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.