Placenta Services Questionnaire and Contract

Thank you for hiring me to encapsulate your placenta! Kristin Manfredonia-Watts of Welcoming Waves Birth Services strives to provide the birthing population of South Florida safe, easy, and reliable access to the benefits of placental ingestion. 

Placenta encapsulation is the act of taking a fresh placenta, steaming or slicing the placenta raw, dehydrating, grinding and putting the placenta powder into consumable capsules. All processes are done with respect to the placenta and in a sanitary environment. Welcoming Waves Birth Services adheres to strict OSHA guidelines and follows proper food safety standards. Kristin Manfredonia-Watts has her Blood Borne Illness Certification and ensures that proper safety measures are met.

The placenta capsules that are being prepared are for your (owner of the placenta's) consumption only and are not designed to reverse medical conditions or ailments from pregnancy, to treat postpartum depression, to ensure normal milk supply or to replace medical attention. Kristin Manfredonia-Watts of Welcoming Waves Birth Services is NOT a licensed medical professional, such as a care provider or physician, and Kristin Manfredonia-Watts is not able to diagnose, treat or prescribe medication for any health condition. 

What sets me, Kristin Watts of Welcoming Waves Birth Services, apart from all of the other Placenta Encapsulation Specialists?

I believe that a postitive, healthy postpartum journey begins with more than just an encapsulated placenta. I believe families need unbiased professional postpartum support in conjunction with placental medicine. Because of this, with every encapsulation, I include one week of virtual postpartum support. You can text or call my personal phone number with any questions or conerns you have. I can help with anything from car seat safety to lactation support to providing local and national resources to answering simple postpartum and newborn care questions. From that point on, you'll be added to my private Facebook group, where you will be able to connect with other parents for additional support and community. Through that group, I host meet ups, play dates, and virtual support circles. 

As a mother of four, I know what our community is lacking - We need a village. My goal is to bridge that much needed gap, along with providing the health benefits of placenta encapsulation. 

Let's set you up for postpartum success!

 

What nutrients does your placenta hold? 

- The placenta contains:

- Minerals, Trace Elements, and Vitamins

- Iron and Selenium

- Oxytocin

- Prostaglandin

- Prolactin and Human Placental Lactagon (hPL)

- Progesterone

- Vitamin B6

- Stem Cells

- Indoleamines

- Opioids/ Placental Opioid-Enhancing Factor (POEF)

- Serotonin

- Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone

- Thyroid-Releasing Hormone (TRH) and Thyroxine

 

What are the reported benefits of Placental Ingestion?

1.    Alleviated postpartum bleeding

2.    Enhanced uterine involution (uterus return to pre-pregnancy size)

3.    Improved and accelerated healing and recovery

4.    Reduced maternal postpartum pain

5.    Prevention or treatment of anemia

6.    Improved lactation

7.    Facilitated bonding with newborn

8.    Increased strength and vitality

9.    Accelerated weight loss postpartum

10. Prevention and relief of headaches

11. Treatment and prevention of hypothyroidism

12. Replenishment and regulation of hormones

13. Improved quality of sleep

14. Increased libido[1]

 List Adapted From Jodi Selander , Allison Cantor , Sharon M. Young & Daniel C. Benyshek (2013): Human Maternal Placentophagy: A Survey of Self-Reported Motivations and Experiences Associated with Placenta Consumption, Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 52:2, 93-115

 

Important Points You Should Know:

1. Your placenta should not be treated with alcohol, formalin, or any other preservative. Please contact me if you need assistance with hospital release. You should contact the hospital directly, as well as discussing consuming your placenta with your doctor or midwife. 

2. All fees are for the service of encapsulating your placenta, not for the sale of the capsules. Each birthing person will react to their placenta capsules in different ways. Some of the ascribed benefits of placenta consumption are supported by ongoing research, however these benefits have not been evaluated or approved by the United States government or the Food and Drug Administration. It is your responsibility to determine whether using placenta capsules can be beneficial to your wellbeing postpartum.

 

Client Responsibility:

Placenta Storage (your responsibility until I pick it up):

Your placenta should be put into a clean and sterile, leak proof container immediately after cord cutting and stored in a cooler or cooler bag on ice and kept at below 46 degrees Fahrenheit for no longer than 12 hours or in a refrigerator at home or at the hospital. You should arrange for your placenta to be put into a refrigerator as soon as possible after birth.

