Placenta encapsulation Step by Step guide.

I have encapsulated my first placenta.  I have not attended any trainings and do not have any certifications.  So if you are on this page to learn how to encapsulate, please take my journey with a grain of salt and take into consideration I am not yet a professional.  I took my closest friend's placenta knowing her medical history and with the assurance that if I screwed the whole thing up she wouldn't hate me.  So here is my journey encapsulating, step by step, with photos.

Materials:
Dehydrater, ziploc bags, cutting board, ice chest, ice, strainer, bowl, bucket, wash rag, towels, ginger, lemon, clove, knife, steamer tray, large pot, tongs, coffee grinder, funnel, capsules, mason jar, straw, small bowl, good music and incense.



If this is a hospital birth, call the hospital before hand and check with their policies on collecting the placenta.  The hospital I collected this one from had a time limit after  the birth of how long they were allowed to keep the placenta on the premises.  The also asked that I brought an ice chest and ice.  They had the placenta in a container with a lid already but just in case I'd bring a ziploc or some sort of container that will stay sealed.


Step 1:  Thaw & Wash

In a clean sink, put the thawed placenta in a strainer.  Thoroughly wash the placenta until all the blood and clots are off.  Cut the sac and the cord off.  Squeeze the cord free of the blood and set aside if you are planning on making a cord keep sake.  Throw out the sac.  Appreciate the beautiful tree of life.  Place the placenta on a cutting board and cut it into thirds.  I did not do this and I regret it.  It did not properly fit on the steamer, took a long time, and just wasn't working the way I wanted it to.

Step 2:  Steam

This is the time of the process when lighting incense or candles is highly recommended if you are at all squeamish about this whole placenta business.  And get some good music going to get 
your mind off of what is actually happening in your
kitchen.  Fill a large pot with a few inches of water with lemon slices, powdered ginger, and cloves.  Place the large placenta pieces on a vegetable steamer inside the pot. Bring water to a boil and watch the placenta begin to brown.  After 20 minutes or so flip the placenta over with tongs.  Let steam until no juices are coming from it when poked.

Step 3:  Slice

I did not cut into thin enough slices.  So, bring the placenta to a cutting board and slice into the thinnest slices as you can.  This is also a good time to shape your umbilical cord if you chose to make a keep sake.  I made a heart.

Step 4:  Dehydrate

You can also do this in your oven, but I chose to 
use a dehydrator.  Line each tray with wax paper. 
 Place the umbilical cord on the top tray.  When I 
put the slices on the wax paper, I spaced them so 
they were fairly spread out.  I read online that they only need to dehydrate for 6-8 hours, but because of the thickness of my pieces it took more like 12-15.  Check on it often and flip pieces if needed.

After they are finished, check on the hardness of 
the pieces.  They should not be soft, squishy, or anything of the like.  Break into pieces small 
enough to fit into your coffee grinder.


 Step 5:  Grind

So now that you have some placenta jerky all ready to go, grab a small bowl, a coffee grinder, and a straw.  Cut the straws end at a triangular angle to make scooping easier.  Some 
choose to use a funnel instead but I liked the 
straw.
Put a few small chunks in the coffee grinder and 
grind into a fine powders.  Some small chunks are
ok as long as they will fit into the capsules.  I used
00 gauge capsules and purchased on amazon.
Pour the powder into a small bowl that will be easy to scoop from.
Carefully pull apart the capsules and use the straw to scoop the powder into the capsules.  It's not recommended to mix the placenta with any herbs in case there is any allergic reaction.  Fill the large end of the capsules all the way to the top and then cap them.  They will stay closed on their own.  Then fill your mason jar with the pills.  Refridgeration is not required, but recommended. 

Step 6:  Deliver or Consume.

Fancy up your jar, and either consume or deliver.  Placenta pills are great to help your lochia, your milk supply, give you more energy, and to help prevent post partum depression.  You can take them all back to back or save them for times when you need it.  I've even heard of women saving them for menopause.