I was wondering if any of you give moms a choice between dehydrating their placenta in a raw state or steaming it first. To be honest, though I have much respect for the TCM method, the raw method appeals to me for the purpose of retaining (or less risk of destroying) hormones and nutrients. This is from moondragon's page that Rae posted:
Quote:
Dehydrating Your Placenta
Instead of cooking your placenta whole, you can dehydrate it and then add it to meals. Dehydrating the placenta leaves it in a beef jerky like format. It can then be eaten in this form or ground up using a mortar and pestle (or coffee grinder) to either sprinkle it over other foods or place in capsules to take.
No special equipment is needed. A dehydrator can be used or you can dry it in the oven.
Raw Placenta Method:
Just freeze the placenta, you can rinse it before if you'd like, then when ready to dehydrate, take it out of the freezer and let it soften just a little, maybe 15 minutes or so, then start slicing from the maternal side, with a sharp filet knife little thin pieces. Spread those out on the dehydrator, or cookie sheets for the oven, and dehydrate. Even with high atmospheric humidity it still only takes about 5 to 6 hours to dry. Take the little jerky like pieces and crumble them in a bag. You can use the pieces by themselves in soups or stews, you can make a tincture with the pieces later if needed, you can mortar and pestle the pieces and fill gelatin capsules to take like a medicine.
Cooked Placenta Method:
Another method is to cut off the cord and membranes. Steam the placenta, adding lemon grass, pepper and ginger to the steaming water. The placenta is "done" when no blood comes out when you pierce it with a fork. Cut the placenta into thin slices (like making jerky) and bake in a low-heat oven (200-250 degrees F), until it is dry and crumbly (several hours). Crush the placenta into a powder - using a food processor, blender, mortar and pestle, or by putting it in a bag and grinding it with rocks. Put the powder into empty gel caps (available at drug and health food stores) or just add a spoonful to your cereal, blender drink, etc. The recommended doses vary, some suggest up to 4 capsules a day, others just one. Perhaps the best advice is to take what makes you feel good".
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i have a basic package that i offer that includes
-- Placenta Encapsulation
-- Basic Placenta Tincture
-- Homeopathic Placenta Remedies (Optional, includes fee)
-- Placenta Prints
-- Umbilical Heart/Spiral
-- Complete Information on Usage and Dosing
-- Phone and Email Support for Hospital Placenta Release
i also say that i can help facilitate placenta rituals, make them a placenta meal, assist them in their cultural placenta traditions or prepare it by any other methods they prefer. aside from the vietnamese grandmother that wanted me to make a traditional teething bracelet out of the cord, i haven't had anyone want to take me up on this part.
i really like the idea of offering a variety of services. i obviously love the TCM encapsulation method but i would hate to see it totally eclipse the other forms of placenta medicine in some kind of monopoly. this is why i think it is so important to keep a variety of good placenta traditions/methods alive and in circulation.
oh, and just fyi, my name is raeben not rae. rae is a creepy kid from my 7th grade gym class.
The raw method appeals to me as well. It makes a lot of sense and seems easier and less disruptive to the new family. (no smelly placenta cooking) I would be interested to hear more people's thoughts.
I offer both, but only one person was interested, and for her I did it partially in a raw dehydration, and partially steamed. I'm thinking for my own protection that I might have them sign a waiver in the future saying they understand there is some risk involved in the raw method because the temperatures are not high enough to guarantee that bacterial/viral loads have been eliminated. I also inform them that I cannot do a raw encapsulation when there is meconium present, as I understand this presents further risk of infection...although I usually rinse and soak a mec placenta with some vinegar before processing anyway, I wonder if that's enough to be safe for a raw encapsulation?
ETA: I charge the same for both methods, since it's technically LESS work and fewer materials (ginger, pepper, lemon) to do a raw encapsulation.
I offer both options. I inform them of the pros/cons of each and let them decide what is best for them.
Personally, having done it a few times both ways, the moms who do raw seem to have a greater impact faster then those who have had theirs steamed first.
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I offer both, and would like to offer placenta tea as well. But that will be in the future. I have a print out of the pros and cons for each method. I don't really have a preferance. I didn't do mine raw when I had my second baby, but I think I will whenever I have another baby.
Jenn, i would like to know more about your methods. i found this on your website:
"Placental Encapsulation (Raw)
We freeze the placenta, grind it, and encapsulate it. The placenta pills are then left in the freezer for you to take. This method also takes 2 days."
can you please explain this in more detail? where did you learn it? i've never seen an instruction nowhere. do many moms chose this methods? what are pros/cons on this one? thanks!
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No offense, but the grinding raw then encapsulating method just seems wrong to me. On the other private board some doulas find this degrading to the placenta and to the practice. I would think it more respectable to cut chunks out of the raw or slightly frozen placenta and freezing them and putting them into smoothies at least?
No offense, but the grinding raw then encapsulating method just seems wrong to me. On the other private board some doulas find this degrading to the placenta and to the practice. I would think it more respectable to cut chunks out of the raw or slightly frozen placenta and freezing them and putting them into smoothies at least?
1000s of years of TCM can't be that wrong, right?
My understanding is that you still dehydrate the raw placenta, you just skip the steaming step first. Seems like this would help to retain more of the nutrients.
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Both raw and cooked foods have their pros and cons. Each family has to find what is right for them. But if you think about it, most meats are more beneficial to us when cooked, and it can actually release certain enzymes for us, not to mention kill any bacteria that may be there (which is unlikely if the placenta is properly cared for a with any meat). I think most of the hormones remain intact even in a cooked placenta....I think of it the same way as my cow ground meat at the store...I don't buy hormone-laden meat at the store b/c it can get into our own system, even when cooked. If hormones survive the cooking process (which they do), than its fine to cook it. The hormones are there, the iron is there, and then it has to meet the stomach acid....and even then it still gets into our system! Which, if you're ingesting cooked and dehydrated placenta, is a good thing
J
This Member Says "Thanks!" to jennybean For This Post:
Encapsulation: Do You Offer a Choice?
Quote:
who was born on 7/3/09.
I'm thinking for my own protection that I might have them sign a waiver in the future saying they understand there is some risk involved in the raw method because the temperatures are not high enough to guarantee that bacterial/viral loads have been eliminated. I also inform them that I cannot do a raw encapsulation when there is meconium present, as I understand this presents further risk of infection...although I usually rinse and soak a mec placenta with some vinegar before processing anyway, I wonder if that's enough to be safe for a raw encapsulation?