If it is going to be more than 3 or 4 days before the placenta can be prepared, it should be frozen. A frozen placenta will take somewhat longer to prepare, since I prefer to gently defrost it prior to preparation.

You can prepare your placenta for transport by placing it in 2 gallon-sized, freezer-strength Ziploc bags or in a clean, large plastic Tupperware container or glass casserole dish with lid, then into a cooler with ice packs, on ice, or into a refrigerator. Most hospitals will provide a container or bag, but I recommend that you bring your own. Please do not place the placenta directly on the ice without putting it in a bag or plastic container first.

I will not encapsulate your placenta if you have tested positive or are suspected of having a uterine, blood, or placental disease or infection, or if your placenta has been sent to pathology in the hospital for any reason, because it may have been contaminated while in the pathology department. 

I also do not recommend using your placenta for encapsulation if your placenta has not been stored properly after birth.

 

It is your responsibility to notify Kristin Manfredonia-Watts of Welcoming Waves Birth Services within 24 hours of your birth, so that we can work together to make arrangements for retrieval of your placenta. Please give extra consideration to major holidays. Failure to do so may result in delayed placenta preparation and encapsulation, and may cause decreased potency of nutrients, hormones, and other beneficial attributes of the placenta. Improper storage of the placenta may result in spoilage. It is your responsibility to discuss the release of your placenta from the facility where you will give birth during the prenatal period, and to ensure proper storage of your placenta in a refrigerator or cooler with ice.

It is also your responsibility to inform Kristin Manfredonia-Watts of Welcoming Waves Birth Services of any known blood borne illness(es) or other health issues (such as HIV, hepatitis, MRSA, etc.) that could place Kristin Manfredonia, or any others who may come in contact with your bodily fluids (specifically maternal and fetal blood as well as amniotic fluid), at risk. Some specific sexually transmitted diseases such as Hepatitis, herpes, or HIV may preclude Kristin Manfredonia-Watts from offering placenta encapsulation. Your personal information will ALWAYS be kept confidential. That's a promise. 

 

If the medical staff strongly insists that your placenta be sent to pathology, you have the right to refuse. Regardless of what the hospital seems to indicate or even claim outright, they do not have a right to take your placenta any more than they have a right to amputate and take your arm. It is your bodily organ. Once you have notified the hospital (ideally in writing) that you insist upon taking your placenta home with you, any attempts to seize the placenta legally constitutes a ‘trespass to the person’ (i.e., assault and/or battery), since the placenta is in fact, part of your body.[1]

In addition to clearly communicating your plan to take your placenta home with you, the best method to protect your placenta from confiscation is to never surrender it in the first place. It is usually much more difficult to get your placenta back from hospital staff than it is to never allow them access in the beginning.

Most home birth families store the placenta in a bowl and cover the bowl with a large bag. This method may also be applied in a hospital setting to mitigate all risks for contamination and confiscation. Immediately after the birth, the medical staff will be very busy, and placentas are often sent to pathology in the commotion without consent or any stated explanation. In a hospital birth, it is imperative to assign someone on the birth team (the partner, a nurse, a family member, or the doula) the responsibility to properly store the placenta, so it is not lost or contaminated.

As placental stem cells become the predominate source of stem cells in the near future,[2] parents may need to become more adamant about their rights to their placenta to protect it from hospital confiscation.

[1] Marshall, J, Fraser, D & Baker, P. “An Observational Study to Explore the Power and Effect of the Labor Ward Culture on Consent to Intrapartum Procedures.” International Journal of Childbirth, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2001 pp 82-99.

[2] Taghizadeh Rr, Pollok Ke, Betancur M, Et Al. “Wharton’s Jelly Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Regenerative Medicine Beyond Umbilical Cord Blood.” Presented At: First Meeting of The Placenta Stem Cell Society. From “Fetomaternal Tolerance to Immunomodulary Properties of Placenta-Derived Cells in Cell Therapy”, October 3–6, 2010; Brescra, Italy.

EXPECTING MULTIPLES: Please be aware that there will be $100 added per additional placenta encapsulated. 

Again, please let me know if you have any health conditions which may affect the health of your placenta or the health and safety of anyone who may come in contact with your placenta. If you are taking any medications regularly, other than prenatal vitamins, please discuss placenta encapsulation with your doctor or midwife.

