Mamakims: Placenta Encapsulation ~ A How-To

I was trying to decide if I wanted to post pictures on how to encapsulate a placenta or not. At first I didn't want to because afterall, it is a service I provide to Nanaimo and area families and didn't want to miss out on business. But then I changed my mind and because I want every woman to be able to experience the benefits of placentophagy even if they can't afford it (although I do offer a trade or sliding scale system as well).

So here it is... thanks to a good friend of mine who's placenta I encapsulated 2 weeks ago and has given me permission to blog about the processs and share photos with y'all!

Please be warned, there is photos of a human placenta and there is some blood. So if you're squeamish then please don't continue reading! :)

How to Encapsulate Your Placenta

This is a placenta that was previously frozen (my friend lives out of town and wasn't sure when I'd be able to come down to encapsulate it for her so she froze it). First thing you want to do is rinse it really well to remove blood clots. I sever the cord and leave the membranes on.

Wrap the membranes around the placenta and add some chopped hot pepper and ginger (I now also add lemon). Place in a steamer and set over a small amount of water.

Steam gently for 15 minutes on each side and bleed it occasionally (bleed it by poking it with a knife). It's done when there is no more blood when you poke it with a knife and the membranes have pulled back.

When it's cool enough to handle, slice into very thin pieces. Think beef jerky. :-p

Either use a dehydrator or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and put in oven on the lowest setting with the door propped open. This will take anywhere from 7-10 hours.

Don't forget the cord keepsake! This one I later learned was done wrong. When it dehydrated, it was no longer a heart shape but a stick shape. I should have had the ends meet at teh bottom and twisted it to keep it from coming undone.

You can tell it's finished when the placenta snaps and is fully dried. Be careful not to cook it, you just want to dehydrate and a very low heat (remove all moisture but not cooking it). Put all the dried slices into a blender (I use a Magic Bullet) and grind until a fine powder. Use a mortar and pestle to get the stubborn bits that won't grind down.