GBS infection (not to be confused with GBS colonisation)

• lyme disease

What protocols are followed to ensure safe preparation?

To ensure my services are exceptional, I chose to study with APPA. As a result, I am dedicated to using safe preparation protocols. Some of the strict measures I take are:

• Processing only one placenta at a time.

• Using food safe temperatures during both the steaming and dehydrating stages.

• Following thorough hygiene and sanitsation processes, always.

• Use of a top mount dehydrator to avoid cross contamination and allow proper cleaning.

• Equipment used exclusively for placenta encapsulation. Each piece is chosen specifically for ease of cleaning and to limit the opportunity of bacteria build up.

What is the TCM method and how is it different?

The TCM method is inspired by the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A strong belief within TCM is that a woman’s yin (cold) and yang (warmth) become out of balance following birth. Ginger root and organic lemon are infused into the placenta during the steaming process. This promotes warmth to flow back through the mothers body after consuming her capsules, helping to restore the balance of yin and yang.

How do I prepare my placenta for pickup?

Special care is to be taken in preparing the placenta for transportation. I recommend that all mumma’s should delegate a “placenta helper” to be responsible for the placenta. This can be your partner, a family member or older sibling who will be present at the birth. They will love having a special job to do on the day and it’s one less thing you need to worry about, allowing you to focus on your new baby.

It’s important that your placenta is put on ice and/or refrigerated within 2 hours of birth and optimally kept at or below 4c whilst waiting for pickup. Depending on where you plan to birth will determine what you need to prepare in advance. For all birth locations, you should aim to have 2 large and 2 small ziplock bags on hand. Place your placenta in the first large bag, fill two small bags with ice then place all 3 bags in the remaining large bag or a container if you prefer.

You may wish to keep the above combo in a cooler bag (leak proof) or esky if you are birthing at hospital or a birth centre. Check with your provider beforehand if a fridge will be available for temporary storage. If not available, make sure your support person knows to regularly check on and replace any melted ice to ensure the placenta does not increase in temperature.

If at home, you can store your placenta bag in the fridge until the time of pickup.

Once you have safely stored your placenta, please make contact with Kayla within 24 hours to confirm pickup and location. All efforts will be made to pickup your placenta as soon as possible. I will arrive with my own cooler and fresh ice to safely transport your placenta.

I recommend saving my phone number (0421 179 629) for ease of contact on your birthing date. So that I may pick up your placenta as soon as possible, PLEASE CONTACT BY CALL OR TEXT ONLY. I may not see Instagram messages or emails right away.

How long will it take to receive my capsules?

I aim to pick up all placenta’s within 24 hours of birth then allow 1-2 days for processing and delivery back to you. The sooner you are able to contact me after birth, the quicker I can get your capsules made and delivered to you. Some milky mumma’s like to send me a quick message when they are in early labour, although this is totally optional.

I strictly process only one placenta at a time so that no cross contamination is able to occur. During busy seasons delivery is expected to be 2 days.

As a mother of two littles myself, pick up and delivery times will be organised with my family in mind. Additionally, any late night births will be picked up bright and early the following morning.

What area’s do you service?

I offer my encapsulation services to the Maitland, Newcastle and Hunter Valley regions. All pickup and delivery within 35km of my home near Maitland is included in the listed price. Travel outside of the 35km and up to 50km is an additional $15.

Please note that Maitland Hospital, John Hunter Hospital and Newcastle Private Hospital are all within 35km.

Will my smoothie taste like placenta?

I make sure that your smoothie is bursting with nourishing goodness so that no placenta taste is detected!

Made with a combination of banana, organic berries, honey, flax & sesame seeds, sprouted pea protein, coconut yoghurt and coconut water.

Can I still encapsulate my placenta if it’s sent to pathology?

Unfortunately, I do not recommend consumption of your placenta after it has been to pathology due to the risk of cross contamination and the chemicals used. You may however, request that a visual exam is taken place at the time of birth instead, or ask that only a small portion sent to pathology for testing so that you may encapsulate the rest.

In the event that your placenta is sent to pathology, you have the right to request that it be returned to you to take it home and honour it’s sacred role in another way. Some families chose to bury their placenta in a meaningful location or plant in a pot with a special flower/herb.

Can I still encapsulate if I’m GBS (group b strep) positive?

If you choose to test for GBS and receive a positive result, this means that you may have a GBS colonisation present at the time of birth. Unless your provider informs you that there is a GBS infection, colonisation is not a contraindication for placenta encapsulation.

Thanks to research at Jena University in Germany, it is now known that steaming and dehydration conducted at food safe temperatures will drastically reduce microbial counts, making capsules safe for consumption.

How soon do I need to make my booking?

I recommend that you book as soon as you are comfortable to do so. Given the nature of birth and so that I may allow time to gently prepare each placenta, I limit my bookings to 8 to 10 milky mumma’s per month. Booking in advance ensures you won’t miss out on a spot in your expected due month and allows me to source necessary supplies in time for you birth.

Is Milky Rituals earth friendly?

In attempts to avoid contamination, placenta preparation can create quite a lot of waste. From gloves to plastic waste bags, toxic cleaning chemicals and general setup disposables. With my earth loving heart, I have taken the following steps towards creating a more conscious placenta art service, whilst still conducting exceptional safety controls.

• All cleaning products used are non-toxic.

• Disposable pads and sponges were switched out for dedicated cotton towels and dish cloths. Washed appropriately to kill bacteria and strictly replaced during the stages of preparation.

• My dedicated saucepan and steamer basket are made from non-toxic stainless steel.

• Only pure filtered water is used during the steaming process. Free from fluoride.

• The ginger and lemon used during the TCM steaming method are composted rather than discarded in general waste.

• All packaging has been carefully selected, down to the smallest details, to ensure our collective footprint is as minimal as possible. Think glass bottles, PLA plant based cups, paper straws and eco packaging. Making sure to provide my milky mumma’s with the option to compost, re-use and recycle everything!