When you sign our contract we’ll give you a detailed client checklist to help you understand the complete process. Here is the basics: text us when you are in labor, put the placenta on ice ASAP after the birth, text us when you are ready for pickup, we come get the placenta, we process the placenta, we deliver the capsules back to you.

Yes! We will pick up from your birth place or home the same day you give birth and deliver the finished capsules back to you.

Most likely yes. All Puget Sound hospitals have their own placenta release policy and our clients have successfully taken home their placentas from all of them. There are no city, state or federal legal barriers. However, some hospitals may have more complicated policies and you may need to advocate for yourself in order to take home your placenta. When you sign a contract with us we give you a detailed checklist to help you communicate with your prenatal care provider both ahead of the birth and when you arrive in labor.

Your care provider will put the placenta into either a plastic container or a sealed bag. You will need to put this in a cooler with ice until we pick up the placenta from you. Please keep the placenta with you in the cooler, not in a hospital lab or refrigeration unit outside your room.

It depends on the size of your placenta and the way it is prepared. The average is 125-150 capsules. The lowest yield of our clients thus far has been 64 (preemie baby) and the highest yield has been 304. The size of the placenta typically corresponds to the size of the baby. Our Balanced method of encapsulation will give the most amount of capsules per gram of raw placenta. The Gentle method (TCM) gives the least amount of capsules per gram (about 24% less).

About 50% of our clients choose the Balanced encapsulation method, 9% choose Gentle and 40% choose High Yield (no longer available). The reported benefits of encapsulation don’t vary too much between the methods. If you send us an email we’ll reply with our feedback survey book which includes full statistics by preparation method. If you have a strong affinity for Traditional Chinese Medicine, our Gentle method follows those same principles. If you want everything prepared according to USDA standards then the Balanced method is in alignment with those.

Yes! You can still encapsulate after an induction or cesarean as long as you don’t have the infection chorioamnionitis.

We no longer offer in-home placenta encapsulation. We prepare placentas in one of our specialist’s home workspaces. Our workspaces are an area set apart in our homes (not a family kitchen) that is used solely for placenta preparation. We use exactly the same preparation protocol, sanitation and safety precautions no matter where the placenta is processed. We only work on one placenta at a time.

Yes. The collection process is done immediately after the baby is born typically while the placenta is still inside you. It’s likely you won’t even notice the blood being drawn as you’ll be busy meeting your baby. The collection process doesn’t compromise the placenta in any way.

We serve from Arlington in the North to Spanaway in the South. Gig Harbor is our Western boundary (we don’t serve Vashon, Bainbridge or Whidbey Islands) and our Eastern boundaries are Monroe/Issaquah/Buckley. You can see a map of our service area here. If your city isn’t highlighted we recommend a search at Find Placenta Encapsulation.

The only discount we offer is for repeat clients which is $25 off encapsulation. We have in the past bartered for services or products if they are something we need.

Hard to say. We have had some clients successfully pay with their HSA cards. We do not know of any clients who have been reimbursed by their insurance. If we can provide any specific paperwork you need to pursue reimbursement, please let us know.

We hold to the famous words of Gandalf the Grey “A baby is never late, nor is s/he early. S/he arrives precisely when s/he means to.” We provide 24/7/365 coverage so that no matter when your baby makes their big debut we will be ready!

Yes there are a few contraindications:
If your placenta is not refrigerated quickly after the birth and is allowed to sit out at room temperature.
If your placenta is taken to pathology to be tested or examined.
If you have a lab-confirmed case of chorioamnionitis.
If you have hepatitis or HIV/AIDS (the hospital will typically refuse to release your placenta).
If your placenta has been in the refrigerator for longer than 4 days.

Situations that do not necessarily contraindicate encapsulation:
Group B Strep – there has been a recent report by the CDC that a mother’s capsules tested positive for group B strep after preparation with the raw foods method. If you are GBS positive it is recommended that you prepare the placenta using the Gentle Method (also called TCM). Please wash your hands after handling your capsules.
Meconium staining – As long as there isn’t also a uterine infection we can still encapsulate. The top layer of the placenta can be peeled away and the rest thoroughly rinsed.
Fever in labor – There are many reasons why a woman might run a fever during labor and not all of them are contraindications to encapsulation. We will ask questions to find out if it is appropriate in your case.
Long labor or long rupture of membranes – This by itself isn’t a contraindication but you may be more prone to infection so we will ask screening questions during pick up.

Definitely not contraindicated: gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, cesarean, induction, epidural/spinal, magnesium sulfate, antibiotics, IV narcotics, cord blood banking

There is absolutely no chance of a mix up because we never work on more than one placenta at a time. Never. Ever. Your placenta is labeled start to finish and delivered back to you before another client’s placenta is begun. We do a full disinfection between each client of both the workspace and our equipment so that there is no chance of cross-contamination.

We recommend you consume them within the first few months. After six weeks they need to be stored in the freezer. Most women take 2-4 capsules per day. The maximum is typically 9 capsules per day. You should take your capsules with a hearty meal and plenty of liquids. We include a full color dosage and postpartum resource guide when we deliver your capsules.