Welcoming Waves Birth Services’ Responsibility:

It is Kristin Manfredonia-Watts's responsibility to maintain client confidentiality, commit to complete the encapsulation process within 72 hours of starting, and uphold the highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and quality of professional placenta preparation services. Payment must be made in full in order for me to pick up your placenta from your birth place. 

** Encapsulated Placenta will typically be delivered on day 7-10 postpartum ** unless stated otherwise. 

For "Keepsake Only" orders (NO capsules), please expect to have your order back 4-6 weeks after the placenta is received. There is less of a rush placed on these orders because you are not ingesting your placenta. 

 It is important to understand that there may be circumstances in which your placenta cannot be used, but it is RARE. Significant abnormalities of the placenta may necessitate your doctor or midwife sending your placenta to Pathology for further examination. Once the placenta has been released to Pathology, Kristin Manfredonia-Watts of Welcoming Waves Birth Services will not be able to encapsulate it. Under certain circumstances, an additional waiver may be needed to ensure that your placenta is safe for consumption.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: You can refuse to release your placenta to pathology. It is YOUR organ.

If your placenta is deemed unsafe for consumption, we can still create a keepsake from it. I offer tree of life placenta prints, moon phase amniotic sac art, and umbilical cord keepsakes. I also offer a keepsake memorial service that turns your placenta into soil, so you don't have to bury your organ 6 feet deep or you can use it for a house plant. 

Other conditions, such as signs of infection in the mother during labor, may mean that consuming your placenta could be harmful to your health. Kristin Manfredonia will always consult with you prior to making a choice on whether or not your placenta is viable for ingestion.

It is possible to keep your placenta after Cesarean surgery. It is important to bring this up prior to having your c-section, so they know to save and properly store your placenta for pick up. It is important that you let Kristin Manfredonia-Watts of Welcoming Waves Birth Services know if you have any health concerns or conditions which may affect the health of your placenta or the health and safety of anyone who may come into contact with your placenta.

Refunds

In the event that you prepaid for your placenta service and your placenta is unavailable to you (ex. sent to Pathology, etc.) or if your placenta has been contaminated with a bacterial infection, I'm happy to offer one additional week of postpartum virtual support, as well as well as a keepsake of your choice, if applicable, in lieu of encapsulation. There will be no refunds given. 

Please Note: In order to receive the "add on" pricing, you must first choose the "Placenta Encapsulation" service. You can choose as many "add on" items as you'd like. 

For example, if you order an Encapsulation service, you can choose the "Add on: Placenta Tincture" priced at $35. If you'd just like the tincture alone with no encapsulation, the tincture will be full price at $65. 

Placenta Art and Moonphase Art Disclaimer: 

The placenta art I create is a unique and personal expression of my artistic vision. Each placenta is inherently different, with variations in texture, smoothness, and vein prominence. These natural differences contribute to the individuality of each piece. As such, there is no standard of perfection, and each artwork will reflect the distinctive characteristics of the placenta used. By commissioning my work, you acknowledge and accept these artistic variations. 

Umbilical Heart Keepsake Disclaimer: 

The keepsake umbilical cords I create are subject to natural variations. Sometimes, the blood in umbilical cords can coagulate, causing the cord to dry dark. In such cases, I will automatically gold-dip the cord, as the coagulation prevents visibility through the cord. By commissioning my work, you acknowledge and accept these natural variations and the artistic decisions made to enhance the final product.

Moonphase Art Disclaimer: 

The phase of the moon that your baby was born under will be what is used for this art piece. If you'd like a different phase, please let me know when ordering this art piece. Some babies are born under full moons, so the circle piece is all placenta. Sometimes, they're born under only a sliver of a moon, so keep that in mind, as well. As you could imagine, working with dried amniotic sac is not easy and sometimes, the dried pieces can crumble. As soon as you receive thid piece, please put it somewhere safe and don't stack anything on top of it, in order to preserve the amniotic sac. 

Payment: 

I accept payment through Venmo, Zelle, and through cash or check. Payment must be made in full prior to me picking up your placenta. 

Zelle: (954) 675-1142 

Venmo: @Kristin-Manfredonia

If writing a check, please make it out to Kristin Manfredonia.