Why North Texas Placenta Services?
North Texas Placenta Services holds professional certification for placenta encapsulation and preparation. We hold a current Texas Food Handlers Safety Card and maintain Blood Borne Pathogen training certifications with OSHA. We maintain the highest level of professional standards for our work and only process one placenta at a time.
Will they let me keep my placenta?
It is now Texas law that all women have the right to take their placenta home from their place of birth! Just let your care provider know that you want to keep your placenta and bring the necessary supplies to keep it. (2 - gallon zip lock bags and a cooler)
Do you offer services besides placenta encapsulation?
Rebekah is a licensed midwife in the state of Texas! She offers home and birth center births in North DFW.
What supplies do I need to take with me to the Hospital/Birth Center to be prepared for Placenta Encapsulation?
You will need two 1 gallon ziplock bags to put the placenta in (double bagged) and a cooler to keep the placenta on ice until it is picked up. We will actually transport the placenta in our own cooler, yours is only used to keep the placenta cold at the place of birth.
(I do not return coolers after encapsulation)
How soon after birth do I need to get the placenta on ice?
As quickly as possible. The first hour or so after birth is usually very busy with adoring the newborn but the placenta needs to be on ice within the first 3 hours postpartum. This is a great job for your doula!
I'm Group B Strep (GBS) positive, can I still encapsulate?
Yes! Because we dehydrate the placentas at a safe temperature according to Texas Food Handling regulations it is safe to encapsulate. GBS is a colonization not an infection therefore it is still safe to encapsulate. If this makes you uneasy, send us a message! We are happy to discuss the details and options in more detail.
What if I develop an infection in labor?
If anything happens in labor that makes it potentially unsafe to encapsulate your placenta, we will refund your fee! This includes an infection during labor (chorioamniotisis or "Chorio") or if baby develops an infection in the first 24 hours after birth.
I'm birthing at Home, Do I need to put it in an ice chest?
That is up to you! You can use an ice chest and ice to keep your placenta cold after birth or you can put the double bagged placenta in your refrigerator to wait for pick up.
What if I am having a cesarean section birth, can I still encapsulate?
Yes! You absolutely can! Just make sure that your birth team knows that you would like to keep your placenta!
I'm at the hospital and I forgot a cooler, what do I do?
Double bag your placenta in ziplock bags and put it on ice in one of the basins in your room for bathing baby.
What if my placenta has to be sent to pathology?
Rarely placentas need to be further examined after birth. If your provider would like to send your placenta to pathology remind them that you would like to take it home. The placenta can be examined in your room and if further analysis is required a piece of the placenta can be sent to pathology for study. If your whole placenta is removed from your room to go to pathology it is no longer safe for encapsulation as we do not know if it was cross contaminated.
How/When will I receive my finished Placenta Capsules?
Finished capsules are mailed to you about 72 hours after placenta pick up. Sometimes encapsulation is a lengthy process, it all depends on how large the placenta is and humidity levels etc. Our goal is for you to receive your completed products between day 3-5 after birth, but on occasion it has taken up to a week due to shipping/weekends etc.
How soon after I let you know I had baby do you pick up?
We will pick up your placenta as soon as possible. It depends on the location of your birth, if it is the middle of the night we will pick it up in business hours the following day. Unfortunately some local hospitals require that the placenta is picked up immediately and for those birth locations I or an employee will come pick it up within 2 hours of your call as long as it was already booked. We usually cannot accommodate last minute bookings that need immediate pick up (but feel free to ask!).
How long can my placenta be in the refrigerator?
Placentas can be well iced or in the refrigerator for 72 hours from birth. If it is not possible to encapsulate within that 72 hour window of time the placenta must be frozen. Frozen placentas (Double bagged to prevent freezer burn) can be processed up to six months after being frozen. A frozen placenta must be completely thawed to begin the encapsulation process which may take a couple of days. Placentas for consumption must never be frozen, thawed and re-frozen.
What areas do you offer Placenta Encapsulation for?
I offer placenta encapsulation to the North DFW region including North Fort Worth, Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Decatur, Carrollton, Grapevine, Gainesville, and surrounding areas.
