Trigger Warning for some, images of beautiful Placentas are below. proceed with awareness.

Hell NAHH! The hospital considers the placenta a biomedical waste product.. Honestly, would you toss any of your other organs? Didn't think so!  Your placenta cannot be processed if it is taken to pathology for further examination or you/baby test positive for GBS, and can still be processed if there's meconium present at birth. 

Hell NAHH! The placenta is not flesh, fat, or a muscle (the uterus is a muscle). It is a functioning and complex majestic organ packed with stem cells and hormones that can help balance the body's hormones postpartum. Many cultures have consumed, buried, or planted theirs for centuries.  Don't let this white-washed western society fool ya!

Your placenta hosts the following (look 'em up if you need something to do!); Prolactin, Oxytocin, Placental Opioid-Enhancing Factor (POEF), Stem cells, Prostaglandins, Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH), Cortisone, Interferon, Hemoglobin, Urokinase Inhibiting Factor and Factor XIII, HELLA IRON, Immunoglobulin G (IgG), and Human Placental Lactogen (hPL).  

I recommend booking the service by 36 weeks so that time can be allotted and reserved to handle your placenta with care immediately after delivery, giving you and your precious organ the undivided attention you deserve. 

It's also cool (dependent on availability) to book the day or week you deliver, so long as you do your due diligence to preserve your placenta accordingly until I can obtain it. 

- It is the your responsibility to discuss release of your placenta from your birthing location and to ensure proper storage. Most hospitals will have you sign a form called a “Disposition of Placenta” which will permit you to take possession of your placenta, then release it to me.
- The placenta should be double (gallon Ziploc) bagged and kept in a Styrofoam or hard sided cooler with ice. 

(Hospitals sometimes provide ice and a plastic bin to temporarily store the placenta.)

- It can only remain at room temperature for 1-2 hours following the birth. 
* Your placenta should not be treated with alcohol, formalin, or any other preservative.
- In a caesarean birth, notify doctor and nursing staff to be prepared with storage container and ice for placenta.
- If it is going to be more than 3 or 4 days before the placenta can be prepared it should be frozen.
- It is your responsibly to notify Marabou Mama of any health conditions which may affect the health of your placenta or the health and safety of anyone who may come in contact with your placenta. 

I strictly adhere to all Universal Precautions, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) guidelines, as well as all food handler guidelines. I'm also Blood Borne Pathogen Certified. Protective gear is a must! Personal aprons, disposable gloves, and a mask are worn during processing. All surfaces are washed and sanitized in hospital grade disinfectant and bleach prior to use. All reusable equipment are sanitized (glass or stainless steel) in a bleach solution for 15 minutes, per OSHA guidelines. 

Placentas are massaged then prepared using the RAW method of preparation, sliced thinly, and placed on parchment paper lined trays, dehydrated at 160 degrees for 18 hours minimum to ensure the placenta is fully dehydrated for your safety. The desiccated placenta is then ground into fine powder and encapsulated using a pharmaceutical lab grade capsule machine and/or used for tinctures and balms. 

I do not recommend encapsulation for those experiencing: 

- Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) rash

- Hepatitis B

- Hepatitis C

- HIV/STD

- Group B Strep (GBS)

- Chorioamnionitis

- Herpes

- Other conditions, such as signs of infection in the mother during labor, may mean that consuming your placenta will not be beneficial to you. 

Reasons that would prevent me from encapsulating your placenta are:

​- Chemically contaminated placentas in pathology, either sanitizing or preserving.

- Placentas that have sat out at room temperature 4+ hours post birth with no preservation methods.

- Placentas that have been in the refrigerator for more than 4 days without being frozen.

- Uterine infections or chorioamnionitis

- Extensive meconium staining past the membranes and into the cotyledons. 

- Cancer of the placenta which is called choriocarcinoma.

 Common Side Effects Include:

• Digestive upset (usually solved by consuming capsules after a meal)
• Overproduction of breast milk
• Mild headaches

Uncommon, but few have reported:

• Increased cramping
• Reduced breast milk supply
• Rashes that resemble PUPPP (harmless yet annoying patches of itchy, hive-like bumps that form in the stretch marks on your belly and spread to other parts of your body while pregnant)

In many cases, there are visiting friends and family needing to utilize the kitchen during processing, kitchens and sinks may be filled with dishes, my equipment is left in your home making you responsible if the equipment is damaged or accidentally turned off and it can be difficult to truly test for readiness when I have to schedule time to visit your home, sometimes leading to inaccurate doneness and additional processing time. 

It is much smoother for me to encapsulate your placenta in a controlled environment that I have continuous access to and will be in the vast majority of the time as I will also be able to execute appropriate OSHA guidelines. It leads to less mistakes and quality placenta products. I can assure you I have not only my client's safety in mind, but mine and my family's as well.