So several months ago I posted about how I was considering get my placenta dried out and put into pills to take after delivery. I decided to do it, and I am grateful that I did.
I was in the hospital for 48 hours after delivery because I had tested positive for Group B Strep. When it was time for us to be released, in order to be able to take the placenta I had to sign a waiver. It basically stated that I was taking an organ from the hospital and that they wouldn't be held liable for anything that happened as a result. All that legal mumbo jumbo they have to put you through to cover their behinds in case you do anything crazy and then want to blame them when something goes wrong. They gave it to us in a plastic tupperware like container. Like you would buy sour cream in, but bigger. (Hope that doesn't ruin sour cream for you. haha). When we left the hospital we went straight to the lady's house who was going to take care of everything. This was on Friday. She called us on Sunday and let us know that it was ready to be picked up. Not too bad for turnaround time, right? Ryan went and got them and told me the directions. I was to take 2-6 pills daily (start with less and work up to more if I felt it was needed) until I didn't feel like I needed them anymore or I ran out. I was to keep them in the fridge, and any that I ended up not using I should store them in the freezer for future use if I wanted.
There was kind of an earthy smell when I opened the container, but it wasn't bad. Just "natural". Haha. I started out by taking two in the morning and two at bed time, and decided that was a good amount for me. I did that for the first almost 7 weeks after delivery.
My results? I cried/felt the baby blues the day after I left the hospital (before I had the placenta pills), and then once again when he was 4 weeks old and had a rough night where I was only getting 1.5 hour stretches of sleep all night and was exhausted the next morning. That's it. Now I have nothing to compare it to, but I do know that pretty much all the women I've talked to have experience baby blues/post partum depression more than that. And really, it would only be one "episode" since the first time happened before I started taking the placenta pills. SO, my opinion on placenta encapsulation? DO IT!! What do you have to lose? If it hadn't worked for me, we would have been out $100. But because I took a chance on it, I preserved my sanity, bonded with my baby, and didn't have a horrible after birth experience. Like I said before, I've had members of my family hospitalized for post partum depression/psychosis. I didn't want to go through that. Who would? I am SO grateful that I decided to go outside of my comfort zone and try this. I am beyond pleased with the results and plan on doing it for each of my pregnancies!
