An Ancient Practice, a Modern Conversation

Placenta encapsulation means taking your placenta after birth, dehydrating it, grinding it down, and filling the powder into capsules for you to take during the postpartum period. It has become one of the most discussed postpartum practices in recent years. The idea draws on centuries of traditional medicine, and more parents are choosing it as a form of natural recovery support.

Curious about it? Skeptical? Already planning to do it? Here is a clear look at what the practice actually involves.

What Is Placenta Encapsulation?

Normally, after delivery, the placenta, the organ that fed your baby throughout pregnancy, is discarded as medical waste. With encapsulation, it is preserved instead, processed, and turned into capsules you take like a daily supplement in the weeks and months after birth.

Preparation Methods

Two main methods exist:

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Method. The placenta is steamed with warming herbs, typically ginger, lemon, and green chili pepper, before dehydration and grinding. This approach follows TCM principles of restoring warmth and balance after birth.

Raw Method. The placenta is sliced and dehydrated at low temperatures without any steaming, then ground into powder. Advocates of this method argue that lower heat preserves more of the placenta's hormones and nutrients.

Either way, the finished powder goes into vegetable capsules. A typical placenta produces between 100 and 200 capsules, depending on size.

Other Preparations

Some specialists also offer additional preparations:

  • Placenta tincture. A small piece of raw placenta steeped in alcohol for several weeks. The resulting tincture lasts long after the capsules run out. Some parents save it for hormonal transitions later, like weaning or the return of menstruation.
  • Placenta salve. The placenta infused into a balm for topical use.
  • Placenta smoothie. A small piece of raw placenta blended into a fruit smoothie, sometimes consumed in the first hours after birth.

Why People Choose It

Parents who encapsulate report a range of benefits. Most of these accounts are anecdotal and self-reported. That does not make them less real for the people living through them, but it does mean the evidence is personal rather than clinical.

Commonly Reported Benefits

  • Improved mood and energy. Many parents describe feeling more emotionally steady and less drained compared to prior postpartum experiences without encapsulation.
  • Increased milk supply. Some credit their capsules with boosting or steadying breast milk production.
  • Faster recovery. Reports include reduced postpartum bleeding and a quicker return to baseline energy.
  • Hormonal balance. The placenta contains hormones including estrogen, progesterone, and oxytocin. The theory behind encapsulation is that reintroducing these gradually may soften the dramatic hormonal drop that follows birth.
  • Iron replenishment. The placenta is rich in iron, which may help address the iron depletion common after childbirth.

What the Research Says

Here is the honest picture. Formal research on placenta encapsulation is limited, and the studies that do exist are small. A few key findings:

  • A 2018 study published in the journal Women and Birth found that placenta capsules did contain detectable levels of hormones, though in small amounts.
  • The same research group found modest increases in iron levels in participants who took placenta capsules versus a placebo.
  • No large-scale clinical trials have conclusively demonstrated the benefits that are anecdotally reported.
  • The CDC published a case report in 2017 about a newborn who developed a Group B Strep infection linked to contaminated placenta capsules, underscoring the importance of proper handling and preparation.

Lack of robust research does not mean the practice is worthless. It means the scientific community has not yet studied it at scale. Plenty of traditional practices that parents find genuinely helpful sit in this same gap.

Safety Considerations

If you decide to encapsulate, safety and preparation quality matter:

  • Choose a trained specialist. Look for someone who has completed formal training in placenta encapsulation and follows food safety protocols, including temperature monitoring, sanitized equipment, and proper handling.
  • Timing matters. The placenta should be refrigerated within a few hours of birth and processed within 48 hours for the raw method, or frozen if processing will be delayed.
  • Communicate with your birth team. Tell your midwife, OB, or hospital staff in advance that you plan to keep your placenta. Some hospitals have specific release forms or procedures.
  • Consider your health history. If you had an infection during pregnancy or birth, like chorioamnionitis, talk it through with your provider before encapsulating.
  • Storage. Finished capsules should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer and taken within a few months.

How to Find a Specialist

Postpartum doulas who have completed additional training in the practice often offer encapsulation as part of their services. When interviewing specialists, ask about:

  • Their training and certification
  • Their preparation method (TCM vs. raw)
  • Their food safety protocols
  • How they handle, transport, and store the placenta
  • Their turnaround time
  • References from past clients

You can find doulas who offer placenta encapsulation through BAABY's provider directory. Many list it alongside their postpartum support services.

Making Your Decision

Placenta encapsulation is a personal choice. It is not for everyone, and there is no pressure in either direction. If it resonates with you, do your research, choose a qualified specialist, and discuss it with your birth team. If it does not feel right, that is equally valid.

What matters most is having enough information to make a decision that fits your values and your vision for postpartum recovery.