Wombmart- Placenta Encapsulation

I can't believe it's been 11 weeks since little man entered our lives! Time has flown by, way too fast. I wanted to write his birth story and include all of the amazing people who helped us along the way. But I wanted to first talk about what has gotten me through the first months. My placenta.

OK, I have to admit, when I first heard of placenta encapsulation I was grossed out. I mean, eating your placenta? Yuck. But I kept hearing how much it helped with postpartum depression. I knew this was going to be something I would battle since I did with E. So to me, it was worth researching.

Placentophagy (the practice of eating one's placenta after birth) dates back to more than 2,000 years. The placenta is said to be very nutritious and the Chinese believe it helps achieve longevity. There are several debates about toxins remaining in the placenta. But when you compare modern medicine to placentophagy, I think there is less risk in taking placenta capsules.

Other things I learned about placentophagy are that it helps with milk production, helps the healing process, helps with post partum depression, and is full of vitamins and minerals.

A friend of mine recommended Jereka Hunt of Wombart to be my encapsulator. Jereka is a PBi Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist and owner of Wombart- serving Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and surrounding counties. ​Jereka talked me through the extremely easy process and all I had to do was bag and refrigerate my placenta after birth.

When I got to the hospital, CMC Pineville, I informed them immediately I was keeping my placenta. I made sure to tell every nurse and Dr. so they were aware of my plans. I brought a cooler filled with ice and gallon size ziplock bag just in case it didn't fit in our room fridge. I had no issues what so ever with any of the staff and they were more than happy to bag it in a sterile bag for me. I was worried the staff might give me a hard time- but they all thought it was great and had wonderful things to say about it.

After having Keenan, my mom took the placenta home and kept it in the fridge until Jereka arrived the next morning. I hate I missed out on the cooking/encapsulating process, but it was also pretty cool that my placenta was encapsulated and ready for use before I even left the hospital.

Encapsulation happens in your home. Jereka brought all of her own equipment and even her own trash bags. My mom had a blast talking with her and learning all about encapsulation. Jereka came early in the morning and came back later that evening to finish the process! It was that fast and simple. Encapsulation can take 2 days depending on Wombmart's schedule.

I had a c-section with Keenan and apparently my iron levels were very low after surgery. They wanted to put me on 350 mg prescription iron (which had red dye 40 and a bunch of other yucky preservatives) but when I told my OB I was taking placenta capsules, she said I could just take them and they would be enough!

Not only are placenta capsules high in iron they are filled with healing ingredients like:
*Gonadotrophin - the precursor to estrogen, progesterone and testosterone​
*Prolactin - promotes lactation ​​​​
​*Oxytocin - for pain and bonding; produced during breastfeeding to facilitate bonding of mother and infant. In pharmaceutical form this is a very addictive drug because it promotes a feeling of connectedness with others and is often referred to as the "love" hormone
*Interferon - stimulates the immune system to protect against infection ​
*Thyroid Stimulating Hormone - boosts energy and helps recovery from stressful events
*Cortisone - combats stress and unlocks stores of energy
*Prostaglandins - anti-inflammatory
*Hemoglobin - replenishes iron deficiency and anemia
*Gammaglobulin - immune booster that helps protect against postpartum infections
*Urokinase Inhibiting Factor & Factor XIII - stops bleeding and enhances wound healing​

Since I needed more iron, I took 3 capsules 3X's a day for 5 days. I then went down to 2 capsules twice a day- until I got mastitis. Which I then discontinued use of the placenta capsules until I was done with my antibiotics. The placenta capsules really helped get my milk supply back up once the infection was over! My LLC even raved about how great they work for breastfeeding ad supply issues.

When I was off the capsules during my mastitis, I became very emotional and was extremely overwhelmed. Once back on the capsules, I felt like my old self with higher energy. I highly recommend!

I really enjoyed the whole process of encapsulation. I loved working with Jereka and learning about placenta encapsulation. If you are in the Charlotte area and are thinking about placenta encapsulation, check out Wombmart online or on Facebook!