DIY Placenta Art + Encapsulation
There are so many different ways for a family to honor and to utilize their placenta. Here are some examples:
The placenta is the genetic twin of the baby, and in some cultures the placenta is given full rituals for the dead and a burial.
Make a family meal with the placenta that is shared by all.
A full lotus birth - this is where the baby and placenta are allowed to separate from each other naturally, which may take several days after birth.
Placenta jewelry
Placenta jerky, capsules, smoothies, etc. (instructions below)
Below I will give the quick and dirty outline of different ways to prepare your placenta. Placenta crafting is not a "secret". It is not a high tech skill that takes years to learn. I have a passion for placentas and I offer placenta preparation on a donation basis. I have a detailed sanitation and energy cleansing process of my space and materials. I have a dedicated space in my home with dedicated equipment where I lovingly prepare them and make art with them. I am always honored when someone trusts me with the care of their placenta. At the same time - I feel that it is beautiful when families want to know how to do this themselves, and I don't think the information should be withheld in anyway. I am always happy to walk people through the steps.
Please note that the information below should only be used for you and your family. This is not adequate information for preparing other peoples placentas. I will not go into the preparation or my sanitation process or anything like that - things that are absolutely critical to know if you are preparing a placenta other than your own.
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Placenta prints: Arrange the placenta and cord with baby's side facing up - the side where the veins are most visible. Take a large piece of high quality water color paper and press it down on the placenta. Make several prints if you want to play around with adding paint, pencil sketching, etc.
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Placenta Tincture: A simple way (among many many different ways to make tincture) is to take a small piece of placenta, place it in a jar and cover it with 100+ proof alcohol. Let this sit for as long as you feel is necessary - a 24 hour cycle outside under the sun and the moon, inside for 6 weeks, a combo of inside and outside for a cycle of the moon from new to full, whatever you feel is right. When you feel it is "done" - strain the alcohol and remove the piece of placenta. This is now your mother tincture. Take an empty dropper bottle and fill it half way with water and half way with 100+ proof alcohol. Add about 30 drops of the mother. That will be your finished tincture.
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(mother tincture sitting in a sunny window)
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Membrane (amniotic sac) Preservation - carefully remove the membrane from the placenta. Rub coconut oil on a large plate and shape the membranes as you wish. It will air dry in 24-48 hours. Once dry to the touch, lay on paper towels to absorb any oil. Spray with a coat of clear spray paint to help preserve.
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(dried membranes)
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Placenta Capsules: Cut the placenta into strips as if you were making beef jerky. Place the strips in single layers on the sheets of your food dehydrator. Arrange the umbilical cord in the shape of a heart. Dry at 105 degrees until a the pieces are crisp and easily snap in half - there should be no moisture left whatsoever. This can't take 24+ hours depending on the size of your strips. The temperature is important only if you care about keeping it "raw", meaning that the placenta does not reach a temperature above 115 degrees. It is believed that drying it at a low temperature preserves the nutrients. Alternatively, if you don't have a dehydrator and are not concerned about temperature - you can lay the pieces of placenta out on a cookie sheet and dehydrate at the lowest temp setting in your oven. Once the strips are dry, grind in a blender or coffee grinder. Put into empty capsules. Average number of capsules is 200, but varies greatly depending on the size of the placenta, and the method used for dehydrating. You can do this by hand, or use something like The Capsule Machine.
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(Raw placenta pieces + cord ready to go in to the dehydrator)
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(finished capsules)
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(dehydrated umbilical cord)
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Placenta chocolates: follow steps above for capsules. Instead of putting placenta powder into capsules, mix it into melted chocolate and pour the chocolate into molds to set.
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(finished chocolates)
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Placenta smoothies: Can be made using raw pieces of placenta (use a piece about the size of a quarter for each smoothie) or using a teaspoon or so of placenta powder. Just toss the raw piece or powder in your blender with your normal smoothie ingredients, blend and enjoy!
Thanks for reading! Feel free to contact me with questions, and to share this post!
All photos are copyright 2 Doulas on a Mission. Feel free to use and share, but please credit us :)