Nearly every mammal consumes the placenta after birth. This is called Placentophagy.
I know what you’re thinking… GROSS! But stay with me for a minute.
The placenta contains high levels of prostaglandin. Prostaglandin stimulates involution (an inward curvature or penetration, or, a shrinking or return to a former size) of the uterus, in effect cleaning the uterus out. The placenta also contains small amounts of oxytocin which eases birth stress and causes the smooth muscles around the mammary cells to contract and eject milk.
For more information on the benefits, visit Placenta Benefits.info.
The Encapsulation Process
The placenta can be dried, ground, and encapsulated. The capsules can then be taken daily for a number of weeks.
Once you have given birth and settled in at home, I come to your home and start the process of encapsulation. Ideally, this will happen by or around the 48-hour mark. During the first visit, I will prepare the placenta for the drying phase, then leave the placenta to finish drying overnight. The next day, I will return to complete the encapsulation step.
If you would prefer for the placenta to be encapsulated at another location, I can pick up your placenta from you, prepare the capsules and then return them to you.