A placenta encapsulation kit contains the basic supplies needed to turn raw placenta into dehydrated placenta powder in capsules. This simple kit will help a placenta specialist looking to start their business, but also parents looking to dehydrate their placenta themselves.
Benefits of Placenta Encapsulation
The main benefits of placenta encapsulation that parents seek are to 1) decrease the chance of postpartum depression, 2) increase milk supply, 3) stabilize hormones, and 4) increase energy levels after birth. Placenta in pill form is much more palitable and easier to manage than cooking up a placenta for dinner… which is why a placenta specialists exist in hundreds of cities all over the world. 😉
I have been encapsulating placentas for over a decade and I’ve never had anyone report any negative side effects of the placenta pills. Ever! Placentas are a popular holistic postpartum mental health resource for sure.
Placenta Encapsulation Supplies
There are many, many placenta encapsulation supplies parents and professionals alike could buy to process a placenta. However, if someone is willing to use supplies they likely already have on hand, the placenta encapsulation kit list whittles down to just 6 items.
Placenta Encapsulation Kit
The 6 items in a placenta encapsulation kit are a good dehydrator, something to grind the dehydrated placenta with, disposable gloves, capsules, a capsule machine, and an airtight container to store the placenta pills. Most everything else can likely be found in a kitchen.
Your Placenta Encapsulation Kit
A Good Placenta Dehydrator
An excellent placenta dehydrator is necessary for encapsulating placentas the correct way. A placenta dehydrator needs to be able to regulate the temperature down to the exact degree, be inexpensive, have a top mounted fan, and therefore be easy to clean and sanitize.
Placenta Grinder
It’s important to use a grinder/blender cup that can be removed from the base in order to be cleaned and sanitized. Use this to grind the dehydrated placenta into a fine powder.
Disposable Gloves
Disposable nitrile gloves keep the mess (aka blood) from getting on the skin. Please note that disposable gloves are not a substitiute for good hand washing. I highly recommend taking a food handler’s class to encapsulate a placenta safely.
Empty, Vegan Capsules
Vegetarian capsules are best for placenta encapsulation to avoid alergic reactions to gelatin. I prefer size “0” because pills are smaller and easier to swallow. Also, when pills are smaller it’s easier to adjust dosing.
Capsule Machine
Technically, placenta capsules could be filled by hand, however, it would be very time consuiming, but also it’s harder to tamper each pill down to completely fill with powder. I highly recommend using The Capsule Machine’s capsule machine.
Jar
Once placenta encapsulation is complete, capsules are shelf-stable and don’t need to be refrigerated. However, moisture is the enemy of placenta pills, so make sure to store them in an air-tight container away from direct sunlight. A mason jar in a cabinet would work, but I prefer glass amber jars with screw top lids.
Placenta Encapsulation Transportation Kit
A placenta encapsulation transportation kit comprised of 2 gallon size freezer Ziploc bags, ice, and a small cooler is essential to safely transport the placenta from point A to point B. Most already have these 3 things on hand.
2 Gallon Size Ziploc Bags
After birth, double bag the placenta in 2 gallon size Ziploc bags to prevent leaking.
Ice for the Placenta
Treat the placenta like a peace of meat you just bought from the grocery store. Immediately place the bagged placenta on ice inside a cooler. Before the encapsulation process, it’s important to bring the placenta down to 40° F or below, the same way you would a piece of meat from the grocery store.
Placenta Cooler
When holding and transporting a placenta on ice, do not use a soft sided cooler because the ice will melt and it will leak. Do not use a huge cooler, it’s overkill. Do not use a cooler with a removable lid. Instead, use a placenta cooler that’s a smaller 7 quart size, hard, and has a tent-top secure lid.
Additional Encapsulation Supplies
Of course, additional supplies beyond the 6 item placenta encapsulation kit are helpful for an easier encapsulation process. The full list of placenta encapsulation supplies used to start a placenta encapsulation business will cost between $500-$600, but will vary based on what someone already has on hand. For example, some may already have a pot with a lid, a knife, tongs, etc, that could be removed from a kitchen to put in placenta encapsulation supply closet.
DIY Placenta Encapsulation
Parents looking to save money on encapsulation services for postpartum may consider DIY placenta encapsulation at home, as placentas are not that difficult to process! Follow along with my full list of placenta encapsulation supplies to better understand the process.
Cost of Placenta Encapsulation
Of course, it’s just easier to hire a professional to process the placenta for you. On average, the cost of placenta encapsulation runs between $250-$350 and increases from there depending on any additional fees and services. Contact a local postpartum doula to direct you to a placenta specialist in your area.