Payment of $275 can be paid in the form of a deposit and then the remaining balance by 36 weeks unless a payment plan has been worked out prior between us.
You will need to speak with your care provider about taking it home. Most hospitals in our area require a simple waiver to be signed, then you may do what you wish with it. Some hospitals are more stringent in their guidelines. If you have contracted me as your doula, I will take the placenta home with me and begin the encapsulation immediately. If you are hiring me just for this service, then we will need to arrange pick up and drop off. I can come retrieve the placenta from your place of birth within 48 hours of delivery (placenta must be refrigerated after the first few hours, frozen if longer than 48 hours), then return it to you 3-4 days after this.
When you go into labor, you or your partner may text or call to notify me. I will give specific instructions at that time, depending on where you are birthing and what arrangements we’ve made.
Once the baby is born, again have someone contact me. I usually come retrieve the placenta within the next 24 hours. Once it is in my possession, I immediately begin the process. Once it is complete, I will return it to you whether you are in the hospital or at home.
I practice OSHA-established guidelines when processing placentas, using specified equipment that has been bleached and sterilized. I follow sterile techniques for Blood-borne Pathogens to ensure your safety and cleanliness. I work from a separate workroom in my home, NOT my kitchen. Legal disclaimer: I do not guarantee the results from consumption of your placenta. Contracting with me is for the process of encapsulation, not the results of placenta consumption.
There are circumstances in which encapsulating a placenta is ill-advised. If mother has taken large amounts of medication during pregnancy, such as Psychotropics, if she is Hep-B or HIV positive or if the placenta is placed in Formaldehyde in the Pathology lab after birth, and sometimes if the mother contracts an infection during the birth, then the placenta is not safe for consumption. But even if a woman has an epidural or Pitocin during her labor, she CAN consume it safely. The presence of meconium (the baby’s first stool) is also fine. In any of these cases, I wash the placenta with salt-water and “bleed” it to clean it. If you have any questions about your specific circumstances, please feel free to contact me to discuss them.