The Encapsulation Process

The Encapsulation Process
Please read this information after signing up for placenta encapsulation services.

Overview:As a Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist (CPES), I have completed extensive coursework, and have been trained in the preparation of placenta using methods that adhere to Traditional Chinese Medicine (or TCM Method). You can be assured that I follow the strictest standards of guidelines for food preparation and safety protocols as set forth by OSHA, the EPA, and our local health department. I have not only successfully completed my Placenta Encapsulation Certification, but have also obtained certificates for both my OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) course and Utah Food Handler’s Permit.

With the TCM Method, the placenta is gently cleaned, steamed, dried, ground and then encapsulated, or used for tinctures, salves, etc. During the first preparation visit, I will spend about 2 hours preparing your placenta(s) for the drying phase, and then will leave the placenta(s) to finish drying overnight (or for approx. 8 hours) at your home.  The next day (or once fully it is fully dried), I will return to complete the actual encapsulation part, which also takes about 1-2 hours. Once I am finished, you can begin taking the capsules right away. If you have extra placenta capsules remaining when you feel you have recovered from childbirth, you can also freeze these capsules and save them for menopause.

Checklist for Encapsulation Services:
Complete these items as you prepare to have your placenta(s) prepared by New Roots Birth Essentials.
1) Fill out the Placenta Registration Form. 
This helps us to make sure we’re “good to go” with your placenta,
or plan for any special needs we may need to plan for.2) Pay Initial Placenta Deposit.


(This will ensure I get you on my schedule.)3) Contact New Roots Birth Essentials after baby’s birth, 

to hammer out last minute scheduling details.
newrootsbith@gmail.com OR  (435) 554-8770 (call/text) 

4) Sign the final contract prior to services.
The link to this will be sent to you after having paid the deposit,
or a hardcopy will be brought to your home when preparation services begin.5) Read and adhere to all the reminders below. 
This helps ensure your placenta(s) are handled properly before I get there, and that everything is ready to go!

Reminders for Placenta Services

How to handle and prepare the placenta for encapsulation:
Whether birthing at home, a birth center, or a hospital, please ensure that your placenta(s) are kept clean and fresh. They should be handled as you would any other meat/food that you intend to ingest. 

  • Please make sure that your birthing team is understands that the placenta(s) are being used for consumption, and that it is required that they are to be handled as such. (This includes little things like not placing them into a scented trash bag, wrapping in “Chux pads”, or leaving out at room temperature for an extensive period of time.)
  • The placenta(s) can remain at room temperature for 3-4 hours directly following birth, but after that they should be refrigerated or kept cool.
  • Make sure you/they double-bag it (to prevent freezer burn and prolonged exposure to oxygen), and place in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible. You may also use a food-grade plastic container such as a large yogurt or ice cream bucket for storage.
  • Release as much air from the bag/container as possible; extra air breaks down the tissue and demineralizes the placenta –resulting in less effective capsules.
  •  If you are practicing some form of Partial Lotus birth/extended delayed cord cutting, ice packs may be wrapped up with the placenta(s) to prevent spoilage for up to 4 hours. 
  • The placenta(s) should be frozen if the encapsulation process cannot begin, for any reason, within 2 days of birth.


Birthing at the hospital:
Let your care provider and nurses know that you are having your placenta encapsulated and need to take it home. 

  • The hospital will have you sign a quick waiver/release form. (I can provide you  with one if you need, but most the hospitals you will encounter in this area already have their own.)
  • If they are unfamiliar with placenta encapsulation, be sure to explain that the placenta(s) need to be treated as you would a food. 


Where the placenta is encapsulated: 
New Roots Birth Essentials will encapsulate the placenta in the safety and convenience of your own home. (As is usually required for certified placenta encapsulation specialists.)

  • We will bring all of the needed equipment and materials.
  • We handle all of the processing, including proper clean up of the  applicable areas afterwards.

*Note: Very rarely, there are extenuating circumstances that  make it so that a placenta absolutely cannot be processed within the client’s own home. In these rare certain cases, I can do it in my home instead, but you will be required to sign an additional liability waiver and also need to coordinate pick up/drop off times. 

When is your placenta encapsulated:
Ideally it should be encapsulated within 48 hours after birth, but placentas that have been properly frozen can also be encapsulated up to 6 months after birth. 

  • Encapsulation services can begin in your home directly following the baby’s birth, with a family member present, or after you have arrived home with baby.
  •  Frozen placentas are best if prepared by 4 weeks; however, the Encapsulation Specialist can still prepare frozen placentas up to 6 months old if it passes inspection after thawing. 


Receiving your capsules/placenta products:
New Roots Birth Essentials will leave the finished placenta preparations (and instructions) at your home, unless other arrangements have been previously made.

For any remaining questions, please see our website’s Placenta FAQs page, or contact us at newrootsbirth@gmail.com.